FARMINGTON (WWJ) — After sitting vacant for more than a decade, demolition is underway on a former high school building and training center in Downtown Farmington, making way for a new housing project.
A ceremony was held Monday morning at the abandoned Maxfield Training Center, near Grand River Avenue and Farmington Road, as demolition began.
The site is the future home of the Hillside Townes, a $16 million project that will bring seven three-story buildings with a total of 53 townhomes that officials say are “anticipated to list in the mid-$300,000 range.”
Residential developer Robertson Brothers Homes is expected to begin construction later this year and a grand opening of the first units is expected in 2025. The entirety of the project is expected to be completed in 2027.
Mayor Joe LaRussa calls the development “transformational” for the city, given that Farmington is essentially “built out,” with few spaces for new construction.
City officials say it is “the first significant residential project in Farmington’s core downtown in decades” and LaRussa told WWJ’s Jon Hewett this project has been years in the making.
“The availability of land in a space like Farmington is scarce,” LaRussa said. “So what’s working in our favor is the fact that we had to use this 3-acre site and maximize the density to make the project work financially and that led to a natural outcome to have more units that are attainable, more affordable than the traditional single-family homes that you’ll find in the city.”
LaRussa also promises there will be more housing coming in the future, as the city is eyeing other potential redevelopment projects.
“This housing project is just the beginning. We have more units coming online and we have more properties that we have targeted for redevelopment, so my message would be, ‘stay tuned, there’s more to come in Farmington,’” LaRussa said.
LaRussa did not go into detail on what other properties may be redeveloped into housing in the future.
The official launch of the Hillside Townes development “exemplifies the call to action by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the Homebuilders Association of Michigan and Michigan’s Chief Growth Officer Hilary Doe for communities and builders to collaboratively tackle the statewide housing shortage and promote more housing opportunities for people of all income levels, including the ‘missing middle,’” a city press release said.
Missing middle housing is a term used to describe housing types “that fall between single-family homes and mid-rise apartment buildings.” It can include duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, bungalows, cluster homes, and cottage courts. Missing middle housing is often “more affordable than single-family homes and can help increase residential density and create more walkable neighborhoods.”
Proponents of Hillside Townes say the development will “create needed housing near downtown and positively impact the city's small business community.”
In addition to providing new housing, the project includes the reconstruction of Thomas Street, with water and utility infrastructure upgrades, as well as walkability and Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements. The city’s plan also incorporates a federally funded community project to add an ADA-compliant connection to Shiawassee Park.
Among the project highlights in the city’s plan is a ribbon park, also known as a pedestrian promenade, that will connect the site to Grand River Avenue and the adjacent Riley Park. The development is supported by a $1 million EGLE Brownfield Redevelopment Grant that is funding site assessments, transportation and disposal of contaminated soil, and demolition work.
Thanks to state investments, federal resources, and strong private development, Michigan has built or rehabilitated 50,000 housing units, significantly reducing the statewide shortage from 190,000 units to 141,000 units.