It’s one of the largest construction projects planned in Independence Township, but its developer looks at it as an opportunity to maintain the appearance and flavor of “community.”
Joseph Locricchio, a township resident, is one of the masterminds behind Liberty Town Square, a proposed $40 million mixed-use real estate development on the west side of Sashabaw Road between Waldon and Maybee roads.
The project, if approved, will add to the Liberty Golf Course and Links of Independence condominiums for a total of 177 acres of a planned unit development.
The township planning commission has granted conceptual approval for 48 detached condominiums, 42 town home condominiums, 120,000 square feet of commercial retail, 300,000 square feet of class A office space and three commercial pad sites. The project must still gain approval from the board of trustees.
Helping Locricchio spearhead the project are Anthony Bashore of Wilshore Development Group and Manny Kniahynycky of MiK Development. The three are working together as Liberty Investments LLC, an affiliate of Independence Realty Venture LLC.
“I’ve been around here most of my life,” Locricchio said. He’s been an official resident almost 10 years, but his father owned a local business. He said his investment is both financial and personal.
“This is a sense of community. Clarkston is really a community,” he said. “Other communities you feel spread out where you don’t know people and you don’t feel like it has a small-town feel. Clarkston still does.”
The Liberty Town Square development will try to capitalize on that sense of community, including pedestrian walkways to allow easy access not only for immediate neighbors, but even folks from the other side of Sashabaw Road (via a planned pedestrian crossing at Bow Pointe Drive).
“It’s a neat opportunity, because so much development that’s going in, you can only get to it by car,” Kniahynycky said.
In keeping with township planners’ concept of the “town center” theme along Sashabaw Road, Liberty Town Square will also include a wetland bank with six acres of newly created wetland and preservation of open space areas in perpetuity.
“The project guidelines as set by the township will have a positive financial impact on Independence Township while protecting the natural resources and creating an environment beneficial to our community,” Locricchio said.
“This entire design process has been collaborative,” Bashore said.
Township Supervisor Dale Stuart echoed the sentiment concerning both the scope of the project and cooperation between government and developers.
“It’s pretty unusual for any development in the state, let alone a township,” Stuart said. “Their group has been great to work with. They’ve really lived up to their part of the agreement.”
Independence Township resident Jim Eppink and his firm, J. Eppink Partners, are helping with landscape design for the development. He is also enthusiastic about the nature of the overall Vision 2020 program and the PUD process specifically. The latter allows more flexibility for a developer concerning various residential and business uses, but involves much more specific review by township officials before approval is granted.
“They’re sensible enough to plan this type of growth,” Eppink said. “As a result, you’re going to have really nice, high quality places.”
“They are very particular about what they want, but I think they’ve done a great job of identifying where the growth in this community should take place,” Locricchio said. “This is the natural growth corridor and this is the gateway to this community.”
The developer had to offer some unusual services to help lead to their anticipated green light on the project. For example, they have been credited with giving Bridgewood Church time to seek another location, and they will build a new building for Pine Knob Missionary Baptist Church as part of the project.
Township contracted workers are already working on storm sewers along Sashabaw Road, and the developers hope to see work begin soon on the extension of Waldon Center Drive and Bow Pointe Drive. That, they say, will be excellent preparation for the expected widening and paving of Sashabaw Road itself next year.
If the township board gives approval to Liberty Town Square proper, that construction could begin as early as spring 2004.
Completion will likely be staggered according to yet-to-be finalized sale and lease agreements. Locricchio said the first commercial building may be completed as a “spec” building (adaptable for a variety of occupants), but there are very tentative plans for other sites in the development.
“We have a lot of interest from tenants,” he said.
In earlier development in the PUD, Locricchio and Kniahynycky acquired the former Clarkston Creek Golf Course on Maybee Road in 1999 and invested more than $10 million in acquisition and improvement costs to the course and clubhouse