If everything goes according to plan, Milosch’s Palace Chrysler Jeep Dodge will transform an environmentally-polluted community eyesore into a state-of-the-art body shop and bring 50-80 new jobs to Orion Township in the not-too-distant future.
Owner Brian Milosch told the township board of trustees about his plans for the former Royal Oak Boring building at the board’s Oct. 18 meeting.
‘We’re going to turn this into a real state-of-the art body shop,? said Milosch. ‘We’re taking an environmentally polluted site, an eyesore in the community, and turning it into probably the nicest body shop in Michigan, and maybe the largest. We’ll be competing with Fisher Auto Body and some of the other big boys out there.?
Milosch, who said he’s been looking for a building to expand into for several years, told board members the current body shop has outgrown its location in the back of the Palace dealership. Service expansion is also needed, he added.
‘It’s going to be a green building,? Milosch said, noting he plans to install solar panels and recycle waste oil ? currently generated at the Palace dealership ? to heat a portion of the facility. ‘The black hole that it was, sucking power, will only need 20 percent of power it was using as Royal Oak Boring.?
Milosch told the board work will continue for about a year-and-a-half before the building is fully operational.
‘At that point we’re probably going to need 50-80 more employees if everything goes as I have planned,? he said. ‘And that’s right here in Orion Township.?
The 64,242-square-foot building, located at 4800 Lapeer Road, sits on a 10.63-acre parcel located on the west side of M-24, north of Brown Road in Orion Township.
‘This building fell in my lap when the owner ditched it pretty cheap,? Milosch said. ‘It came with some environmental concerns, but we’ve spent the last few months cleaning it up, and spending a lot of money to do that.?
The board voted unanimously to release the project, the entirety of which is spelled out in a 95-page plan, to the Oakland County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, an initiative established in 2001 to promote the revitalization of environmentally distressed and blighted areas within the county, and to promote private investment.
With the Brownfield designation, Milosch will recieve substantial tax abatements.
‘As of this moment I have no bank help at all,? he said. ‘So evey little bit helps.?