Editor’s note: The Vista of Brighton project received unanimous approval from the Brighton City Council at its meeting on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018.
Vista of Brighton — a $35 million, high-end development of 199 apartments snuggled up against the Mill Pond — is like nothing we’ve seen before in Livingston County. And the project — which appears to be on the fast track to approval — will have a tremendous, transformative impact on Brighton.
I am a huge fan of the work Brighton has done over the years — and continues to do — to fashion a quirky, cool downtown. The city wasn’t blessed with the abundance of amazing historic architecture in its downtown like in Howell, but it’s fashioned a vibrant, popular area with a style all its own.
The center of the downtown Brighton universe is the Mill Pond, and I love that so much of the area’s activity is centered around it. Adding this project to the Mill Pond’s shore will forever change the dynamics of the area; this project — four stories tall, with a three-story parking deck — is huge, especially in context of the surrounding area. The project is being pitched for four acres in the 700 block of Second Street that run east and south to the Mill Pond. It’s the area inside the red lines below:
It’s a luxury, uber-modern complex — in a style its developer, Lansing-based DTN Development Group, has reportedly dubbed “s-urban” for urban-suburban — and it features high-end finishes, and lots of windows. In addition to a three-story parking deck, the development will reportedly include a fitness center; a club room with television sets; and a courtyard area with outdoor kitchen and grill areas. All those amenities don’t come cheap: A 600-square foot, one-bedroom apartment will go for about $1,200 a month, while a 1,350-square-foot, three-bedroom unit will rent for about $2,300 a month, which means renters will likely be higher-income.
Here are some drawings of other DTN Development projects:
Here are videos of two other projects by DTN Development, one in Lansing and one in Grand Rapids.
Brighton officials seem excited about the project. And I am sure Brighton merchants will be thrilled with a huge influx of shoppers and diners with money just a stroll away.
What do you think about this project? Do you like these new upper east side luxury apartments? I think they are amazing!
