OXFORD TWP. ? Quite the crowd of government officials, business owners and residents gathered at the new Legacy Center: Community in Motion for a Nov. 18 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
‘This Legacy Center is a concept I support wholeheartedly,? said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, who delivered some opening remarks. ‘We really do believe something like this is great for a community.?
Owned by Lake Orion resident Christian Mills, the 208,000-square-foot facility, located at 925 N. Lapeer Rd., will ultimately house a mixture of approximately 25 tenants focused on family entertainment, fitness and wellness, training for individual and team sports, swimming, art, education, life skill development and dining.
‘It’s all here,? Mills said. ‘This is a place for everyone. Six months old to 99 years, we want everybody here . . . This place is going to be something special.?
All of the businesses inside the Legacy Center will operate independently like the tenants of a shopping mall. Visitors to the center will not be charged any entrance or membership fees to access the building itself.
Over the past year, Mills, owner of the Lake Orion-based Mills Real Estate Ventures, has been pouring his energy and resources into transforming what used to be the Sea Ray boat plant into a privately-owned-and-operated community center situated on a 19.74-acre piece of property overlooking a lake. Between $5 million and $10 million is being invested in this project.
‘This is great to see this building (being) utilized,? said state Rep. Brad Jacobsen (R-Oxford) as he addressed the crowd. ‘I was telling some folks (the) last time I was in this building, they were still making boats here . . . It really looks sharp. You’ve done a marvelous job.?
Built in 1962, the old Sea Ray boat plant closed its doors in January 1991.
Oxford Township Supervisor Bill Dunn told the crowd he ‘couldn’t be more proud? of Mills and his team for choosing this community to be Legacy’s home.
‘Not only is it going to be a great addition for Oxford, but for everyone within a 50-mile radius,? he said. ‘They can come here and become healthier.?
Dunn described the Legacy Center as a ‘one-of-a-kind? facility.
‘I can’t think of anywhere in Michigan where we would have this type of opportunity,? he said. ‘I feel blessed to have (it) here.?
Mills explained he wants the Legacy Center to be a place that provides kids and young adults with ‘direction? and ‘focus.?
Growing up, Mills said he was a ‘smart kid,? but he was also ‘misguided? and ‘misdirected,? which led to him getting in ‘a lot of trouble.?
Fortunately, he eventually met some people in college who helped him get ‘grounded,? learn valuable life skills and identify a positive path for his future.
‘I was really blessed,? he said.
Now that he’s older, wiser and successful, he wants to return the favor by helping today’s youth through the Legacy Center. He said that’s ‘what drives me.?
Mills wants the Legacy Center to serve as an example for his sons, Gavin and Benjamin.
‘For them, I want to leave behind a legacy of giving back,? he said. ‘We’ve been blessed with some talent and opportunity, so we have the ability and responsibility to pass that along.?
Ultimately, Mills hopes families will use the Legacy Center as a place to break down the modern barriers created by electronic devices and get to know each other better.
‘I think families, especially in this day and age, are disconnected,? he said. ‘You sit around a table . . . and there are four people there and all four people are on their phones. Nobody’s communicating the way they should (be).?
Patterson believes families that choose to ‘take advantage? of everything the Legacy Center is offering will ‘become healthier? and ‘grow closer together.
‘Congratulations, Christian, (on) your outstanding vision,? he said.
But Legacy isn’t just a spot for young people. It’s also a place where senior citizens are welcome to explore new things and find a renewed sense of purpose by taking classes or mentoring others, according to Mills.
The current list of tenants includes Building Your Temple Cross Fit, Splash Swim School, Great Lakes Kids Energy Zone, Urban Air Trampoline Park, The Yo Club, Latitude 42 Yoga Fit, Idle Awhile Coffee and Then Some, The Den Training Academy, Bullz Boxing, PKSA Karate Oxford, FIRST Lego League, Extraordinary Ventures Michigan, L.D. Wellness, Willows Edge Healing Art Center, In Good Taste Party Rental, Cracked Electronics Repair, Bomb Cat Studios and Rebus Financial Analytics.
‘There isn’t anyone that is in this building that I wouldn’t have at my dinner table,? Mills said.
To learn more about the Legacy Center, please visit www.legacyiscommunity.com