DETROIT—This city's core has attracted a lot of attention lately, as developers created thousands of new housing units for its many new office workers, and robust demand has kept residential vacancy rates hovering just above zero for years. But officials from Broder & Sachse Real Estate have just opened the doors at The Scott at Brush Park, a high-end mixed-use development on Woodward Ave. and Erskine St. in Detroit's Midtown area, the first of its kind in the city, and many here hope it's the start of something big for the neighborhoods surrounding the CBD.

The company's chief executive officer Richard Broder and Sachse Construction chief executive officer Todd Sachse welcomed the community to The Scott, which features 199 residential units and five retail and restaurant tenants, during a grand opening celebration on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

“We do expect a significant amount of residential development in Midtown,” Broder tells GlobeSt.com. “We are in favor of these developments, because greater density is a benefit to everyone in a city like Detroit, and Midtown is one of the up-and-coming areas that has incredible potential.”

As reported in GlobeSt.com, Broder & Sachse completed a market study on the CBD in 2015 and found that 98% of its residential units were occupied. The company is currently finalizing its Winter 2016 study, but this one includes both Midtown and the CBD.

The Scott includes a variety of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three bedroom units, and a solid group of renters are already set to move in by next month. Broder says they have tenants for 100% of the studio apartments and nearly all one-bedroom units. He expects the property will reach capacity by early summer with a limited number of units still available. Apartments range in size from 450 to 1,380 square feet of space, and residents have access to many amenities including a 24-hour concierge service, dry cleaning delivery, stations for pet grooming and bicycle maintenance and a fitness center.

Still, even though the level of demand for residences in the neighborhoods clustered around the CBD is very high, Broder expects development to proceed at a relatively moderate pace. “Assembly of land in Detroit is challenging, no matter what neighborhood you're looking at,” he says. “There may appear to be a lot of vacant land, but that doesn't mean it is available for development right now. There is a mix of opportunity and barriers to entry, because some vacant areas may not be in the right place for a sustainable development at the moment.”

Broder & Sachse co-developed The Scott with Woodborn Partners, while Sachse Construction served as the construction manager and Neumann/Smith served as the architect. Community spaces on the property include a rooftop terrace, an outdoor pool with a heated sundeck and four seasons spa, a snack and coffee bar, a dedicated parking garage and art installations from local Detroit artists highlighted throughout the property.

“We knew this was an ambitious undertaking when we started construction in the summer of 2015, but we felt the reward would outweigh the risks,” Sachse says. “Downtown Detroit, and Brush Park in particular, has incredible traction right now in terms of development and revitalization efforts.”

Instant Insights /

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