for $80M clubhouse rebuild

BY KURT NAGL

Oakland Hills Country Club has hired a local construction company and architect as well as two more design rms for the $80 million rebuild of a historic clubhouse consumed by ames more than a year ago.

Real Estate

Skilken Gold

Law

Honigman LLP

Danielle Bass rejoined Honigman LLP’s Detroit of ce as a partner in the Corporate Department. She focuses her practice on transactional matters involving IP, technology, and data, as well as media and entertainment. She earned her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Michigan. Bass also teaches a class on technology transactions at the University of Michigan and University of Chicago Law School. Bass serves as a board member and VP for Detroit’s chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth.

Skilken Gold, a national commercial real estate development rm, is pleased to announce Michael Timlin as its new Director of Real Estate, Michigan. In this role, Michael will play a role in Skilken Gold’s activity in Michigan, with a primary focus on the rm’s partnership with Sheetz Convenience Stores as the upscale convenience store expands in Michigan. Prior to Skilken Gold, Michael served as the Director of Real Estate for KA Support Services.

SOFTWARE / SERVICES

BeneSys, Inc.

BeneSys, Inc. is pleased to announce Ed Young has joined us as Chief Financial Of cer in our Troy, MI headquarters. Ed brings 35 years of experience in nance, digital transformation, operational excellence and strategic planning and execution to the position along with over 20 years in senior leadership roles. Ed is a CPA, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and has an MBA from Loyola University Chicago.

Lansing-based Clark Construction Co. and South eld-based Neumann/ Smith Architecture have been brought on to head up the project, while Atlanta-based Harris Interiors and Malvern, Pa.-based Hanse Golf Course Design will attend to the ner details in the landscaping and interior, according to a memo sent to members of the club and obtained by Crain’s.

Leadership of the exclusive club in Bloom eld Township submitted an application for site plan approval last month and a hearing with the township board is scheduled for mid-May, the memo said.

“Every phase of the project tells a story, whether it is a re ection on the past, reasoning for the present, or a hope for the future,” it said. “We are fortunate to be working with such talented teams of professionals, who have stepped up and delivered terrific work in a short time frame to keep us on schedule.” e club declined an interview request. e plan to replace the iconic 110,000-square-foot clubhouse was put into motion shortly after it was destroyed by a re that appeared to have been started accidentally by construction workers. In December, the club voted overwhelmingly in favor of the rebuild plan, which will cost each member more than $42,000 in newly assessed dues spread over a period of 20-25 years. e replica clubhouse is expected to be complete by summer 2025. Oakland Hills, which recently completed a $12 million renovation of its famed South Course, was selected to host the U.S. Open Championship, one of the most prestigious events in professional golf, in 2034 and 2051.

Gil Hanse, who was hired to oversee the South Course overhaul, will handle the landscaping surrounding the clubhouse, practice range and South Course, the memo said. Harris Interiors will look after the interior nish and xtures.

Clark Construction has 75 years of experience in commercial construction from manufacturing and o ce to resorts and casinos. Its project list includes Bay Harbor Yacht Club in Petoskey and Firekeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, according to its website.

Founded in 1968, Neumann/ Smith’s recent projects include Huntington Tower and the Monroe Blocks in Detroit, its website said.

Clark Construction and Neumann/Smith will vet individual contractors and manufacturers on the project, the memo said.

“While we have made great progress, there is still much more to do…,” it said.

Contact: knagl@crain.com; (313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl e CRA investigations have revealed a troubling pattern of untested illicit product entering legal dispensaries. For example, the CRA suspended the medical and adultuse licenses of Lansing-based processor TAS Asset Holdings LLC for sourcing illicit market product, packaging it and selling to dispensaries. e investigation ended with 23 formal complaints against TAS, and hearings are scheduled to determine whether the company will permanently lose its licenses.

Currently, the CRA has to outsource marijuana testing during an investigation, a costly and lengthy process, said Hanna. An investigation costs between $2,700 and $27,000 and can take up to four months, he said.

“We appreciate the cooperation from the industry, but investigations cost them money,” Hanna said. “Prociency testing at our lab, they will incur costs but the tests will be cheaper because we’re not interrupting a private lab.”

Backstopping private labs

e audit lab, in theory, will also help the CRA monitor the accuracy of private labs.

In 2021, the CRA alleged that tests on 64,000 pounds of marijuana product vetted by Bay City-based Viridis North — the state’s largest testing lab rm — contained “inaccurate and/or unreliable results” after spot checking the product at a di erent lab. e value of the recalled product at the time was roughly $229 million. A judge later ordered the CRA to release much of the product back into the market.

Manufacturing

But the recall sent the industry into a brief spiral as more than 400 retailers across the state had the product in question on their shelves. Viridis alleged the recall covered upwards of 70% of marijuana product on store shelves for recreational use.

e company sued the CRA, and the two have been wrapped in litigation ever since. e CRA also accuses Viridis of in ating the THC content of products it was testing. High THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, is believed to be a driver in sales. Marijuana consumers see potency as the top indicator of quality and value, according to an article by MJBizDaily.

Viridis, which continues to defend itself in legal action against CRA ocials, claims the state is harassing the rm and that its tests are accurate.

Creating standardization

Benjamin Sobczak, partner at Detroit law rm Dickinson Wright and former chief legal o cer for vertically integrated marijuana company Pleasantrees, said the lack of standardization among testing methodologies is creating a headache for the industry and regulators.

“Right now, you’ve got private businesses and competitors who are used to checks and balances in this