You’ll never find anything where I want to be.” The man calling was a frustrated funeral home director who wanted to build a new facility in western Livonia, but there weren’t any sites left which permitted mortuary services. His words were a challenge I couldn’t refuse!
After meeting with the client I knew just the site that could meet his goals. The lot at the southeast corner of Five Mile and Haggerty, though technically in Plymouth Township, sat at the intersection of three municipalities: Plymouth Township, Northville, and Livonia.
I talked with the Plymouth Township planning department and introduced my client. They said they would be happy to approve the site for mortuary uses. The 3.6-acre site had been on the market for more than 20 years and it was the only undeveloped corner at an intersection that was becoming busier with each year.
We met with a national funeral home consultant who helped him see the benefits of corner-lot visibility and the area’s improving demographics. I pointed out the advantage of marketing his business in three municipalities rather than one. After months of negotiations, both parties were satisfied with the sale terms and the property went under contract and closed shortly after.
At closing the buyer thanked me, saying, “Without your help I never would have thought of this option.” A commercial real estate transaction can be a many-headed beast. Let my 22 + years in the commercial real estate business free you from frustration so you can focus on your business.
