Birmingham’s District Lofts finishes second phase

The second wave of The District Lofts is hardly a tsunami, but it’s a welcome addition to the Birmingham’s emerging Rail District.Eighteen of the development’s 24 units are not only finished but almost all are leased. J.C. Cataldo, developer of The District Lofts, recently switched the development from “for sale” to “for lease” because of market conditions. It follows other prominent luxury developments like The Fifth Royal Oak and New Street Lofts in Mt. Clemens. Urbane Apartment’s redevelopment rentals in downtowns are going fast, too.For-sale prices in The District Lofts started at $400,000 before the switch. Today rents start at $2,700 a month for a 1,550-square-foot loft. That includes all of the utilities and an underground parking space. They go as high as $3,400 a month for just under 2,000 square feet. The rest of units are expected to be finished in March.The development consists of a 4-story, mixed-use building where the homes are located above ground floor retail space and an underground heated parking garage. They are a few blocks east of downtown Birmingham on South Eaton Street. The old industrial corridor is dotted with old factory buildings that are being converted to lofts and businesses as the city redevelops the neighborhood. A stop for a northern extension of the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line is also planned for the area.For information, call (248) 593-6000.Source: J.C. Cataldo, developer of The District LoftsWriter: Jon Zemke