By Jim Newell

Review Editor

A Rochester Hills developer has purchased the Lake Orion Pet Centre property on the corner of Anderson and Flint streets in the village, and the purchase could mean more downtown parking, at least in the short term.

Jeff Schmitz, founder and owner of J.S. Capitol Group, LLC, made the deal to buy the Pet Centre last week. Schmitz is also the developer and builder of the mixed-use four story projected located next to the Paint Creek dam at 120 S. Broadway.

Schmitz said he is unsure of the long-term plans for the Pet Centre lot and is exploring the possibilities for the site.

“Friday it went under contract,” Schmitz said, adding he has not yet closed on the purchase.

The first priority – after closing on the purchase agreement – will be to fill in the hole on the lot. Schmitz said he will likely, as least in the short term, make the lot open for public parking until he settles on a plan on how he will use the lot in the long term.

“I’m trying to assist the village with new downtown parking,” Schmitz said, noting that he is conducting his own traffic and parking studies in the village.

Schmitz said he decided to purchase and develop property in Lake Orion because of the small, quaint downtown feel, the current amenities and the possibilities for future development.

“Lake Orion, it’s got a lot of growth potential. The trend now is toward small downtown areas where there’s coffee shops, restaurants and stores,” Schmitz said. “People want to be able to walk out of their homes and go to these places.”

The Pet Centre caught fire Jan. 28, 2017 and the structure was demolished last summer. Since that time, the lot has had an unsightly open foundation, which has drawn some concern from area businesses that wanted to see the land re-developed.

Schmitz has more than 20 years of experience in construction and development, with more than 100 projects completed or under development. His experience spans from manufacturing facilities, retail, corporate office, healthcare, commercial residential and hospitality developments.

The four-story building Schmitz is constructing will have 9,000 square feet of prime retail space on the first floor and the upper three floors will be 24 upscale apartments, 8 units per floor, that will be “the nicest apartments from here to Rochester,” said Smith.

“The design concepts of the apartments will be fantastic, built with high-quality items such as flooring and appliances.”

The apartment plans range in size from 800 square foot studios up to 1,500 square foot. He expects the pricing to be between $1,200 to $2,000 per month.

Schmitz said there already has been a high level of interest in the retail space available, including a dentist, optometrist, salon and restaurant all inquiring about the space.

The winter weather has affected construction but Schmitz said he still hopes to have the apartments completed in October. “We’ll see how that goes,” he said.

The estimated development cost for the 120 S. Broadway project is about $6 million dollars.

Schmitz expects that the residents of the apartments will be young professionals and a middle-aged market.

Dia Zargara, owner of Sagebrush Cantina, owns the adjacent property at 102 S. Broadway and is developing that building for restaurant or retail/office use.