Trillium Circle: Developers

Developers

Trillium Circle is the brainchild of Dan Park, CEO of Park, McPherson Design & Construction. To Dan, Trillium Circle brings three dramatic dimensions to Grand Blanc, Mich. A dimension of nature. A dimension of space. A dimension of time.

To understand that is to understand Dan Park. Dan earned bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture and urban planning from the University of Michigan . He put that education to good use in several firms. For 10 years he was a planning commissioner in his native Grand Blanc Township , where he learned the rules and regulations pertaining to development. He helped found Park, McPherson in 1994 to design and build office, shopping, dining and entertainment sites.

To offer clients a more complete package of services, in 2004 Dan started the development firm Watermark Equities. “It was a natural transition from design and construction to development,” Dan says. “Development is the quarterbacking of the whole process, from taking a raw piece of land, looking at the market opportunities that might exist, coming up with an idea, financing, ultimately designing and building and then leasing or selling to an occupant.”

Watermark's offices are in Grand Ridge Galleria, a complex his Park, McPherson firm built. The Galleria is right across the street from Dan's latest and most ambitious project, Trillium Circle .

“Trillium is more significant than the rest of our commercial development,” he says. “What makes Trillium stand out is a dramatic fit of a town center that is needed here in Grand Blanc with entertainment, dining and shopping on a unique piece of property that has features that can be incorporated in the design.”

And that's where the dimensions come into play. Trillium has a natural steam that meanders through, and wetlands. To show their beauty, outlooks, overlooks and outdoor spaces for dining and lingering were created. “What I've really tried to pursue in Trillium is a sense of place. By taking all the ingredients of shopping, dining, entertainment and offices and create space for people to linger and enjoy, it'll endure. Trillium will be here 30 years from now and be an active component of the community.”

Dan remains personally involved with the process through completion. Trillium's theater opened this spring; the office and business components will be open in early summer 2007.