A Grand Rapids developer that specializes in West Michigan multifamily projects is preparing to start construction on another suburban townhomes project strategically positioned near a growing health care corridor.
Grand Rapids-based Wheeler Development Group will host a groundbreaking ceremony on May 20 for Wilson Crossings Townhomes, a 44-unit market-rate rental project at 4087 64th St. SW in Wyoming. This will be the firm’s first project in Wyoming.
Wheeler Development received site plan approval for the multimillion-dollar project from the city of Wyoming in November and closed on the purchase of the 4.7-acre site at the northwest corner of 64th Street and Wilson Avenue SW on Dec. 18 for $950,000. The seller was Keith Walker.
Jason Wheeler, vice president of marketing and communications for the family-owned and privately held Wheeler Development Group, said the project originated about 18 months ago when land came up for sale just south of Corewell Health Center Wyoming and about 4 miles due west of University of Michigan Health-West along Highway M-6.
“These key travel corridors, they tend to be a really desirable location for people that are coming from out of state or out of area, and because there’s a big hospital and health care sector right around here, there is a lot of job relocation,” Wheeler said.
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He added that there’s also high demand for rental housing, with plenty of multifamily options but not a lot of two- and three-bedroom townhomes.
“There does appear to be a bit of a missing market for townhomes, so we thought (our) model would fit nicely here,” he said.
The city of Wyoming’s planning staff wrote in a report that the city’s master plan calls for mixed-use and multifamily housing development in this area, and that the project aligns with that vision.
Plans for Wilson Crossings call for 11 total buildings with four units each that will be accessible from a new private drive off 64th Street. Each building will have two two-car garages and two one-car garages.
The development will have 22 two-bedroom units and 22 three-bedrooms, with approximate rents starting at $2,200 for a two-bedroom and up to about $3,000 for a three-bedroom, Wheeler said.
He described the townhomes as having “market-rate prices with boutique, upscale interiors” including amenities that “are reminiscent of a single-family home experience,” including fireplaces, gas appliances and extra storage.
The development also will have a dog park and pavilion for residents.
Wheeler said Wilson Crossings will be similar to the firm’s 52-unit Evergreen Townhomes project in terms of size and scope. However, the interiors will more closely resemble the units at the 96-unit Meadowood Townhomes project that’s under construction at 3300 East Beltline Ave. NE, across the street from Evergreen and south of 4 Mile Road in Grand Rapids Township.
“We kind of evolve each project based on resident feedback, so this is sort of the combination of design changes for Meadowood and Evergreen,” he said.
Grand Rapids-based Create 3 Architecture is the project designer for Wilson Crossings, and Wheeler Development affiliate WDG Construction is the general contractor. Another WDG affiliate, Pure Real Estate Management, will handle leasing.
Wilson Crossings is being funded through debt financing from Mercantile Bank, private equity and through WDG partner contributions. The developer did not disclose the project’s total budget.
The first townhomes are expected to be completed at the end of 2025, with all buildings coming online by late spring 2026.
With roots dating to 2006, Wheeler Development Group is led by John Wheeler as partner and CEO, his son Ryan Wheeler as president and partner, and Jason Wheeler as a partner and vice president. Other partners and executives include Michael Maier, Anne Ficeli and Dan Clappison. Together, the team has developed more than $1 billion worth of commercial real estate projects across the region.
The firm currently has 140 units of townhomes underway between Meadowood and Wilson Crossings, and other multifamily projects planned like the 72-unit workforce apartment project Lowell Flats. WDG also is the developer of Hotel Rose, slated to open this fall in downtown Rockford.
Jason Wheeler said Wheeler Development also is under contract to buy two separate sites in Grand Rapids’ Creston neighborhood for a pair of workforce and market-rate multifamily communities it is planning, though no city approvals have been obtained yet for the projects.
“Our portfolio is essentially 98% leased right now, and Meadowood is leasing up faster than expected, so we’re still seeing a lot of activity in the rental market,” he said.
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