The Grove condominiums to replace Wildflowers in downtown Glen Arbor
From staff reports
Donna Burgan’s iconic store Wildflowers closed in late September after 41 years in business.
“The Grove” condominiums will take Wildflowers’ place on M-22 just south of the Glen Arbor township park and Northwoods Hardware. The price per unit will start at approximately $450,000.
Pete Faber, a 54-year-old developer from Grand Rapids, closed on the sale in mid-November. He plans to demolish the existing structures by the end of this year and build 12 condominiums in two phases—the first phase he hopes to start in the Spring and be complete by October 2021, with the second phase complete by Spring 2022.
Faber says The Grove will feature two different types of two-story units: one with a master bedroom downstairs and additional bedrooms and extra bathroom upstairs; the other will feature a kitchen, living and dining room on the main floor, with bedrooms upstairs. All units will include a one-stall, attached garage.
All outdoor maintenance including garbage pickup, lawn mowing and snowplowing will be done by management. Units at The Grove will be whole-ownership, not time shares. Faber hopes to sell to at least 2-3 year-round residents, but acknowledges that the majority of buyers will probably be seasonal residents.
“This is easy vacation living when you come up north,” said Faber. “You don’t have to worry about who’s going to shovel. If you want to go to Florida for the winter, you can leave with your mind at ease.”
“We have several people interested already who own homes in Glen Arbor but want to downsize.
Faber has built other homes around the Glen Lakes, and his company recently remodeled Le Bear Resort at the north end of Lake Street. Faber’s family has visited Glen Arbor since he was a small child. His family kept a trailer at Silver Lake near Traverse City. Over the years, they have also owned at The Homestead, and currently own a cottage on South Lake Leelanau.
Prior to closing on the sale, Faber observed what a fixture Wildflowers had become in Glen Arbor.
“As Donna was closing up, a lot of people were coming over,” he said. “She has built quite a relationship with the community. It was neat to see people stopping by to say goodbye to Wildflowers.
One Wildflowers fan took interest in the old train depot from Copemish, which Burgan kept in the back of the building. The depot was purchased and will be moved offsite to that person’s home.
Faber perceives a great need for more housing in Glen Arbor.
“I didn’t realize the demand for condos to the downtown area. But as I’ve gone through the process, so many I’ve talked to said they might be interested (in buying).”
“It’s hard to find quality people to build in Leelanau County right now, because they’re all so busy. The easy part will be selling these units.”
