
By Sue Moore
A new kind of residence will be coming to Vicksburg this spring. Two new condominium homes will be ready for occupancy, according to AVB, a Portage-based construction firm.
These long awaited condos at Bridgeview, overlooking Angels Crossing golf course, will be open for potential buyers to tour in the spring, according to Katie vanLonkhuyzen, director of residential sales and marketing for AVB.
People will need to come and see for themselves, she said, to grasp the view from inside the home. “This is a one-of-a-kind piece of property. This land we are building on is a big reason why AVB decided to invest in the Vicksburg community.” The developers were attracted to the quality of the land next to Angels Crossing and have been negotiating to purchase it from KCSB bank in Schoolcraft for the last several years.
The first two units, the Turnberry and the Montrose, sit on a high bluff that overlooks Portage Creek with the ninth hole of the golf course in the background. The units include 1,490 to 1,950 square feet on the main level, with optional lower level finish. The first five buyers will get a free, three year golf membership to Angels Crossing.
What makes these homes different is the ownership arrangement. AVB can sell what they build from the studs inside to the owners specifications. The land outside the walls is deeded to the condo association and overseen by an elected board of directors. The builders offer custom interiors, including customizing the interior layout and custom finish selections. AVB will retain some involvement in the association its first few years vanLonkhuyzen says, in order to help guide the board in its deliberations.
AVB has built similar condo projects in Portage at Oakland Hills and Kalamazoo at Walden Woods, along with many residential and commercial projects in the greater Kalamazoo area. These locations have models that are open for a walk through in the spring to give potential buyers a better idea of the interior spaces. The target market in the county is empty nesters and a variety of other buyers, vanLonkhuyzen says, but each unit has plenty of storage space if parting with fond memories is difficult.
Bill Adams, Vicksburg village president, has been instrumental in moving the project along because of the great reputation AVB has in the quality of homes they build, he said. He was aided by Jim McPhee, CEO of KCSB, in packaging the deal that will eventually include 28 units.
The two new units sit off W Avenue at the entrance to the golf course. The access road to Bridgeview has been extensively redone to accommodate the condos. Many plantings of evergreens were done in the fall to keep the sight lines beautiful, according to vanLonkhuyzen.
Her phone number is 269-744-0601. AVB expects to have a grand opening sometime in the spring.