A new apartment complex built on the site of a popular car dealership aims to boost luxury rental living in Oakland County.
The Apex — a 212-unit complex at 7020 Orchard Lake Rd. in West Bloomfield — offers amenities including a resort-style swimming pool, EV chargers, a large gym and social spaces. The first tenants started moving in Aug. 2.
The complex was developed in a partnership between Farmington Hills-based Hunter Pasteur Homes, Southfield-based The Forbes Co. and Detroit-based Soave Enterprises. The partners aimed “to build the nicest quality rental product in the metro Detroit market,” said Randy Wertheimer, CEO of Hunter Pasteur and a West Bloomfield High School alum.
“We have a vision that we think luxury, highly amenitized multi-family living doesn’t exist in metro Detroit, and we’ve set out to change that,” Wertheimer said.
The plan for The Apex was initiated in 2020 with the purchase of 5.6 acres of land from the Cauley family, who owned the Cauley Chevrolet dealership.
Because the land was once a car dealership, environmental cleanup was needed before construction could begin. The project received brownfield tax credits of up to $2.7 million over five years for the cleanup, according to PM Environmental, which assisted the developer in determining a remediation plan.
The Apex has 212 apartment units with amenities including an outdoor pool, gym, workspaces and more.
“The first thing we did is we (demolished) the former dealership, and then we did all of our site development work, which included cleaning up any environmentally contaminated areas from the car dealership’s previous use,” Wertheimer said.
The construction of the complex took approximately 20 months and about 90% of the brownfield value was used in development, Wertheimer said. He declined to disclose other financial details of the project.
The Apex has more than 50 units leased. Wertheimer said he is aiming for 95% occupancy within the first nine months.
The development consists of one-, two- and three-bedroom units and half of the units are offered with a den. Rent ranges from $1,990 to $6,000 a month based on the size of the unit, Wertheimer said.
There are 10 different one-bedroom, one-bath layouts ranging from 673-934 square feet. Eight layouts are available for two-bedroom, two-bath apartments ranging from 928-1,533 square feet. The three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom units are one layout with 1,924 square feet with a balcony.
The apartments include varying amenities according to size and layout including balconies, walk-in closets and extra storage space. All apartments have in-unit washers and dryers.
The Apex apartment complex in West Bloomfield includes more than 200 one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
Wertheimer said The Apex appeals to two primary demographics: young people and empty nesters. Younger tenants may not be able to afford a down payment on a house or don’t want to be homeowners. Renting appeals to some empty nesters who may have already been homeowners and no longer want to deal with maintenance or property taxes or they spend part of the year in other areas.
“They want simple living, but they want great location, great interior, and they love the amenities,” Wertheimer said.
The amenities at The Apex are at a different level and scale compared to other area apartment complexes, Wertheimer said. For instance, the West Bloomfield complex has a 2,500-square-foot gym, comparable to some fitness centers, he said.
Additionally, the 20,000-square-foot pool deck is “more than just a pool,” Wertheimer said. The outdoor pool is on the second floor with barbecue stations, cabanas and fire pits to create a social environment.
The complex also features workspaces with “Zoom rooms” that residents can reserve via app as well as demonstration and catering kitchens, club rooms with TVs and more.
“(The complex is) a great place to socialize, make friends and have a great life outside of just living in your apartment,” Wertheimer said.
The development has 365 total parking spaces. Each unit comes with a reserved spot in the 200-space enclosed parking deck. Additional vehicles can be parked for free at surface lot on the side of the building or residents can pay $100 a month for a private carport.
The infrastructure of The Apex is prepared for the potential growth and demand for electric vehicle charging stations. The new complex has 40 EV chargers on site and is wired for 40 additional chargers if needed, Wertheimer said.
The Apex is one of many projects from Hunter Pasteur and its partners aiming to “dot the map” across metro Detroit with luxury rentals, Wertheimer said. Some recently completed developments are Woodview Commons in Ann Arbor, delivered in July, and Perennial Corktown in Detroit, which started leasing last September.
Other Hunter Pasteur residential projects in progress include Birmingham Pointe apartments in Birmingham, expected to open March 1, and construction at the former Northville Downs site is set to start in early October, Wertheimer said.
Elizabeth Schanz is a general assignment reporter for Crain’s Detroit Business. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, she served as editor-in-chief, news editor and arts & entertainment editor of the Grand Valley Lanthorn and previously worked as a reporter for the Oakland County Times covering metro Detroit. She joined Crain’s in May 2024.
