 | From the Daily Tribune - More condos coming to 11 Mile By Catherine
Kavanaugh PUBLISHED: February 15, 2005 ROYAL
OAK — Electrician Mike Barjaktarovich of Ferndale spent many work days trying
to keep wiring at Kingswood Manor up to code, but the low-income housing fell
into such disrepair it became a losing battle. He is working at the site again, this time as the land owner and developer of Lofts @ 11, a two-building brownstone project with 24 units that go up for sale this week for $240,000 to $400,000. What a difference half a decade makes. "There's no way I ever thought I would have bought this land," Barjaktarovich said, recalling the days when his original business, B-N-S Electric Inc., was called regularly to the dilapidated Kingswood Manor. Two years after the land was cleared, the previous property owner, Joseph Oram, tried to get a housing project designed by resident architect Jim Schneider off the ground. The city approved a row of brick townhouses, but the townhouses were never built. About the same time, Barjaktarovich and his brothers, Jim and Steve, were getting into the development business with small in-fill projects like Royal Gardens on Rochester Road. The Barjaktaroviches — aka 3BS Land Co. — set their sights on the empty 6.8 acres on 11 Mile next. "I knew the project was at a stop, so we contacted the owner, bought the land from him and said let's get going," Barjaktarovich said. "We weren't foolish enough to think we knew all the intricacies of construction, so we brought in some good people." The brothers kept Schneider on board and he tweaked his design, keeping the old-style reddish orange brick Manhattan row house exterior while going to the other extreme with modern three-level floor plans inside. The one-bedroom studios will have 12-foot ceilings, spiral staircases, and stained concrete floors. The two-bedroom lofts will have 16-foot ceilings, a catwalk library, one-car garage, wood floors, fireplace, and roof deck. All of the Lofts @ 11 will have private entries, private outdoor spaces — enclosed patios for the studios — and private storage space. "It's going to be an intimate development on the outskirts of downtown," Schneider said. "It will offer the privacy of a single-family home with the contemporary living of a loft — and all the action you want is just blocks away." Schneider is known for designing colorful yet harmoniously blending business facades, such as Zumba's, Chinn Jewelry, and Main Street Florist, as well as the townhouses at Troy and Seventh streets. Barjaktarovich said one his favorite features of Lofts @ 11 is the outdoor space. "It's large enough that people will be able to entertain outside," he said. "It's truly usable space as opposed to a balcony." All units also will have exposed duct work, cable lighting, and natural lighting from front to back because there are no central or shared hallways. "That will keep association fees down, too, because it lowers maintenance costs," Barjaktarovich added, estimating the fees at $100 to $160 a month. In addition, pets will be allowed. Barjaktarovich expects empty nesters and young professionals to buy into Lofts @ 11. The road is being heavily redeveloped with condos around the downtown. Also in the planning or construction stage are: - SkyLofts MarketSquare — 88 units priced at $260,000 to $540,000 at 511 E. 11 Mile. - Main Street Lofts — 22 units priced at $290,000 to $695,000 at 11 Mile and Main Street. - Center Street Lofts — 19 units at $285,000 to $600,000 on 11 Mile at Center Street. - Main North Lofts — 94 units at $299,000 to $799,000 on Main a block north of 11 Mile. These units will be in a nine-story building with ground-floor businesses and private parking. - A second nine-story building referred to as the "east tower" will go up at 11 Mile and Troy Street with an estimated 88 condo units. It is part of the same project the Main North Lofts. Models of the Lofts
@ 11 studio and brownstone should be completed in June and the first building
could be done in early fall. For more information, call the sales office, which
is expected to open later this week, at 248-284-0156 or go to loftsofroyaloak.com. | |
