It doesn’t have any clients for it yet, but the Bingham Farms-based development company Burton-Katzman hopes to get a rezoning for several acres of property near Silverbell and Giddings Roads.
The land, located near the GM Orion Assembly Plant on the northwest corner of Silverbell and Giddings, is currently zoned in three different classifications; part is Industrial Park (IP), part is Limited Industrial 1 (LI 1) and part is Limited Industrial 2 (LI 2).
Burton-Katzman has applied with Orion Township for a rezoning, which would make all of the property zoned IP.
Marlin Wroubel, vice president for project management for Burton-Katzman, said the company has no specific tenants in mind yet, but is hoping to add the land, being called the Silverbell Tech Park, to its portfolio.
‘We need land to do development work,? he added. ‘It’s a good site for whatever we might choose to produce there.?
However, Wroubel said the property’s current zoning makes it difficult to put a building on.
‘It’s a contiguous site,? he said. ‘There are no roads, fences or residences in between. It should be one zoning, and the township agrees.?
According to Beth McGuire, zoning and planning administrator for Orion Township, said the current parcel is a result of a 2001 lot combination, of four parcels, that consisted of the three different zonings.
‘The current rezoning request to IP will bring that area into conformance with the township’s Master Plan,? she said.
Burton-Katzman was to take members of the planning commission on a site walk on July 23, and Wroubel said there will be several other steps, such as a public hearing, to go through before a rezoning could be granted.
He said Burton-Katzman could put up one building, or a number of them, on the site.
He said it is unknown at this time exactly what the size will be, although buildings could range from 40,000 square-feet to 200,000.
‘The market will dictate that,? he said. ‘If there’s no 50,000 square-feet buildings available, that’s what we’ll put up.?
Clients will be light industrial, light manufacturing or distribution.
‘You can’t do business without land,? he said. ‘We’d like to be prepared to begin construction next spring.?
Burton-Katzman has worked on other projects in the township, most notably the recent opening of Cobasys on Lapeer Road.
‘They were one of our clients,? Wroubel said. ‘We also have five buildings on North Pointe Drive, north of Ajax.?
Wroubel said the amount of demographic growth in the township makes it an attractive location to build for development companies such as Burton-Katzman.
‘People want to be close to work,? he said. ‘Now, there’s a work force (in Orion Township) to support the light industrial businesses.?