Three historic buildings that were showing their age are now 45 apartments and lofts, bringing a host of urban living and live/work options to Grand Rapids' S. Division Avenue.
The Palatine Building (c. 1911) at 209 S. Division was originally a rooming house for furniture buyers. Developer Brookstone Capital combined the building with 217 S. Division (c. 1888) to create the 47,000-square-foot Division Park Avenue Apartments, a 30-unit building with six live/work apartments along S. Division.
"The live/work spaces are two-story units," says Aaron Jonker, construction project manager with
Wolverine Building Group. "The building was cut up into small rooms and had a lot of water damage. We were able to save a couple of historic walls, a couple of stairwells were restored in-place and we restored a three-story atrium with skylights. A huge mirror from the atrium was removed and restored offsite, then re-hung."
Around the corner at 17 Williams St. SW, a former four-story warehouse (c. 1917) now offers 15 one- and two-bedroom urban loft units under the name Serrano Lofts.
Both projects expect to attain LEED Gold certification, states Wolverine Building Group in a recent press release. Some of the sustainable features include indoor bike storage, LED lighting in all common areas, a reflective roof, high efficiency windows and recycling areas for tenants. All apartments have electronic keyless entry.
Federal Historic Tax Credits, Michigan State Historic Tax Credits,
MSHDA Low Income Housing Tax Credits and Brownfield Tax Credits combined with other financing options to fund the projects.
An open house for both projects will be Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Contact Kristine Hibbard at 616-643-8500 or visit
www.livedowntowngrandrapids.com for leasing information.
Architect:
Concept Design Studio
Historic consultant:
Past Perfect
Sustainability consultant:
Catalyst Partners
Source: Aaron Jonker and Wolverine Building Group
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
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