Deborah Johnson Wood
When
Third Coast Development Partners constructed the 30,000-square-foot building near the
Women's Health Center of West Michigan, the company planned to lease all of the space.
Several tenants now occupy the building at 545 Michigan, and the lure of a third floor workspace overlooking the Medical Mile convinced Third Coast Development's Dave Levitt and Brad Rosely to relocate the company from leased space near
Centerpointe Mall.
Levitt, 45, and Rosely, 42, are the founding partners of Midtowne Village, a multi-acre development that includes 545 Michigan (completed in 2006), the Women's Health Center,
Park Row Condominiums, a pocket park and two undeveloped lots.
"We wanted to be in our own building in the midst of one of our biggest projects," Levitt says. "We wanted to be closer to our clients and the area where we've done most of our business, which is along Michigan Street."
The 3,000-square-foot office features private offices, open workstations, a reception area, conference room and a kitchen – all accented with cherry-stained wood trim. Windows open the view to the east down Michigan Street and to the north.
"The activity in the neighborhood is a lot of fun," Levitt says. "It has a cool urban feel, there's lot of (auto) traffic, and people coming and going.
The Omelette Shoppe downstairs opens early and brings activity into the neighborhood then, and there are people out walking their dogs to the pocket park."
The move brought five workers downtown, and Levitt says they patronize nearby restaurants, drycleaners, hardware store, banks and credit unions.
"I'm mad at myself for not having done this a couple of years ago," Levitt says. "We assumed the space would rent and then the economy took a hit, so we're glad to have it now."
Source: David Levitt, Third Coast Development Partners
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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