Northville Downs Developer Pitches Reduced-Housing Plan

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The proposed Northville Downs development continues to work through the municipal approval process. Hunter Pasteur Homes has been meeting with the Planning Commission on a plan that would bring in excess of 440 units of housing to the horse racing track site. The development would include 38 single-family homes, 98 townhomes, 28 carriage houses, 62 row houses, 172 apartments and 43 condominiums. A third of the site’s acreage would be designated to parks and green space, along with commercial space. The 11-acre northern portion of the Northville Downs site has been sold to Perennial Northville LLC, an affiliate of Hunter Pasteur.

 

Suburb Home Values Outpace Urban Areas

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The suburban real estate market is winning the property value race against the urban market. Up until June 2021, urban homes were gaining dollar value more quickly. However, after July 2021, home values in the suburbs rose faster due to the shift to remote work. Urban home values have continued to accelerate, but suburban home values are edging them out.

 

Detroit Metro Office Construction Costs Soar to Unprecedented Heights

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According to a new report from the Chicago-based brokerage JLL, the construction costs of new office space in metro Detroit has increased by double digits, in excess of 25 percent in some cases. This is in keeping with the trend across North America with costs increasing 22.9 percent year over year.  The trend includes a 25.4 percent increase in hard costs, 20.8 percent increase in soft costs, 22 percent increase in FF&E and a 12 percent increase in tenant factors. The increases are caused by spikes in material costs, supply chain disruptions and labor shortages. The rising construction costs are unprecedented.

 

Grand Rapids College Negotiates For New Public Safety Training Site

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Grand Rapids Community College is eyeballing 47 acres on which to build a major public safety training facility. The GRCC board of trustees is negotiating for property near the corner of Bristol Avenue and Three Mile Road in Walker.  GRCC had looked at a number of sites in and around Grand Rapids before setting its focus on the Walker property. GRCC staff is excited by the prospect of bringing additional training and continuing education to its students and those already in the public safety career field.

 

Detroit Metro Area Rent Hikes Impact Wallets

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Young consumers and people of color continue to struggle with rent hikes. Housing costs is a component of measuring inflation. Last month, the shelter index rose at its fastest year-over-year pace since April 1991.  Rent increased 4.8% in April over the last 12 months. The U.S. inflation rate hit 8.5% in March over the last year. The rising costs for housing and shelter are worrisome, and rent is expected to be significantly higher in 2022.

 

Redico Purchases One North Main Building in Ann Arbor.

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Redico LLC has purchased the One North Main office building in downtown Ann Arbor, to the tune of $25.3 million.  Redico will renovate the 115,000-square-foot building by improving common areas, elevators and offices.  The University of Michigan and law firms Varnum LLP and Miller Canfield are the  primary tenants in the building. The building is currently 75 percent leased.  Redico is also developing a 167-unit apartment community and a 156-acre mixed-use development in Ann Arbor.

 

City Officials Break Ground on 22-Acre Park

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City officials broke ground on the Ralph C. Wilson Centennial Park on Tuesday. The park is the last part of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy’s revitalization plan. The $75 million investment will consist of 22 acres of playscapes and recreational spaces. A $40 million commitment from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation kickstarted the 2018 plans for the park.  The DRC conducted a study to bring back the best features of nationwide parks to Detroit, and a community advisory team gathered input from Detroit residents

 

Park and Trail Projects Promise Increased Value and Developments

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The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park on the west Detroit riverfront will feature a bear slide, an otter slide, and a slide in the form of a beaver. The park will include swings, trails, a treehouse, a replica of Fort Wayne and an outdoor classroom. The park broke ground on Tuesday afternoon, a month after ground was broken on the Southwest Greenway, a trail being built to connect southwest Detroit neighborhoods to the riverfront. These amenities that come with these projects will help property values, based on many studies that show that the proximity of a public park increases a home’s value. They should also be a catalyst for development in the area.

Renaissance Center Faces More Loss

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is vacating the RenCen and consolidating its Health Plan Business employees from that location into the high-rise it owns at 600 E. Lafayette Blvd. Last month, the complex lost Deloitte LLP, its third-largest tenant. At this time, the exact number of BCBSM employees the move impacts is unknown. BCBSM has stated that the move is a result of reintegrating remote workers back into the office environment. It holds a long-term lease through 2026.

 

 

Star Southfield Theater To Be Repurposed

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The Triumph Church is expecting to repurpose the shuttered Star Southfield movie theater into a new campus. The site will include a worship center, a children’s area, a student area and a community space. The church site will also provide assistance with transportation, medical, financial and rental assistance, employment skills training, a pregnancy center and counseling center.  Converting movie theater sites is often difficult due to their sloped floors and layout. The plan includes a 1,600-seat worship center, a 350-seat chapel, and a fellowship hall in the main lobby area.  In other areas of the country, repurposing of theaters has taken on many forms like medical offices, a department of motor vehicles and self-storage.