ORION TOWNSHIP, MICH. — General Motors is investing $300 million in its Orion Township assembly plant to produce a new Chevrolet electric vehicle. The investment will bring 400 new jobs to the plant, which is located approximately 40 miles north of Detroit. The announcement is part of GM’s new commitment to invest a total of $1.8 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations, creating 700 new jobs and supporting 28,000 jobs across six states. The Orion plant currently builds the Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle, along with the Chevrolet Sonic and test vehicles for the Cruise autonomous vehicle.
Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — The Cheesecake Factory is coming to Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids as part of the repositioning of the shopping center, according to PREIT, the mall’s owner. This is the second location in the state of Michigan for The Cheesecake Factory. The first location in the state was in Novi. The restaurant will occupy 8,500 square feet at Woodland Mall and is expected to open in late October. Other new tenants include Black Rock Bar & Grill, Von Maur, Urban Outfitters, REI and Tricho Salon. Von Maur is set to open this fall in the former Sears space. As the second largest redevelopment underway in PREIT’s portfolio, Woodland Mall is expected to generate nearly 20 percent growth in net operating income (NOI) in 2020, according to the company.
FLAT ROCK, MICH. — Ford has unveiled plans to begin producing battery electric vehicles at its Flat Rock assembly plant in Southeast Michigan. Ford plans to invest more than $850 million in the Flat Rock assembly plant through 2023, adding a second shift and approximately 900 new jobs. The plant investment also includes funding to build the next-generation Mustang and is the bulk of a $900 million investment in Ford’s operations in Southeast Michigan. Ford also said it will begin building an all-electric SUV starting in 2020 at its Cuautitlan, Mexico plant. Production of Ford’s first autonomous vehicles will begin in 2021 for deployment in commercial use.
BIRMINGHAM, MICH. — Developer CA Ventures and architect Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED) have completed The Sheridan at Birmingham, a 122-unit seniors housing project in Michigan. The 111,264-square-foot property includes 83 assisted living units and 39 memory care units. The assisted living portion is contained in a four-story building. The one-story memory support portion is tucked behind the assisted living units and opens into an enclosed garden. HED designed a series of landscaped gardens and courtyards on the 3.7-acre site.
MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP, MICH. — Martin Commercial Properties has arranged the sale of a 7,400-square-foot retail property located at 3490 Okemos Road in Meridian Township near Lansing. The sales price was not disclosed. Shawn O’Brien of Martin represented the buyer, Tommy Hannawa of Affinity 8 Investments LLC, which also purchased a neighboring Tim Horton’s property. Property renovations are scheduled to begin in the next 90 days. The seller was not disclosed.
ANN ARBOR, MICH. — An affiliate of Linchris Hotel Corp. has acquired the Holiday Inn Ann Abor near the University of Michigan for an undisclosed price. The 225-room, full-service hotel was developed in 1980 and renovated in 2012. The property features more than 6,800 square feet of meeting space, a full-service restaurant, fitness center, video arcade, business center, salon, pool and tennis and basketball courts. Greg LaBine, Jeff Bucaro, Nicole Aguiar and Matthew Schoenfeldt of HFF arranged a five-year, fixed-rate loan for the acquisition. Loan proceeds will also be used to execute a property improvement plan that will include modernizing the guestrooms, bathrooms and building envelope.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — Schostak Brothers & Co. has purchased a 950,000-square-foot distribution facility in Grand Rapids for an undisclosed price. The current tenant, Bunzl Retail Services, will continue to occupy the building. John Kuiper, Mike Visser and Duke Suwyn of Colliers International represented the seller, Minnetrista Investments LLC. Steve Marcusse of Colliers represented Schostak.
WESTLAND, MICH. — Athletico Physical Therapy has signed a 3,964-square-foot lease to open a location in Westland, a western suburb of Detroit. The company will open in the space formerly occupied by Anytime Fitness at Bayview Plaza. Larry Siedell, Michael Murphy and Tjader Gerdom of Gerdom Realty & Investment represented the landlord. Luke Paterson of Swearingen Realty Group represented Athletico.
ILLINOIS, IOWA AND MICHIGAN — Real estate advisory and brokerage firm A&G Realty Partners has announced the results of its Jan. 28 bankruptcy auction of the final department store properties formerly owned by The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. The stores, located in the Midwest, formerly operated under the Bergner’s Carson’s, Younkers, Elder-Beerman and Bon-Ton names. In Coralville, Iowa, a home furnishings retailer acquired the 98,458-square-foot Younkers at Coral Ridge Mall. Mall owner Abbell Associates purchased the 165,000-square-foot Younkers at Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines. Mall owner Brookfield Properties acquired the 128,000-square-foot Carson’s at Spring Hill Mall in Dundee Township, Ill., as well as the 150,081-square-foot Younkers in Grandville, Mich. Mall owner Simon Property Group purchased the 125,000-square-foot Bergner’s at White Oaks Mall in Springfield, Ill. In Indiana, the Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County purchased 100,000-square-foot Elder-Beerman in Richmond. HOM Furniture acquired the 46,660-square-foot Bon-Ton at Lewistown Mall in Lewistown, Pa. Two Herberger’s stores in Minnesota were removed from the auction. In late January and early March, A&G completed private sales on two other store properties from the Bon-Ton portfolio. This includes the sale of the former Younkers building at Miller Hill Mall in Duluth, Minn. Buyer Essentia Health plans …
TROY, MICH. — L. Mason Capitani CORFAC International has brokered the sale of Butterfield Park Place, a 28,364-square-foot, multi-tenant office building located at 2250 Butterfield Drive in Troy. California-based LSTC Michigan LLC purchased the asset from Wilson Real Estate LLC. LSTC previously acquired a neighboring building in 2017. Mason L. Capitani represented both parties in the sale. He will also continue to oversee leasing for the new owner. Liberty Property & Asset Management will manage the property.