521–545 Cooper Street

SVN Stewart Commercial Group is pleased to present 521-545 Cooper Street, a six-unit, 9,000 SF auto-service industrial property in Monroe, MI. This investment opportunity is well suited to either an investor seeking a value-add opportunity or an owner-user looking for a new location. What sets this property apart from other multi-tenant industrial properties is the municipally approved auto service uses. Industrial property where auto service is approved use is difficult to find. Most industrial buildings and sites do not allow it, and few buyers can add the use later. This building has it in place with established auto tenants operating today.

The block building, constructed in 1988, offers significant flexibility in unit size. Each unit, as currently configured, has separately metered utilities, 3-phase power, and at least one 12' × 14' overhead door. Most of the parking lot was repaved in 2026.

The building is currently 100% occupied by 3 auto service tenants operating on very short-term leases. Current rents paid are drastically below market rate. With the short-term leases, an investor is presented with the opportunity to either move current tenants to market rent or re-tenant the building. The flexibility of the unit configuration and utility metering makes the property an excellent candidate for NNN lease structure going forward. An owner-user can enjoy supplemental income if only occupying a portion of the building.

Monroe is the largest city in Monroe County, Michigan, and its county seat. The City sits along the I-75 corridor, midway between Toledo and Detroit. The property is under two miles from the I-75 interchange, inside an established service and light-industrial district.

Monroe County anchors Michigan’s southeastern gateway, with a manufacturing and logistics base built around the DTE Monroe Power Plant, Gerdau Special Steel, La-Z-Boy’s corporate headquarters, and the Port of Monroe, the state’s only Lake Erie port.

Small-bay and auto service space in the corridor has tightened as national operators absorb larger blocks and independent trades compete for flexible units under 5,000 SF.

• Market rent upside. Implied market rent for 1,000–2,000 SF auto service bays is $9.50/SF NNN.
• Scarce, approved use. Auto-approved industrial space is in short supply.
• Flexibility to re-tenant. The leases are short-term or month-to-month, allowing a complete repositioning of the building unit by unit on your own timeline.
• Income while you execute. The in-place rents are short-term but real, helping carry the property while your re-tenanting plan is put into motion.
• Configured for NNN. Each unit is separately metered with a separate office and bathroom, perfect for creating a NNN investment property.
• Strategic location. The property sits in an established service and light-industrial district on the Detroit-Toledo corridor, drawing demand from both markets.
• A location you can’t easily replace. Finding industrial property where you can run an auto service business is difficult.
• Low operating expenses. Operating Expenses in 2024-2025 average $2.50 psf.
• Solid block construction. Concrete block walls and slab-on-grade floor.
• Flexibility in design. Units of 1,250 and 2,000 SF can be used as they are or combined.
• Public utilities. The property is served by public utilities and are separately metered.
• Income in place. Existing tenants can generate rent that offsets carrying costs.