The East Lansing City Council approved parts of the Virginia Avenue project, which calls for the demolition of all homes along the avenue's 600 block, at its meeting Tuesday night.

With a purchase agreement of $107,000, the council authorized city officials to buy a home at 601 Virginia Ave., which begins the city's quest to acquire the avenue's 22 other residences.

They will be converted into a mixture of 39 new homes and condominiums, which will be owner-occupied and targeted at families with children. The push behind trying to attract families comes from the dwindling enrollment in East Lansing Public Schools.

Oetzel-Williams, a group that appraises real estate, was also approved to compile reports about the value of homes along the block. The total fee to complete all of the appraisals is $31,280.

Councilmember Beverly Baten was initially concerned about the total cost of the appraisals, which breaks down to $1,360 per property. She said she later voted in favor of hiring the group because the area is comprised of rental homes, which adds some difficulty when determining their worth.

To carry out the construction of the new homes and condominiums, the council named Mayberry Homes as the project's developer. An agreement between the city and Mayberry Homes will be signed in the next 30 to 60 days.

With more than half of the avenue's property owners interested in selling, city officials have said they are confident the project will move forward.

At a cost of $4.8 million, the city is using several sources to foot the bill for the project, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the state and federal government.

Kris Turner can be reached at turne112@msu.edu.