Kojaian Acquires MAV Development Acreage
Business to Business Monthly Magazine
Date -- February, 2001 - By Bill Milliken, CCIM
Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce
A record setting, $7 million land purchase in Ann Arbor Township by Bloomfield Hills real estate developer Michael Kojaian caused local observers to sit up and take notice last month. Kojaian acquired 22 acres on Plymouth Road, next to the US-23 interchange, from MAV Development on January 16.Speculation in the real estate brokerage community is that the land may be intended for use as a new corporate headquarters for Domino's Pizza, which is currently based nearby at - appropriately enough - at Domino's Farms. David Brandon, Domino's chairman and chief executive officer confirms that the company has explored options for relocating in northeast Ann Arbor. He adds, however, "Domino's has talked with Michael Kojaian and other developers, but we have no specific agreements with any of them." Brandon continued that Domino's has a ten-year lease on its space at Domino's Farms (approximately 150,000 square feet), but that the scope of their meeting, training and warehousing needs may be difficult to continue to meet in their present quarters.
Cunningham-Limp Site PlanLending credence to the new headquarters report is an appearance before the Ann Arbor Township Planning Commission on January 8 by Cunningham-Limp Company, a design/build general contractor. Cunningham-Limp, based in Farmington Hills and reportedly half-owned by Michael Kojaian, has applied for site plan approval for a single tenant, 200,000 square foot, three-story building on the 22 acre site. Township Deputy Treasurer, Kay Jordan, confirmed that the Planning Commission scheduled a public hearing for February 5. The purpose of the hearings is to invite public comment on the planned unit development (PUD), natural features and wetland aspects of the pending site plan application. The application was originally filed December 19, 2000. "Wait until the appraisers hear about that number," said Dave Hamilton at Swisher Commercial, referring to the $7.30 per foot land price paid by the Kojaian organization.. "We've heard about the drug chains paying $10 to $12 per foot for commercial acreage, but this kind of number for office land is astounding." The Kojaian companies had no comment when asked about the acquisition or their plans to develop the acreage.
Popkins Place WithdrawnMAV Development, which acquired the so-called Popkins School acreage in 1997, submitted plans in 1999 to develop a 226,000 square foot office and research facility there. It consisted of five buildings, two and three stories in height, several of which included underground parking. This was about half the permitted square feet of floor area at the time, according to MAV spokesman Rob Aldrich. MAV and Ann Arbor Township officials never were able to see eye-to-eye on the proposal, however. That is, until the sale of the property, which allowed exultant officials to remove MAV issues from the Township Planning Commission's agenda.
UATS Says Congestion May FollowTraffic counts on Plymouth Road are 21,500 cars per day (1999) between US-23 and Earhart Road, with much of it related to Domino's Farms' complex. A new 200,000 square foot office building across Plymouth Road, which could employ up to 1,000 employees (1 person per 200 square feet of office space), would bring additional vehicle traffic, according to Terri Blackmore, Deputy Director of the Urban Area Transportation System (UATS). Blackmore points out that Plymouth Road east of US-23 already carries 38,713 cars per day (1999). "We expect Pfizer Global's expansion to add significantly to those counts, too" she adds.
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Bill Milliken, CCIM
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