Condos to liven up Oak Park

Construction of 95-105 homes on Eight Mile will begin in mid-fall.
By Andrea Bogos / The Detroit News

Oak Park - A new neighborhood of condominiums with amenities that include private courtyards will begin construction this fall.

The townhouse-style homes in the new Oak Pointe neighborhoood on Eight Mile will sell for up to $200,000, said Graten Little Jr., project manager of development for Phoenix Group Consultants, the Detroit company building the homes.

Phoenix Group has gotten the go-ahead from the Oak Park City Council to build between 95 and 105 homes on 5 acres north of the city’s post office, said City Planner Kevin Rulkowski. That would make the project an investment of at least $15 million, based on anticipated sale prices of between $150,000 and $200,000.

After an approval of the site plan by the council this summer, construction will begin by mid-fall, Little said.

“There hasn’t been a lot of development in Oak Park because it is a built-up community,” Little said. “This is a site that lends itself to more residential development.”

“It’s tucked away and provides a nice buffer from Eight Mile to the residential homes behind it,” he said.

The project is needed to provide another option to residents who want to remain in the city bu

t don’t want the maintenance of a house, Rulkowski said.

“One area of housing Oak Park is a little deficient on is condominiums. We don’t have that transition home, and this helps to fill a need we have,” he said.

Completion is expected by summer 2005, with the first residents moving in by August, Little said.

The two- and three-bedroom condos are expected to range from 1,400 to 1,800 square feet. Private courtyards outside the buildings will be naturally created because the units will face each other in a square Little said.

With site plans complete, underground lines for utilities are being installed and other minor details are being worked out before ground is broken.

This is the first development by Phoenix Group Consultants in Oak Park. The company has built assisted-living centers in Kalamazoo and other residential properties in Detroit and Pontiac.

The company plans to focus on the Oak Park development and other pending projects in Detroit next year.

© Copyright 2006 Phoenix Group Consultants, Inc. All Rights Reserved.