Loft Li
Industrial lofts in Midtown
Detroit offer history and
stunning design.
Lynne Konstantin I Contributing Writer
raving an urban environ-
ment where you can walk
down the street for a fan-
tastic Saturday night dinner
and fresh-baked brioche on Sunday
morning? Around the corner for the
season's hottest art exhibition? Or
up to your rooftop garden to relax
with a glass of wine?
No need to leave friends and fam-
ily behind and head to Chicago: De-
troit's very own Midtown neighbor-
hood is working hard to earn your
respect and investment. And Willys
Overland Lofts, one of the area's
shining examples of incorporating
historic preservation with modern
livability and safety, is right in the
middle of it all.
In 1912, the Toledo-based Willys
Overland Company (producer of the
jeep) expanded to include a four-story
showroom on W. Willis in Detroit,
which, in 1917, became an urban car
dealership. Over the years, the facility
was used as a wholesale dry goods
store, a Federal Department Store, the
central maintenance warehouse for
Detroit Public Schools and eventually
became the property of Wayne State
University.
In the mid-2000s, when Stephen
Schmier and his colleagues at De-
Mattia Group first found out about a
mixed-use (residential and commer-
cial) development competition hosted
by WSU, the prospect thrilled them.
Schmier knew it would, based upon
his experience studying real-estate law
and serving as development manager
at DeMattia, a full-service firm that can
develop, design and build projects.
The company is based in Plymouth
and has an office in Detroit.
An earlier project had introduced
the company to all that Midtown
Detroit had to offer. Plus, "our back-
ground is industrial," says Gary Rob-
erts, a licensed architect and president
and CEO of DeMattia Group, "so we
have an interest in using that design
and industrial expertise in a diverse
way."
WSU didn't want to sell their sur-
Above: Architectural rendering of Willys
Overland Lofts show the exterior's recondi-
tioned original signage.
plus property to just anybody; they
wanted to sell it with a purpose: to
create neighborhoods that surround
the university, offering residential
and commercial opportunities. "You
had to create a design that supported
their mission and win the right to buy
it," says Roberts. "They put in deed
restrictions, so you couldn't just tear it
down and put up a grocery store. And
when we won it, we wanted to market
it right in terms of the project."
So DeMattia created Willys Overland
Lofts, 75 for-purchase condo lofts
that range from 900 square feet to a
2,800-square-foot penthouse. Prices
range from approximately $142,000
to $640,000, says Schmier.
Added to the original four one-level
floors, many with hanging balconies,
are two two-story floors with full pa-
tios and spectacular views of the lights
and action of Downtown. Each unit
is customized, and buyers will work
with DeMattia's in-house architect, Jim
Capo, to create the urban loft of their
dreams.
With lofty 13-15-foot ceilings, floor-
to-ceiling windows and balconies, Mer-
rilat cabinetry, "Martini glass" fluted
columns, granite countertops and
original exposed brick and ductwork,
each unit also offers upgrades includ-
SPONSORED SECTION BY: Quicken Loans
Engineered to Amaze
Left: The interior of a unit at Willys
Overland Lofts
ing hardwood floors (from
original stained and sealed
concrete), gourmet kitchen packages
and more. Floor plans include one-,
two- and three-bedroom units, and
units can be combined to suit the
buyer's needs. And, of course, there
is secured parking for residents and
guests.
"What makes this so interesting as a
residential building is its original con-
struction," says Roberts. "It has a shell
of 10-inch concrete floors, concrete
columns on the first floor that are 30
inches in diameter — your upstairs
neighbor could have a tap-dance crew
and you wouldn't hear a thing."
Most of the currently occupied units
are owned by "educated profession-
als," says Schmier. "We have a cura-
tor at the DIA, professors at Wayne
and the University of Windsor, some
have moved in from Ann Arbor and
we've got people who commute into
the suburbs for work. Right now it's
a great, affordable opportunity for
empty-nesters whose kids are gone
and who are passionate about the
Detroit community."
And that community is strong.
Right next door to the Lofts is the
oft-rhapsodized Avalon International
Breads, whose co-owners, Jackie Vic-
for and Ann Perrault, have long been
proponents for the neighborhood and
create luscious baked goods worth a
trip to Detroit themselves. Residents
can walk to more than 40 other res-
taurants and entertainment venues,
including the DIA and the Moishe
House, (or take a quick drive to the
Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue).
"It's exciting to have that nearby,"
says Schmier. "To have the possibility
of getting _Jewish people to live in ar-
eas where they might not otherwise."
In addition to the Lofts' first-floor re-
tail spaces, sprawling down the street
are two additional connected commer-
cial spaces, which are in the process of
becoming occupied by a microbrewery,
a retailer, a bakery and more.
For now, the focus is on the Lofts.
"Understanding the value of the
building's heritage is fundamental in
this restoration," says Roberts. "From
reconditioning the original building
signage to exposing the original brick
interiors, we understand that the glory
is in the details." 1-1
For more information, log on to
willysoverlandlofts.com or call
(313) 832-2000.
March 15 • 2012
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