A beautiful garden, a glimmering pond, luxurious homes and family-friendly attractions are bringing life to Michigan’s first Asian-inspired mixed-use development.
Developers of Sakura Novi, a residential and retail destination on Grand River Avenue, are marking major progress with the completion of Sakura Gardens — a Japanese-inspired public green space at the heart of the project — as new businesses and residents begin moving in.
The gardens feature a walking path around a 2-acre pond, cherry blossom trees, a plethora of plants, rock formations, a sensory play area made from natural materials, seating areas overlooking the water and more.
“We’ve tried to create a lot of viewpoints,” said Scott Aikens, who co-owns Sakura Novi with Phil Kim. “We have a central plaza for events with steps going down to the pond, where you can sit and reflect and have a meal or a boba tea.”
The development combines three main pillars — residential townhomes, restaurants and retail, and the Sakura Gardens public space, Aikens told the Free Press. Over 130 townhomes are now complete, with a total of 176 units planned once construction is completed. About 60 people are already renting at The Residences at Sakura Novi, Aikens said. The three-story homes feature two to three bedrooms, one to two car garages, and a flexible workspace.
Two businesses are already operating at the site, including:
The public can now explore the Sakura Gardens and visit Paris Baguette for fresh baked goods or Klawsome! for arcade fun.
What else is coming to Sakura Novi?
Additional tenants are on the way and are expected to open over the coming months:
“There’s going to be openings every one to two months for the next six months,” Aikens said.
Inspired by Asian design, built for Michigan
The rolling out of attractions at Sakura Novi marks a milestone in the years-long effort to create a hub of Asian culture and cuisine in Oakland County — home to one of Michigan’s largest Asian populations.
The development’s architecture draws inspiration from contemporary Japanese and Korean design, accented by Sakura flower art panels and illuminated signage, according to the co-owner. The pathways around the pond in the Sakura Gardens extend into the residential area, leading to an observation plaza overlooking a large wetland.
The Sakura Novi development “creates a wonderful amenity for the community,” Aikens said. “You have a lot of these kinds of places in New York, California, Texas and Atlanta … but this is one of the first ones in the Midwest.”
For more information, visit www.SakuraNovi.com
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sakura Gardens, a Michigan first, creates hub of Asian culture, cuisine in Novi
Reporting by Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
