Posts

Charlevoix’s New Ordinance Inhibits Blight

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Charlevoix City Council has approved a property maintenance code to address declining properties before they reach blight status. The international Property Maintenance Code Ordinance is designed to supplement the Dangerous Buildings Ordinance.  According to zoning administrator Jonathan Scheel, the city didn’t have any type of property maintenance code to prevent a building from becoming dilapidated. The new code will give the city the ability to intervene and require deteriorating structures to be corrected before they become unfixable issues.

 

 

Former GM Transmission Plant to be Redeveloped

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NorthPoint Development, the owner of the former General Motors Transmission plant in Warren has a $180 million plan to redevelop the site. The plan is expected to bring 1.4 million-square feet of new industrial space, as well as 600 jobs. According to Warren Mayor James Fouts, the development is a good idea for the city. The company will house multiple tenants on the site. It will make improvements to parking, green space and storm water management. Site jobs will pay at least $15 per hour. This project is just one of many that NorthPoint Development has underway in the Detroit area.

 

 

 

 

Agree Realty Corporation Portfolio Balloons

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When opportunity knocked, Agree Realty Corp. listened. The Bloomfield Hills-based real estate investment trust capitalized on the COVID-19 pandemic and has doubled its portfolio size and outgrown its recently-expanded headquarters. It will redevelop the former 50,000-square-foot Art Van Furniture Inc. store into a new base of operations. The company has focused on retail properties leased to investment-grade tenants. They’ve bought up properties with a diverse mix of tenants, strengthening their multi-faceted retail game. In less than 3 years, the company’s portfolio has increased from 660 to 1,404 properties across 47 states. Their growth is expected to continue in 2022.

Fenton’s Red Fox Outfitters Building Proposed For Event Venue

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Applicants Chelsie Welch and Core Cunningham of Cruwood Granary have submitted a special land use permit to turn the Red Fox Outfitters building into a special event banquet facility. The Fenton Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on January 27 to consider the permit. If approved, the facility could host events for up to 200 people. The property is located at 234 N Leroy Street in Fenton in the central business district. It’s current use is listed as retail. The applicants are required to show how the plans support the master plan and maintain cohesiveness with the character of the vicinity.

Classic Transportation & Warehousing Plans Expansion

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Classic Transportation & Warehousing is construction a new 172,000-square-foot warehouse and third-party logistics facility near Wayland.  The employee-owned firm will spend over $8.4 million. The move is expected to create 6-12 jobs. Leighton Township supports the project and has approved a 12-year industrial facilities tax exemption. Rod Cooper, president and CEO of the company, said the company’s employee owners are pleased with the expansion.

 

Car Wash Manufacturer to Build New Headquarters

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Car wash manufacturer, Tommy Car Wash Systems, is building a new headquarters and manufacturing facility in Holland. The $32.6 million facility will centralize the company’s operations. The expansion site has sat vacant for more than 20 years. The 245,000 square-foot building will house production space, an assembly area, office space and a demonstration center. The project promises to create or preserve 300 new full-time equivalent jobs. The federal New Markets Tax Credit program will enable Tommy Car Wash Systems to provide advancement opportunities with lower levels of education.  Michigan Community Capital, Old National Bank, and Cinnaire are investors in the project. The project should be complete by the summer of 2023.

 

 

Eastland Center Wraps Up Holiday Season and Tenure

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Harper Woods’ 60-year old Eastland Center wrapped up its last holiday season. With only two remaining stores, K&G Fashions and Shoppers World, the center is slotted for demolition next year. NorthPoint Development will redevelop the site into a $94.2 million industrial complex. Hudson’s built the center in 1957. Just 20 years ago, it housed nearly 150 stores. Area residents have pleasant memories of the popular after-school hangout. The shift to internet shopping, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, led to the center’s demise. Moody’s has predicted that 20% of the America’s remaining 1,000 malls will close or be repurposed in the next few years.

 

Pontiac’s Woodward Loop Will Get Pedestrian-Friendly Makeover

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Pontiac’s Woodward Avenue Loop opened in 1964 during the urban renewal binge. State high engineers announced they would turn Detroit’s I-375 spur into a street-level boulevard over the next several years. MDOT announced that it’s making a similar commitment for the Woodward Loop. Construction will take place in 2024-2025, along with the simultaneous reconstruction of M-59 through Pontiac. It will include new sidewalks, traffic signals and bike paths. The goal is to turn Pontiac’s Woodward Avenue into a series of pedestrian-friendly two-way boulevards with slower traffic speeds. The project also aims to reconnect neighborhoods to the downtown.

 

 

Bedrock Purchases Former UAW-GM Site

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Dan Gilbert, billionaire founder and chairman of Rocket Companies Inc. has purchased the former UAW-GM Center for Human Resource building for an undisclosed price. Developers Dominic Moceri and Christos Moisides bought it a little more than a year ago, paying $34 million for it in November 2020. The purchase adds almost 1 million square feet of office space, in excess of 25 acres of land and 1,600 parking spots to his Detroit-area holdings. Earlier this year, Gilbert purchased the former Stroh family portfolio which gave him over 8.7 acres of developable land, 735 parking spaces and approximately 500,000 square feet of office building.

 

 

City of Novi Purchases Land for Conservation Efforts

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The city of Novi is purchasing 8 acres of vacant property with the aim to preserve woodlands and make improvements on Beck Road. According to City Manager Pete Auger, the city will continue to purchase property to maintain wetlands and woodlands using tree fund dollars. However, the $249,000 purchase of the two parcels on Edinborough Lane will come from the general fund. A public meeting regarding Beck Road is expected to take place in January. The road has capacity issues, and improvements have been discussed for years.