FLAT ROCK, ROMEO AND WAYNE, MICH. — The Michigan Strategic Fund board has approved performance-based grants and State Essential Services Assessment Exemptions to support Ford Motor Co.’s investment of approximately $2 billion in the automaker’s Flat Rock, Wayne and Romeo assembly plants. As part of the agreement, Ford will create approximately 700 new jobs at its Flat Rock Assembly Plant and approximately 100 new jobs at the Romeo Engine Plant. Ford plans to invest approximately $1 billion at its Flat Rock plant to build a data center and transform the plant into a manufacturing innovation center capable of producing electrified and autonomous vehicles, in addition to the Ford Mustang and Lincoln Continental. Ford expects to begin producing the first of these vehicles in 2020, including an all-new fully electric small SUV engineered to deliver an estimated range of at least 300 miles and its first fully autonomous hybrid vehicle for commercial application. The company will invest $1 billion in its Romeo and Wayne facilities, primarily to support Ford Ranger and Ford Bronco production.
DETROIT — Bernard Financial Group has arranged a $5.2 million loan for the construction of Baltimore Station in Detroit. The 22-unit luxury apartment complex will also feature 8,100 square feet of retail space. TCF Bank provided the loan. Dennis Bernard and Kevin Kovachevich of Bernard arranged the loan on behalf of the borrower, Baltimore Station LLC.
PONTIAC, MICH. — The City of Pontiac and the stadium ownership group have agreed to demolish The Pontiac Silverdome, the former home to the Detroit Lions, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. The 127.5-acre site hosted the Lions from 1975 until the team moved to Ford Field in 2002. Neither a timeframe for the demolition nor a redevelopment plan has been established yet. Toronto-based Triple Properties Inc. has owned the stadium since 2009, when the company purchased the property from the city for $583,000. Last month, the city sued Triple Properties, citing safety code violations and illegal storage of vehicles.
TRAVERSE CITY, MICH. — Colliers International has arranged an 18.3-acre ground lease for Costco near Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City. Costco will build a new wholesale warehouse at the site. The size of the building was not disclosed, but the Traverse City Record Eagle reports the size at 156,000 square feet. Max Goldman of Colliers represented Costco in the lease of the property from Northwestern Regional Airport Commission. Construction will commence immediately with the opening planned for the fourth quarter of this year.
TROY, MICH. — Signature Associates has negotiated the sale of an 88,886-square-foot industrial building located at 1600-1630 E. Big Beaver Road in Troy. Paul Hoge and John Boyd of Signature Associates represented the seller, Iron Point Troy Industrial LLC. Boyd also represented the buyer, DB1600 LLC.
DETROIT — Woodpile BBQ Shack has signed a 2,000-square-foot retail lease in Detroit to open its second location in Southeast Michigan. The restaurant will be located at 6402 Woodward Ave. in the Baltimore Station development. The project will consist of the renovation of two vacant buildings at 6402 and 6408 Woodward Ave. in the New Center area, including approximately 8,000 square feet of retail space throughout the ground level and 23 apartment units on the second and third floors. Woodpile BBQ Shack will open once the development is completed in early 2018. Ben Hubert and Ben Rosenzweig of Colliers International represented the Clawson, Mich.-based barbecue establishment in the transaction. The duo also represented the landlord, The Platform.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — NAI Wisinski has arranged the sale of a 5,720-square-foot restaurant building in Grand Rapids. Georgina’s Fusion Cuisine, a Traverse City-based Asian and Latin taqueria, purchased the two-story building for an undisclosed price. Located at 724 Wealthy St., the property will feature a 2,860-square-foot restaurant on the first floor and two apartments on the second floor. The building will undergo major renovations for the full-service restaurant before an anticipated opening this summer. This will be Georgina’s second location in Michigan. Todd Leinberger of NAI Wisinski arranged the sale on behalf of Georgina’s. Dave Zeemering of Victory Realty represented the seller, who is retiring from his retail business, Phil’s Stuff.
MELVILLE, N.Y. — A&G Realty Partners will handle the sale of 58 MC Sports leases in seven states across the Midwest following the retailer’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The locations range in size from 11,000 to 46,000 square feet. The stores are located in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Bids are due no later than the close of business on Friday, April 7. MC Sports filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Feb. 14 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Michigan, Grand Rapids. A joint venture between Tiger Capital Group and Great American Group is currently conducting the going-out-of-business sale.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — Grand Rapids Surgical Suites has signed a 6,936-square-foot lease for its ambulatory surgical center in Grand Rapids. The building is located at 2505 East Paris Ave. along the East Paris medical corridor. Grand Rapids Surgical Suites is a partner of SurgCenter Development, a corporation that partners with local surgeons to create physician-owned and operated ambulatory surgical centers. Mary Anne Wisinski-Rosely and Jason Makowski of NAI Wisinski brokered the lease transaction.
TROY, MICH. — Clear Rate Communications has entered into a 16,201-square-foot office lease in Troy. The telecommunication services provider will occupy the Class A space located at 2600 W. Big Beaver Road. Kevin Jappaya of KJ Commercial represented Clear Rate Communications in the lease transaction. Jeffrey Bell and Daniel Morse of CBRE represented the landlord, Sovereign Partners.