Townhome development in Detroit's Brush Park 'rounding third base'

Detroit — The City Modern development is entering the final stretch of construction, with a model townhome giving a peek at the units that are expected to be ready for occupancy late in 2022.

The townhomes are part of a $100 million, multi-building development that Bedrock and Farmington Hills-based Hunter Pasteur Homes began in 2016. Features of the four-story model townhome on Alfred, which media members toured Thursday, include large windows, second-floor and rooftop terraces, along with balconies facing north and south.

“We’re kind of rounding third base and look forward to completing the community by the end of next year,” said Seth Herkowitz, partner at Hunter Pasteur Homes. “This townhome model is evident of all the hard work and progress that has been made here.”

The City Modern development sits on 8.4 acres along Edmund Place, John R, Alfred and Brush Street and is within walking distance of Little Caesars Arena and Comerica Park. Once home to many grand Victorian mansions, this portion of the historic neighborhood had been largely vacant since the 1960s, according to the Detroit Historical Society.

“There were four historic homes that were left over from the early 1900s that were integrated into the development,” Herkowitz said, referencing the Ransom Gillis house featured on the show "Rehab Addict." Bedrock is renovating three historic homes within the development’s footprint.

“That integration and that blend of the historic with the contemporary has really been a key selling feature,” he said.

The first floor of the model home features a light-filled studio space for owners to use as an office, home gym or entertaining space, while the second floor features the living room and kitchen with waterfall countertops and high-end finishes. The third floor has three bedrooms and the fourth floor features a bar and terrace with views of downtown.

Hunter Pasteur Homes is partnered with Bedrock on the project, with the home builder undertaking the for-sale townhomes and carriage homes and Bedrock developing the rental buildings that flank the development.

A landscaped pathway, called the Mews, of pocket parks runs through the site, providing a scenic way to travel the area on bike or foot.

“What’s so unique about our development is that we’re so centrally located …” Herkowitz said. “Midtown a few blocks from here, the stadium district, the (Central Business District). We really created and built this housing environment in which most if not all of our residents' daily needs, whether it’s recreation or employment or transit or retail, are in close proximity to where they live.”

When complete, there will be 300 rental units in the development and 105 for-sale units in six housing styles. Hunter Pasteur Homes has closed on 77 of the 105 sale units, Herkowitz said. The final set of townhomes along Edmund Place is under construction and expected to be complete by the end of 2022, he said.

The townhomes range in size from 2,280 to 3,170 square feet and cost from $600,000 to more than $1.3 million based on finishes, features and layouts. The carriage homes range from 1,411 to 1,810 square feet and range from $225,000 to the mid-$700,000s. Chicago-based Studio Dwell Architects designed the townhomes while Boston-based Merge Architects designed the carriage homes.

In 2019, Bedrock celebrated the opening of the Flats, the first of six apartment buildings. That 54-unit building at 124 Alfred is affordable housing for residents 55 years and older. 

According to Bedrock, three additional rental unit buildings have reopened as of this summer. Other rental developments expected to be completed this year are at 265 Alfred and 200 Edmund.

Rental units at 320 Edmund are expected to open by the beginning of 2022 and construction is expected to start in 2022 at 290 Edmund, according to Bedrock.

Other projects under construction in the area are City Growth Partners’ Brush 8 condominium, three-story brick modern townhomes at 3119 Brush, and American Community Developers’ Brush Watson, a 310-unit development, including 163 affordable units.

For information, call (313) 300-2099 or email info@hunterpasteurhomes.com.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CWilliams_DN