Mill Pond apartment complex reaches construction milestone
BRIGHTON — A large apartment complex under construction in downtown Brighton reached a milestone Wednesday.
Vista at Brighton, a four-story, 231-unit complex on the Mill Pond, is expected to be completed this year.
On Wednesday, a pine tree was placed on top of the final steel beam and hoisted up at 700 N. Second St.
It's an age-old tradition in the construction industry called a "topping out." Historically, building crews would watch for the pine needles to drop off — an indication building materials were dry.
Officials with owner DTN Management, builder Wolverine Building Group, and steel company Intellisteel gathered at the job site to celebrate. Some signed the beam before it was installed on top of the building.
"The bones are ready to go," said DTN Marketing Director Denise Todd.
Todd said pre-leasing will likely begin by September, with a goal to begin moving people in by December.
It's unknown exactly what the rental rates will be. Rates will be determined by market conditions.
"For us, it's bigger than just the community, it's the whole east side of the state," said DTN CEO Colin Cronin. "This is where the job growth is. This is where a lot of the intellectual intelligence is. This is where the future is driving business and growth."
Cronin said places like downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor have gotten expensive and are congested with traffic.
"We saw Brighton," he said. "It's a great little community. A great community feel. The downtown strip is fabulous for a small town feel, but (with) easy access to big-time jobs and big-time communities just down the road."
When it's complete, the complex will feature "luxury" studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments with high-end finishes. Amenities include a central courtyard, pool and sundeck, fitness studio, underground parking and more.
Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage
The complex has been in the works for several years, and plans were tweaked along the way. It was originally referred to as Vista at Uptown.
The final project cost is unknown. In 2022, company officials told The Daily they expected the project to cost more than $60 million.
— Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Mill Pond apartment complex reaches construction milestone
