Every once in a while, a commercial real estate deal comes along that is about much more than the building. 33431 Grand River Avenue in downtown Farmington is one of those deals.
Built in 1912, the building first manufactured munitions during World War I and, over the decades, served many purposes, including as an automobile dealership. In 1985, Jerry and Michele Jakacki bought the building, and after a top-to-bottom renovation, it became home to Focal Point Studios in 1986.
For the next 39 years, it was far more than a place of business. Family portraits, headshots, baby pictures, senior pictures and weddings all happened inside those walls. Michele was there for all of it, alongside her sister Marisa, the studio’s lead photographer. Together, they built a business that is now 52 years strong and earned decades of goodwill in the community.
When Michele and Marisa decided to retire, it was time to pass the torch. Their longtime photographer, Sarah, is taking over the business, ensuring the studio’s legacy continues. That’s where this real estate story begins.
Interest in the building was strong from the start, but the same feedback kept coming back: most office and retail users wanted a single-story space, not a large two-story building downtown. Thomas Duke’s Steve Valli listened to the market and started looking at the building differently, thinking less about what it had always been and more about what it could be. His idea was to convert the second floor into luxury apartments and keep retail on the ground floor.
Steve brought the concept to an investor client who owns numerous multifamily properties, and the investor saw the potential right away. Together, they met with the City of Farmington, which welcomed the chance to bring new residential life downtown. The property sold in July 2026.
Today, the building is being transformed once again, with five luxury apartments upstairs, while Steve works to bring the right retailers to the first floor. The timing couldn’t be better: downtown Farmington was recently named a winner of the 2026 Great American Main Street Award by Main Street America. For Michele, the sale made it possible to reinvest in real estate as Focal Point begins its next chapter.
In the end, the building was the vehicle for something bigger: a family, a business that touched thousands of people, a historic property finding a new purpose, an investor willing to see things differently and a city ready to embrace a new idea.
That’s what commercial real estate should be about. Not just buildings, but people, relationships and the right outcome for everyone involved.