April 2017

In This Newsletter:

• Our Newest Community: Marshes
• April's Featured AVB Project: Maple St. YMCA Branch
• 2017 Parade of Homes is Right Around the Corner
• New Gull Road Retail Center
• Popular Home Trends of 2017
• AVB Completes New Gull Lake Community Schools Facility
• Announcing New Tenants at Corner Shoppes@Drake
• AVB's Commitment to Sustainability 

Our Newest Community: Marshes

We are excited to announce the development of our newest AVB community, the Marshes. This community will feature our new series of single-family homes and is located in Texas Township in the Mattawan School District. This distinct new community will preserve a great deal of land, with over 10 acres of designated natural area, including community walking trails, two ponds, as well as rolling, wooded and open areas. The 12 designated home sites are all 1.4 acres or larger. For more information please contact Josie at jmarshall@avbinc.com or at 269.488.8103.

April's Featured AVB Project

Maple St. YMCA Branch

Construction began on the Maple Street YMCA Branch on March 20th, 2017. This exciting project will include a 7,300 square foot addition, as well as a 21,200 square foot renovation of existing space. The expansion will take shape using concrete blocks, steel frame and precast concrete planks, and will include the installation of a new elevator. The currententrance and lobby will be renovated to reflect a more modern aesthetic, including storefront glass and metal panel elements. The current landscaping and parking lot will also be restructured to allow improved access to the new expansion. Construction is scheduled to be complete in the fall of 2017. 

2017 Parade of Homes is Right Around the Corner

AVB is gearing up for this year’s Kalamazoo Parade of Homes. The Parade starts June 9th and will run through June 17th, staying open Monday through Thursday 6 - 9 p.m., Friday 4 - 9 p.m., Saturday 1- 9 p.m.  and Sunday 1- 5 p.m. AVB is excited to feature four homes this year, representing two of our four condominium communities, as well as two custom homes, one located on Gull Lake in Richland and the other located on Indian Lake in Vicksburg. For addresses and more information about the featured AVB homes or the Parade in general, visit the Home Builders Association of Western Michigan’s website at kalamazoohomepage.com/parade-of-homes. This is a great opportunity to view the latest trends and technology in home building so keep an eye on our AVB social media pages for more updates on the Parade of Homes as it gets closer.  Also check out our recent home design trends article to get an idea of what you might expect to see in this upcoming Parade.

New Gull Road Retail Center

Ground was officially broken on the new retail center in January of this year, and the building will begin to take shape in the weeks ahead. Planned for completion in the summer of 2017, the new Gull Road Retail Center will include 7,800 square feet of retail space. Designed by Tower Pinkster, the new retail center will feature a mix of stone, brick, cast stone, metal, glass and cedar trellis work. There has been strong interest in the new space which will feature excellent visibility with a mix of in-line, end-cap and drive-through suites available for lease. For more information regarding the new Gull Road retail center please contact Curt at caardema@avbinc.com or at 269.329.3656.

Popular Home Trends of 2017

This year has revealed some stunning new home design trends. Here are a few creative ideas people have been implementing:

· Mixed Metal Finishes: Mixed metals are finding their way into every space this year, from kitchens and bathrooms to laundry rooms. Mixing metal finishes can add intrigue and dimension into your space. Start small by going with two classic metals like sleek brushed nickel plumbing fixtures paired with rustic bronze decorative hardware.

· Hygge: This Nordic style of living (pronounced Huu-ga), according to the Oxford English dictionary, translates as “a quality of coziness that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” Minimalist open concept floor plans and relaxing color combos like cool greys accentuated by warm natural wood tones are a good way to engender this design aesthetic. More ways to make this cozy Nordic home living concept come to life include incorporating homey design elements like greenery, fluffy rugs and flickering fireplaces.

· Bold in Black: We are seeing people embrace the bold look of matte black finishes, trim, window sashes, and doors. This trend adds instant drama, weather you're looking for timeless elegance or a modern splash. Plus, everything looks great in black.

AVB Completes New Gull Lake Community Schools Facility

The new Gull Lake Administration and Gateway Academy facility is now open. This 9,143 square foot, two-story, facility features large conference rooms and office space on the main level as well as three teaching areas for students on the lower level. AVB worked closely with Gull Lake Community Schools to construct this project on time and under budget. This required an extremely value minded design process that yielded several value engineering solutions. To accomplish this project according to schedule, effective communication was key. AVB worked with local and state jurisdictions as well as with MDOT to get the project approved to the satisfaction of all parties involved. We are so excited to watch this new facility thrive within the community. For more information about this project, contact Jack at jmichael@avbinc.com.

Announcing New Tenants at Corner Shoppes@Drake

Firehouse Subs & SVS Vision

AVB's Commitment to Sustainability

Our history as an environmentally-conscious builder and developer has become the foundation of our commitment to sustainability. Our pride in our community has translated into a strong focus on being stewards of our environment by creating projects within our community that seamlessly integrate with nature. LEED® is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings within the commercial construction industry, as such AVB has constructed a number of projects with a sustainable focus including several which have achieved LEED® certification. In addition, several of AVB’s staff have their LEED® AP accreditation. AVB is also a leader in building Green Built, HERS rated and third party energy certified homes. Our homes are consistently built 35% to 65% more energy efficient than required by the latest energy codes. We consistently employ minimally-intrusive site staging to minimize site disturbance during all of our projects. Conscientious practices are used on all jobsites to promote energy savings, sustainability, and conservation. This is just another way AVB is dedicated to building something better. For more information about AVB’s commitment to sustainability, check out our website at avbinc.com.