FARMINGTON HILLS, MICH. — Farbman Group has expanded its family of organizations with ClimateGuard Pro, a new temperature and environmental monitoring solution. ClimateGuard Pro was created to protect buildings, prevent emergencies and enhance operations by helping identify areas of risk, monitor temperatures during winters or heavy summer rains, detect potential liquid infiltration in office suites and protect pipes from bursting. Farbman Group has appointed Jordan Valasek, senior vice president and director of property management, to lead ClimateGuard Pro sales. The company started within the Farbman Group property-managed portfolio and is expanding outside the firm’s managed properties to buildings throughout the Midwest. ClimateGuard Pro joins Farbman Group’s broader family of organizations, including Apex Mechanical Solutions, Huntington Construction, NAI Farbman, Huntington Maintenance and more.
HIGHLAND PARK, MICH. — PCCP has provided a $180.5 million senior loan to a joint venture between AEW Capital Management and Trident Capital Group for the refinancing of Oakland Park, a 10-building, 2.1 million-square-foot industrial park in Highland Park, about six miles north of downtown Detroit. Built between 1997 and 2020, the infill properties feature clear heights ranging from 24 to 32 feet, efficient loading ratios, ample truck parking and access to two major freeways. The park is located 10 miles away from Stellantis Detroit Assembly Complex and five miles from GM Factory Zero.
NORTON SHORES, MICH. — Chobani has unveiled plans for a multi-phase, $567 million expansion of its La Colombe plant in the western Michigan town of Norton Shores. The project is expected to add more than 200,000 square feet of production space and nearly 340 new jobs, while retaining 312 jobs. The company says demand is surging for La Colombe’s signature ready-to-drink lattes. La Colombe first started in Philadelphia in 1994, making crafted coffee in cafes across the country. In 2016, the brand launched its ready-to-drink lattes, which are made in Norton Shores with locally sourced milk. Chobani, which manufactures yogurt, oat milk and creamers, acquired La Colombe in 2023.
BIRMINGHAM, MICH. — Bernard Financial Group (BFG) has arranged a $29.5 million construction loan for a new mixed-use office property in Birmingham. Joshua Bernard of BFG arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower, 320 Investments LLC. A life insurance company provided the loan.
ROSEVILLE, MICH. — Standard Communities has acquired The Meadows, a 124-unit multifamily property in Roseville, a suburb about 15 miles northeast of downtown Detroit. The transaction marks Standard’s second investment in Michigan. All of the units will be income-restricted and supported by project-based Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contracts. Of the 124 units, 111 are restricted to households earning at or below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI) and 13 are restricted to those earning up to 40 percent AMI. Affordability has been extended through a 20-year Section 8 renewal via a HAP assignment and assumption and mark-up-to-market structure. The property consists of 21 residential buildings along with a leasing and community building. Financing for the acquisition was completed in partnership with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, which served as tax credit allocator and bond issuer. The City of Roseville provided a new Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved the contract renewal. Standard will complete a comprehensive tenant-in-place renovation totaling approximately $10.5 million. Units will be updated with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, luxury vinyl plank flooring, refreshed bathrooms and upgraded lighting. The community building will …
BUCHANAN, MICH. — AutoZone has leased an 8,000-square-foot former Rite Aid store located at 715 E. Front St. in Buchanan within southwest Michigan. Construction is underway at the building. Joshua Jacobs of NAI Wisinski of West Michigan and Brandon Hanna of Encore Real Estate Investment Services represented the undisclosed landlord. Mike Murray of Advantage Commercial Real Estate represented the tenant, which operates more than 6,000 stores nationwide.
DETROIT — Colliers has arranged the sale of Huntington Tower, a 21-story office building located at 2025 Woodward Ave. in downtown Detroit. Completed in 2022, the 311-foot-tall property includes 203,300 square feet of office space across 10 floors along with 10 levels of structured parking, a ground-floor bank and lobby, collaborative workspaces and flexible floor plates designed to accommodate up to 800 employees. The asset, located across from Comerica Park in the heart of The District Detroit, features a long-term net lease to Huntington Bancshares. Raymond Jonna of Colliers represented the undisclosed buyer and the seller, The Herrick Co., a Florida-based investment firm. The transaction is likely the most expensive office sale in city history, according to Crain’s Detroit Business.
By Andy Gutman, Farbman Group The Detroit office market has moved past the initial shock of the post-pandemic years, but the idea that all challenges are over would be premature. Looking ahead in 2026, office in Detroit would be best described as stabilizing but still highly selective, shaped by a continued flight to quality, cautious capital markets and a growing emphasis on service and tenant experience. While vacancy remains elevated compared with pre-pandemic norms, limited new construction and a clear bifurcation between high- and low-quality assets are helping prevent further deterioration. The next phase of the cycle will be defined by how effectively landlords adapt to tenant expectations and how long it takes for capital markets to allow older assets to meaningfully change hands. Detroit office in 2026 By the numbers, Detroit’s office market in 2026 shows stability without significant growth pressure. Vacancy estimates range from approximately 15.7 to 23.3 percent, depending on data source and asset class. Marcus & Millichap, for example, projects a 2026 year-end vacancy of roughly 15.7 percent, which is a modest 10-basis-point increase year-over-year. Broader datasets that include older inventory report vacancy closer to 23 percent. Asking rents have remained largely flat, with Class A …
By Michael Poris, McIntosh Poris Architects Long defined by its industrial legacy, Detroit development currently combines ground-up construction with intelligent, innovative adaptive reuse. Brick-and-mortar manufacturing-era remnants include many buildings that originally served the automotive industry. As large-scale manufacturing relocated and Detroit’s population declined, several significant buildings were abandoned. Many are viable for second lives, ones that fulfill current commercial real estate market demands. Adaptive reuse makes sense I co-founded McIntosh Poris in 1994 to protect Detroit’s historic buildings from bulldozers and redesign them for a post-manufacturing economy. At that time, demolition was the most expedient option. To address this, we focused as much on civic networking and preservation education as architectural design. Implementation involved organizing events with public officials and the local business community to meet leaders of other cities’ successful urban-renewal programs. To make Detroit more attractive to commercial real estate investment, we lobbied for zoning changes. Most relevant, commercial and historic districts were re-evaluated to permit mixed-use redevelopment. Historic preservation became viable, often making sense both financially and culturally. Well before sustainability became a commercial real estate consideration, we educated developers on available adaptive reuse incentives such as historic tax credits. Combined with the inherent efficiencies of reuse, …
PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, MICH. — Lockwood Cos. has opened Haverhill on Clark, a 295-unit affordable housing community located at the southwest corner of Clark and Golfside roads in Pittsfield Township near Ann Arbor. Haverhill on Clark represents a more than $76 million investment in Pittsfield Township and Washtenaw County. The community is located across from Washtenaw Community College and Trinity Health St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, gathering spaces, outdoor play structures, electric vehicle charging stations and pet-friendly accommodations.