Farmington demolishing vacant downtown property, new townhouses to be built on-site

Farmington is marking its 200th birthday by welcoming new residents to town.

The move comes as the city tears down the former Maxfield Training Center, vacant for around 12 years, following five years of preparation. The site will soon host the Hillside Townes, a 53-unit townhouse project coming to the heart of downtown Farmington.

"To be able to initiate great transformational projects like this during our bicentennial, it's a genuine pleasure and a privilege to be serving at this time," said Mayor Joe LaRussa.

The vacant site was once owned by Farmington Public Schools, having served as a high school and junior high school, officials said.

State and local officials announced the updates at an on-site news conference Monday morning, the rubble of the partially demolished structure looming in the background. Official remarks were followed by the sound of crashing glass and debris filling the air as crews demonstrated their demolition process.

The $16-million affordable housing project is being built by residential developer Robertson Brothers Homes and will improve accessibility to the city's downtown, LaRussa said. This includes connecting the site to the nearby Shiawassee Park and a pedestrian promenade connecting the site to Grand River Avenue and to Riley Park.

"Farmington is already a wonderful place and this is an investment in making sure that it's a wonderful place for Michigan's future," said Hilary Doe, Michigan's chief growth officer.

Construction crews are on-site and will be working in the coming months to complete the demolition and then construction of the three-story townhouses. The first set of five townhouses are set to go on sale in late fall, with work complete and homeowners expected to move in by late spring 2025, said Michelle Byron, marketing director for Robertson Brothers Homes.

"There's a lot of excitement about this project, not the least of which because it's going to take a functionally obsolete property that's vacant and turn it into something thriving and vibrant with people living here, working here, playing here," LaRussa said.

The roughly 1,300 square-foot townhouse units will each include two bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, attached garages, and a third room for flexible use, Byron said. Prices are expected to be in the mid-$300,000 range.

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The project represents the potential for growth in Michigan, said Hugh McDiarmid, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

"Investing in the redevelopment of Brownfield sites is as much about cleaning up the past as it is creating a brighter future for our communities for future generations," McDiarmid said.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Farmington demolishing vacant downtown property, new townhouses to be built on-site