City Slicker

Location scouts may soon be clamoring for this unique locale

By Jeanine Matlow

The city of Pontiac might just be the best kept secret in Oakland County. But, if Jon Levin has anything to say about it, that won’t be the case for long. Armed with a passion for preservation, the licensed agent with Griffin Property Group in Southfield can spot hidden potential where others may not.

When he first entered the real estate and property management profession back in 1994, Levin’s interests led him to pursue distressed properties and turnaround situations in the area. His passion for preservation began when he was a student at Oakland University in the ‘70s where he had Meadow Brook Hall all to himself. “I was employed as the overnight watchman,” Levin explains. “It was the quietest, most finely appointed study hall in the world.” While walking the halls of one of the largest museums of its kind in the country, Levin developed an appreciation for worldly antiques and structures that were made to last.

Levin says much of Pontiac, Oakland County’s seat, was built with great craftsmanship and materials. “It has many substantial buildings suitable for use and re-use,” says Levin, who adds that the city is surrounded by wealthy communities with people who bypass it daily as they commute to work and seek entertainment elsewhere.

More than a decade ago, Levin was the property manager for a limited partnership that took positions in about a half dozen buildings in Pontiac. At the time, the city was thought to become the next hot spot, along the lines of fashionable Ferndale and downtown Royal Oak.  “I was responsible for leasing, community relations, and property management and maintenance,” Levin says. “We had numerous cafes, bistros, night clubs, artist studios, advertising agencies, and other creative-type tenants.”

But Pontiac never quite reached its peak. Some say it was the lack of downtown living space, like residential lofts and other urban housing options. Others say there wasn’t enough coordination and overall support for the city to succeed. The current economic climate could also be to blame. Or as Levin believes, it was a combination of things that caused the resurgence to stall.

So, what will it take to get back on track? “If gasoline were to return to $4 a gallon and we were to develop our public transit network, the desirability of small downtowns like Birmingham, Ferndale, Royal Oak and Pontiac would be a much easier sell,” Levin says. “Absent that, the recent arrival of movie studios and satellite operations which commonly support the studios is a huge opportunity for Pontiac.”

The fact that a 600,000-square-foot movie studio is slated to open in Pontiac is a big plus.  In addition, Levin says attractive properties and reasonable rent in the soon-to-be sought-after city are great incentives for those seeking lower overhead for startup endeavors. “I do hope to see a steady resurgence over the next three years due to the arrival of the movie businesses,” he says.

Levin has already helped agents for the automotive industry and other national campaigns who were looking for interior and exterior locations in Pontiac. “It always surprises me what catches their eye,” he says. “Our alleys seem to have a particular appeal...maybe it’s an inimitable raunchiness?”

If a Hollywood location scout came knocking on Pontiac’s door, Levin would describe the unique locale as a great fit for period pieces from the 1930s through the ‘60s, such as Clark Kent and Lois coming out of the Daily Planet building. There are also plenty of places for gritty modern-day urban scenes.

What makes the city even more exceptional is the wide array of scenery within a five mile radius. “It's hard to imagine, standing in downtown Pontiac, that lakes, woods and mansions are just two or three miles away,” Levin says. “It's as if a square mile of Chicago was picked up and dropped into the middle of a Michigan forest.”

It seems only a matter of time before Hollywood comes calling.

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