Champion Home Builders, the nation’s leading producer of
modular and manufactured homes and commercial buildings, based in
today that it has been selected to build 36 homes for
historic neighborhood located at
Mile Road
crime for decades. The addition of the Champion built homes will further the
neighborhood’s path to complete revitalization.
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| Penrose Neighborhood between Woodward Ave and John R Road |
Now in its second phase, the initial 36 homes in the
neighborhood were also Champion products. In addition, the company built the
Penrose Art House, an art and community center dedicated to those who live in
the neighborhood. The Art House provides the neighborhood with a positive,
creative atmosphere and regularly hosts community meetings, events and art
classes. Star Development Corp., the project’s Ann Arbor, Michigan-based owner
and developer hopes to continue to grow the neighborhood past the initial two
phases eventually flourishing with close to 300 homes.
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| Phase One Complete |
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| Out with the Old and In with the New |
“We deeply value projects that impact the community, like
the redevelopment of Penrose, as we understand the cost impact our process can
have in helping to make these projects financially viable,” said Jack Lawless,
CEO, Champion Home Builders. “Through our modular building process, Champion is
able to save time and labor costs throughout the building timeline. Without
sacrificing quality, modular building takes approximately 50 percent the time
of traditional building. Because our timeline is shorter than traditionally
built homes, Star Development has the opportunity to begin moving families into
the neighborhood much sooner than if the home were built onsite, thus giving
the company an opportunity to not only collect rent earlier, but move on to other
building projects quicker.”
Once the modules have been completed in one of Champion’s 30
North American factory locations, they are shipped to the home’s final location
for installation and finish work.
From delivery to completion, this process has followed
approximately a 60-day timeline.
“We chose to partner with Champion based on the company’s
deep understanding of high quality, cost effective building,” said Sam Thomas,
CEO, Star Development Corp. “As the Penrose developer and property owner,
knowing that Champion is able to build homes on such an abbreviated timeline is
an invaluable asset to our company, given that we can then turn the
redevelopment around much faster than if we were to build the homes onsite. It
is an added benefit knowing that Champion is headquartered in Metro Detroit and
invested in the restoration of
When neighborhoods are revitalized, commerce will increase and the region will
strengthen. This is the ultimate goal of projects like Penrose.”
The phase two development of Penrose consists of 14 single
family homes and 12 duplexes priced at an affordable housing rental rate. The
homes are energy efficient and include appliances, vinyl double hung windows
and Energy Star lighting. The single family houses range between 1,400 and
1,500 square feet, with two or three bedrooms. All the homes include basements
and garages and emulate the neighborhood’s original turn of the century design.
