SOUTHFIELD, MICH. — Automotive supplier Marelli has signed a multi-year lease to relocate its North American headquarters to Southfield. The company will occupy nearly 200,000 square feet of the property located at 26555 Northwestern Highway. The mid-century building, which has been vacant since 2015 after Federal-Mogul relocated, is situated at the corner of Lahser Road and the John C. Lodge Freeway. The three-story building, which is undergoing extensive renovations, will feature modern workspaces for nearly 500 employees. It will include 75 conference rooms, an auditorium, cafeteria, fitness room and meeting space. Approximately 100,000 square feet will be dedicated to testing and lab equipment to support R&D activities for the company’s automotive lighting, electronics, exhaust, interiors, powertrain, ride dynamics and thermal solutions business units. Marelli is leasing the property from Dembs Development, which purchased the building in 2017 from a New York-based investment company. Marelli is planning a staggered move-in to begin in late 2020 with full occupancy expected by March 2021. The company currently has two locations in Auburn Hills and one in Farmington Hills. In May 2019, Magneti Marelli and Calsonic Kansei merged to create Marelli, one of the world’s largest independent automotive suppliers.
Michigan
DETROIT — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and his Housing & Revitalization Department (HRD) have created a new partnership to preserve affordable housing in the city while also improving its quality and preventing displacement. The partnership comprises the city’s housing department along with a number of housing experts, including Enterprise Community Partners, United Community Housing Coalition, a partnership between Cinnaire and CHN Housing Partners, Data Driven Detroit, Elevate Energy and Community Investment Corp. Enterprise Community Partners will lead the team and create action plans for preserving units. A primary goal of the new partnership is to identify apartment buildings that have low rents — not because they are required to, but because of their condition — and help redevelop those buildings in a way that preserves their affordability. HRD has established a goal of preserving 10,000 existing regulated affordable housing units in the city by 2023. This is in addition to the creation of new affordable housing in any new development that receives city funding or discounted land.
WARREN, MICH. — Art Van Furniture LLC officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sunday night after announcing Thursday that it would close all of its stores. The Warren-based retailer filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Delaware. In the filing, Art Van said it operates 169 locations, including 92 furniture and mattress showrooms and 77 freestanding mattress and specialty locations. The company expects to close the stores by May 31 and lay off all of its 3,100 employees. Multiple media outlets reported that the company has between $100 million and $500 million in both assets and liabilities.
KALAMAZOO, MICH. — SRS Real Estate Partners has arranged the sale of a two-building retail property in Kalamazoo for $2.5 million. The freestanding buildings are home to Starbucks and Subway. Located on 9th Street, the Starbucks spans 2,085 square feet and the Subway totals 2,000 square feet. The two buildings were built in 2017. Michael Carter and Frank Rogers of SRS represented the seller, a Detroit-based private investor. The team also represented the buyer, a Kalamazoo-based private investor. The sales price represents a cap rate of 5.58 percent, one of the lowest ever for a two-tenant asset in the state of Michigan, according to SRS.
WARREN, MICH. — AVF Holdings Inc. has unveiled that it will cease operations and begin liquidation sales at all 141 of its company-owned stores in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio. The Warren-based company operates under the brands Art Van Furniture, Art Van PureSleep and Scott Shuptrine Interiors. Levin & Wolf Furniture in Ohio and Pennsylvania will be sold to Robert Levin, pending court approval. Eight Wolf Furniture stores in Maryland and Virginia will also be liquidated. Art Van Elslander opened his first furniture store in metro Detroit in 1959. The liquidation sales will begin Friday, March 6.
TROY, MICH. — L. Mason Capitani CORFAC International has brokered the sale of the Summit Centre office building located at 575 E. Big Beaver Road in Troy. The sales price was undisclosed. California-based LREH Michigan LLC purchased the fully leased, 36,000-square-foot asset. Mason L. Capitani brokered the transaction. L. Mason Capitani will continue serving as leasing agent for the property. The company’s management arm, Liberty Property & Asset Management, will assume day-to-day operations of the property.
WATERFORD, MICH. — SunTrust Commercial Real Estate, part of Truist’s corporate and institutional group, has provided an $18.3 million Fannie Mae loan for the acquisition of Glengarry Apartments in Waterford, a northern suburb of Detroit. The 300-unit apartment complex, built in 1978, was 94.7 percent occupied at the time of closing. Evan Hom of SunTrust originated the 15-year loan with seven years of interest-only payments followed by a 30-year amortization schedule. The loan-to-value ratio was 80 percent.
AUBURN HILLS, MICH. — Demolition work has begun at the Palace of Auburn Hills, the former home of the Detroit Pistons basketball team. The venue, which also hosted concerts, opened in the late 80s and closed in 2017. The Pistons now play at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit along with the Detroit Red Wings. The Palace of Auburn Hills sold to Livonia-based development firm Schostak Brothers & Co. for an undisclosed price last year. Specific future development plans have yet to be released, but the property has been zoned for research and development, technology and office use.
PORTAGE, MICH. — Jaqua Realtors has opened its new office on Milham Avenue in Portage, located about five miles south of Kalamazoo. The new 7,622-square-foot building will be home to the company’s commercial real estate, corporate relocation and property management divisions. It is situated next door to Jaqua’s residential real estate office. The brokerage firm is approaching 45 years in the real estate business.
WYOMING, MICH. — Wolverine Tacos is set to open Wednesday, April 15 in Wyoming, just south of Grand Rapids. The taco restaurant has signed a lease to occupy space at 1740 44th St. The menu will offer a variety of tacos, bowls, salads, soups, appetizers and desserts. Todd Leinberger and Rod Alderink of NAI Wisinski of West Michigan represented the undisclosed landlord in the lease transaction. Carol Johnson is the owner of Wolverine Tacos.