Development News

Developer turning old factory on edge of downtown Royal Oak into mega loft

Thursday, September 20, 2007

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Royal Oak

When people think of 4,000 square feet of home, images of stately mansions with long driveways, expansive yards and neatly trimmed hedges usually come to mind.

That's not how they roll in Royal Oak where developer Michael Chetcuti is turning an old industrial building on the edge of downtown into a 4,000-square-foot mega loft.

The small factory building, 827 Fourth St., has gone through several incarnations since its construction in the 1930s. Its latest life was as a heating and cooling duct fabricator. Chetcuti's crew is starting to turn it into a palatial living space --the last building on the block to be switched to residential zoning. Work is expected to be finished by Christmas.

"It will be more gallery/office space and residential," says Chetcuti, who is also behind the redevelopment of 711 S Main in downtown Royal Oak. "It will be for more auto-themed, car art."

The art deco fa�ade on the front will be preserved and a terrace will be added above it. The inside will be turned into two or three rooms with a contemporary loft feel. It will also have space for a private office and art gallery.

Chetcuti adds that the building is already sold. He wouldn't specify a cost for the project or how much it sold for. However, he said its location a few blocks east of downtown and next to Grant Park made it very attractive to the buyer.

Source: Michael Chetcuti, developer of 827 Fourth Street
Writer: Jon Zemke

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