AUBURN HILLS, MICH. — Trigo Quality Solutions has signed a 102,377-square-foot industrial lease at 2430 E. Walton Blvd. in Auburn Hills. The company provides quality management and consulting solutions mainly for the automotive, aerospace and heavy transportation industries. Geoff Hill and Chris Hill of Newmark represented the new owner, Frain Cooper Holdings LLC, which purchased the 125,063-square-foot building via a partial sale-leaseback with Norma Group. The Newmark team secured a deal with Trigo to bring the building to full occupancy upon closing. Anthony Rubino of Pilot Property Group represented Trigo. Norma Group will remain in the building, leasing 22,686 square feet.
DETROIT — Sugar Factory American Brasserie is set to open in downtown Detroit late this spring. The First Michigan location for the brand will be located at 45 Monroe St. within Bedrock’s One Campus Martius building. The 233-seat restaurant will also feature Sugar Factory’s candy store. The main dining area will offer both indoor and outdoor seating, along with décor including neon signs, floral walls and a candy heart wall. Sugar Factory serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its most legendary dessert is the King Kong Sundae, which serves up to 12 people and features 24 scoops of ice cream.
OAK PARK, MICH. — The Opus Group has broken ground on a 275,401-square-foot industrial building in Oak Park, a northern suburb of Detroit. The speculative project has been preleased to an undisclosed user. Located at 15100 Eight Mile Road, the building will feature a clear height of 32 feet, 44 dock doors, 57 trailer parking stalls and 196 auto parking stalls. Completion is slated for December 2022. Opus is the developer, design-builder, architect and structural engineer. David MacDonald and Sean Cavanaugh of JLL represented Opus. Paul Hoge and Gary Stephens of Signature Associates represented the seller of the land.
LANSING, MICH. — Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and LG Energy Solution, has unveiled plans for a $2.6 billion investment to build its third battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States. The facility, which will be located in Lansing, the state capital, is part of a larger $7 billion investment in four Michigan manufacturing sites to increase battery cell and electric truck manufacturing capacity. Detroit-based GM says this is the single largest investment announcement in its history. The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved $824.1 million in incentives for the projects, according to local media reports. Ultium Cells will build the new plant in Lansing on land leased from GM. The facility is expected to create 1,700 new jobs when fully operational. Site preparation on the roughly 2.8 million-square-foot property is scheduled to begin this summer, and the plant is expected to open in late 2024. The facility will supply battery cells to Orion Assembly in Michigan and other GM electric vehicle (EV) assembly plants. “This significant investment demonstrates our commitment to strengthen our Michigan and U.S. manufacturing presence and grow good-paying jobs,” says Mary Barra, GM chair and CEO. “We will have the …
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — Oxford Cos. has launched the Oxford Instant Office Simple Agreement for Future Equity (OXIO SAFE) program aimed at helping Ann Arbor startups utilize office space with minimal upfront costs. Oxford says the program will provide a pathway for startups to lease office space without the significant financial risk that comes with entering a traditional commercial real estate lease. Qualified startups can receive up to one year of rent in exchange for a simple agreement for future equity. Open to startups that are currently working with a local incubator or economic development organization in the area, OXIO SAFE leases are available for six to 12 months for move-in ready office suites. Ann Arbor is home to one of the fastest growing startup hubs in the nation, according to Desai Accelerator, a professional business accelerator created in partnership with the University of Michigan. Oxford Cos. is a fully integrated real estate company offering services in property management, commercial and residential leasing, commercial construction and investments.
SOUTHFIELD, MICH. — Colliers Detroit has negotiated the sale of a 51,954-square-foot industrial flex building in Southfield for an undisclosed price. The property is located at 26545 American Drive. John Fricke, Peter Kepic and Jonathon Loos of Colliers represented the seller, Veoneer, which previously used the building as office space. Oakland Family Centers, a family mental health services organization with existing locations in Michigan, was the buyer. Oakland plans to take occupancy this quarter.
DETROIT — Bernard Financial Group (BFG) has arranged a $44.4 million construction loan for a parking and mobility center under development in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. Dennis Bernard and Joshua Bernard of BFG arranged the loan with Waterway Capital LLC. An entity doing business as Corktown Mobility Hub LLC was the borrower. Further details were not provided.
ROYAL OAK, MICH. — The Boulder Group has negotiated the $2.8 million sale of a single-tenant retail property net leased to Chipotle in Royal Oak, a northern suburb of Detroit. Newly constructed in 2021, the 2,400-square-foot building is located at 305 W. 11 Mile Road. Chipotle has a 12-year lease at the property. Randy Blankstein and Jimmy Goodman of Boulder Group represented the buyer, a West Coast-based private individual. A Midwest-based real estate investment firm was the seller.
ALLENDALE, MICH. — Northmarq has arranged a $4.2 million loan for the refinancing of Conifer Creek and Conifer Creek West Townhomes, two student housing properties serving Grand Valley State University in Allendale near Grand Rapids. The communities, constructed in 2006 and 2016, total 186 beds. Both properties were fully leased at the time of loan closing. Robert Hernandez of Northmarq arranged the 10-year loan, which features a 25-year amortization schedule. A life insurance company provided the loan. The borrower was undisclosed.
DETROIT — Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock has acquired The ICON, a 420,000-square-foot facility in Detroit that formerly served as the home of the UAW-GM training center. The purchase price was undisclosed, but the vacant property previously traded hands for $34 million in November 2020, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. In addition to office and training space, the property includes 880 parking spaces, a 375-seat auditorium and direct access to Detroit’s East Riverfront. Located at 200 Walker St., the facility is adjacent to a 500,000-square-foot office building at 300 River Place that Bedrock also owns.