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Gilbert Trades Out Brokerage Firms On Hudson’s Project

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Billionaire Dan Gilbert has hired the local office of New York City-based brokerage house Newmark to attract tenants to the new office space he’s building at Woodward and East Grand River avenues. The move marks a switch from the brokerage he had retained previously. The $1.4 billion Hudson’s site project is probably the highest and largest profile in the city, as of late. The market for office space has taken a beating because of the COVID-19 pandemic, pummeling sites like the Renaissance Center, Meridian Health and Compuware Corporation. The leasing of Gilbert’s 400,000 square feet of new build office space faces a challenging market.

Detroit’s Yorba Hotel Is On The Market

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Detroit’s Hotel Yorba is back on the market at a reduced price. Located at 4020 W. Lafayette Blvd.,  in the city’s Hubbard Farms neighborhood, The historic hotel’s purchase price was reduced from $3.3 million to $2.95 million. The four-story building has around 250 hotel rooms with common bathrooms on each floor. The property is owned by Gerald Jankowski. The hotel opened in 1926 and was designed by Detroit architecture firm Pollmar & Ropes.

Bedrock LLC Adds Hotel To Its Portfolio

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Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock LLC has purchased the Roberts Riverwalk Hotel at 1000 River Place Dr. The property is the newest splurge in the company’s $80 million shopping spree on Detroit’s riverfront. Bedrock began collecting property along the east Detroit riverfront during the pandemic. The company owns almost 1 million square feet of office space, about 1,600 parking spaces and ore than 40 acres of land in addition to the new hotel purchase. The hotel’s purchase price is undisclosed. Dan Gilbert’s $80 million-plus spending spree on the east Detroit riverfront continues.

Switch Expands Former Steelcase Pyramid Site

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The former Steelcase Pyramid site south of Grand Rapids is facing a major expansion. Switch, the Las Vegas-based data storage company, is excavating at the Steelcase Pyramid campus in Gaines Township.  It’s building a 312,000-square-foot building separate from the Pyramid.  The project includes a 1,000-square-foot pump house.  Work on the expansion site began in the spring, with the concrete foundations expected to be poured before the snow flies. The cost of the project, its contractor and completion date have yet to be disclosed. According to Switch’s second-quarter earnings report, it allocated $800,000 toward site preparation.

Grand Rapids Planning Commission Approves Plans For Multi-Use Development

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The Grand Rapids City Planning Commission approved plans for The McConnell, a 432-unit apartment, restaurant and retail building south of downtown Grand Rapids. The project plans will reuse an existing industrial building in addition to new construction. The commission unanimously approved special land use and optional  plan review requests for the project. The special land use request was for a reduction in required parking, alcohol sales and consumption, live entertainment, banquet functions and outdoor seating. The developers of the project include Chicago-based Krika Development, Boston-based Spire Investment Properties and Suitepeople, based in McLean, Virginia.

Indiana-Based Developer Plans Multifamily Townhome Development in Grand Rapids

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Thompson Thrift Residential, based in Terra Haute, Indiana, is planning a 344-unit multifamily luxury townhome rental community in Wyoming, a Grand Rapids suburb. The developer spent $5.4 million on 28.5 acres in July. The development will be comprised of one- to four-bedroom  townhome apartments, some with attached garages and private yards.  The complex will include resort-style common areas including a clubhouse, swimming pool, gym, pickle ball courts and a dog park. Thompson Thrift Residential is motivated by the shortage of multifamily development, ;last year’s double-digit employment growth and the 40% increase in home values that have outpriced many first-time home buyers.

Metro Detroit’s 2022 Commercial Real Estate Update Impresses

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In the past year, the Ilitch family and billionaire development mogul Stephen Ross announced their partnership to build the Detroit Center for Innovation. Since then, no construction has started. Whether or not the plans come to fruition is up in the air. There are currently 10 projects in the works outside of the DCI. They include business incubator space, new office and residential towers, and hotel space. Altogether, $1.5 billion in projects are waiting in the wings. That figure doesn’t include the DCI which would cost $250 million, funded in part with a $100 million earmarked in the state budget.

Gilbert Trades Out Brokerage Firms On Hudson’s Project

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Billionaire Dan Gilbert has hired the local office of New York City-based brokerage house Newmark to attract tenants to the new office space he’s building at Woodward and East Grand River avenues. The move marks a switch from the brokerage he had retained previously. The $1.4 billion Hudson’s site project is probably the highest and largest profile in the city, as of late. The market for office space has taken a beating because of the COVID-19 pandemic, pummeling sites like the Renaissance Center, Meridian Health and Compuware Corporation. The leasing of Gilbert’s 400,000 square feet of new build office space faces a challenging market.

Washtenaw County Purchases Conservation Property

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Washtenaw County’s Parks and Recreation Commission closed on the purchase of  the Maisel property in Northfield Township on December 1. The purchase increases the county’s system of parks and nature preserves by about 220 acres. The $1.44-million conservation purchase will become one of the largest publicly accessible sites in the Ann Arbor area. Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program covered the majority of the purchase price. The land won’t be open to the public immediately, as the park staff determines trail layout and parking access and demands. Kiosks and trail maps also need to be installed. The large size of the park will offer core habitat for wildlife.

West Michigan Projects Receive Rehabilitation Grants

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Multiple projects in West Michigan have received almost $19 million in placemaking and real estate rehab grants from the state. The Right Place, the city of Grand Rapids and city of Muskegon were awarded $18,991,166. Twenty-two grants totaling $83.8 million were approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund board. The grants are part of the Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) incentive program created to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan. The program grants up to $5 million per project for real estate rehabilitation and development and up to $1 million per project for public space improvements.  Up to $20 million can go to local or regional partners who develop a coordinated subgrant program.

The Gillespie Group to Transform Lansing’s Former Sears Location

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The Gillespie Group is looking to transform a major business corridor in Lansing, Michigan by developing a former Sears location. Located at 3131 E. Michigan Ave., the property is being marketed as ROECO as a tribute to Sears Roebuck.  Gillespie Group’s project aims to transform the property into a mixed-use entertainment destination. It has already hooked the attention of local and national investors. The new development would come to be as thousands of new housing units are being built across the Lansing area. ROECO is situated in the heart of the region and across the street from new dining, housing and hotel rooms. The timeline and and final product of the project will be in flux as the Gillespie Group continues to find new partners.

Inflation Impacts Property Taxes With Highest Increase Since 2007

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Michigan homeowners can expect to see bigger than normal increases in their summer property tax bills. Thanks to this year’s inflation, many need to prepare for even bigger hikes next year. The inflation rate adjustment for this year’s property taxes is 3.3%, the highest it has been in 15 years. The rate is the maximum increase in taxable value that can apply this year to Michigan homes that haven’t changed ownership or seen additions to the property. The multiplier hasn’t been over 3% since 2007. Inflation’s impact on food and gas prices are obvious to consumers, but its impact on property taxes can be unexpected and somewhat hidden.

Pabst Blue Ribbon Extends Its Reach Into Hospitality

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Pabst Blue Ribbon is continuing the go-to trend for brands to feature retro products and cultural icons from the past. The brand has created three PBR-themed motel rooms that transport guests to the 1980s. In creating the rooms, which are located within the Grand Traverse Motel in Traverse City, they’ve cloned a dive bar, arcade and rec room. Think shag carpeting, back-in-the-day game consoles, a jukebox, and a blue ribbon trophy case that store PBR cans. Seattle-based agency DNA collaborated with Hotopp Creative Studio to create the rooms. The 1980s theme comes from the brand’s tagline, “Pabst is the place.” Pabst has experienced a resurgence and reemergence during the pandemic with people remembering brands that illicit a sense of safety and nostalgia.

Upper Peninsula State Representative Requests AG Investigation

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Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette has requested that the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel investigate an Upper Peninsula development company headed by a Northern Michigan University board member. The firm states that Cambensy’s claims are “meritless and reckless.  Cambensy wrote a 13-page letter on July 28, sounding an alarm about a potential conflict of interest and misuse of state and local money in regards to the former Marquette General Hospital. 

Judge Dismisses Lake Charlevoix Lawsuit

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33rd Circuit Court Judge Roy C. Hayes III dismissed the lawsuit against Hayes Township officials. The lawsuit alleges a lack of due process and conflict of interest concerning the construction of a boathouse and private marina on residential property. The plaintiff  and neighbor LuAnne Kozma and her husband, with support from environmental groups, have been trying to stop the project. The lawsuit wasn’t about environmental concerns, however, but rather the lack of township administration. Judge Hayes did not find the lawsuit to have a proper basis and asserted that it was without merit.

Michigan Legislature May Nix Short-Term Rental Laws

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Bills in the Michigan legislature that have bipartisan support would nix local laws that ban or limit short-term rentals through zoning. The bills are controversial and have garnered heated debate. Proponents like Airbnb, realtors, and lawmakers from both parties say the proposed changes to state law are about personal property rights and do not prevent cities from regulating short-term rentals. Opponents, which include leaders from cities all over the state and hoteliers, say they do not support an outright ban on short-term rentals. They feel that local leaders should have the power to decide what rules are most effective for their communities.

Downtown Lansing

Downtown Lansing Struggles With Fewer Customers

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All Michigan downtowns have been hit by the pandemic. With decreased foot traffic and former customers continuing to work from home, business is slow. But downtown Lansing has been hit especially hard as its businesses rely on the State of Michigan office hub. Struggling businesses have lost up to 90% of their sales while waiting for state employees to return to work. Unfortunately, even once the pandemic fades, far fewer state employees will return to work on a daily basis.

Crossroads Mall in Portage $77M Underwater, Deed-In-Lieu Possible

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The Crossroads Mall in Portage, Michigan (near Kalamazoo) has recently been valued at $22.6M. Unfortunately, the mall has $100M in mortgage debt. The owner is currently in discussions with its lender about a deed-in-lieu. Although stories about the decline of the regional mall are all too common, the decline of Crossroads has been stunning, as it was valued at $152M as recently as 2013.

In addition to the square footage covered by the mortgage, the mall is home to a (vacant) Sears store, as well as JC Penney and Macy’s anchors.

As mentioned in a recent Weekly Brief, the mall is dead.

Bed Bath & Beyond To Close 5 Michigan Stores

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Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. is closing five Michigan locations, as part of a 150-store closing and liquidation plan. Many of the closings are occurring in the upper MIdwest, New York and New Jersey. The changes, along with job cuts for 20% of its workforce, will slash costs. The company has a new $500 million line of credit to get back on good terms with its suppliers. Complicating its turnaround plan, the company’s Chief Financial Officer Gustavo Arnal committed suicide. The rise of Amazon.com Inc. and other online retailers contributed to Bed Bath & Beyond’s struggles. The five affected Michigan locations are Chesterfield, Farmington Hills, Northville, Walker and White Lake.

Cities Rethink Parking Rules

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The city of Ann Arbor recently voted to remove all minimum off-street parking requirements. Detroit is reviewing its zoning code, possibly implementing new rules regarding how many parking spaces are needed for uses like housing, retail and industrial. Both examples are part of a growing trend in Michigan and around the U.S. as cities rethink their parking rules. Complying with Detroit’s parking requirements is a pain and poses a threat to business growth. Some Detroit-area businesses and organizations think the parking minimums are old-fashioned and block the development of vibrant neighborhoods. Others remain skeptical of entirely scrapping all parking minimums.

Metro Detroit’s Fair Market Rents Increase

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is predicting rent hikes for the 2023 fiscal year in metro Detroit. It published fair market rents at a 11.9 percent increase for a two-bedroom apartment. The rate is increasing from $1,084 to $1,213, beginning October 1. This increase is higher than the Michigan and national averages which hover around 10.3 to 10.4 percent. Metro Ann Arbor rates are 9.7 percent higher. Kalamazoo County wins the prize for the highest fair market rent increase at 19.3 percent. Private sector data was used to estimate changes. The figures are used to determine rent ceilings for certain low-income and emergency grants, as well as the worth of housing vouchers and the maximum award amounts for Continuums of Care.