Merit Manufacturing, a Sterling, Michigan-based manufacturer of personal care products, leased and redeveloped a former high-tech office building for its headquarters space and interactive showroom. For transforming this underutilized property as part of a creative redevelopment, the Merit lease earned a 2024 CoStar Impact Award for redevelopment of the year, as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
Merit signed a 15-year lease in July to occupy the property located at 28635 Mound Road in Warren, Michigan. Clearance in the building was 11 feet and there was about 3,000 square feet of open courtyard in the middle of the space. Merit, which manufactures body wash, shampoos and laundry products, among other personal care items, installed eight mix tanks up to 2,000 gallons in the courtyard space, closed it up and regarded it as part of the square footage of the building. This also raised the ceiling height in the area to 18 feet.
In addition, the developer included more than 30,000 square feet of high-bay warehouse with three exterior truck wells. This increased the original size of the property to its now 82,047 square feet of industrial space.
About the Project: Merit Manufacturing signed a long-term lease to occupy the single-tenant property in Warren, Michigan. The one-story building sits on 4.79 acres and includes 244 surface-level parking spots. It's located just under 20 minutes from Detroit City Airport.
What the Judges Said: One of the judges, John DeGroot, vice president of research for Newmark, called this a creative redevelopment that will have a major impact on the community.
They Made it Happen: Chris Dowell and Jack Coury of Newmark handled the deal on behalf of the tenant. Cushman & Wakefield's Conner Salsberry and Anthony Avendt were the leasing representatives.