Westborn Market completes Dearborn store expansion
Source: metromode, 11/12/2009
The Westborn Market in downtown Dearborn is now whole, thanks to a recently completed expansion project.
George
and Janette Anusbigian founded Westborn Market in 1963. It's still in
the neighborhood and now calls 21755 Michigan Ave. home. It expanded to
12,000 square feet in 1983 plus another 8,000 square feet across the
street in 2004.
The latest expansion adds 8,000 square feet to
the main store. The across-the-street annex is closing now that the
lease has run out. From now on, all of the store's functions will be
handled under one roof, including a flower shop and deli counter.
"It's definitely added convenience for their customers," says Margaret Blohm, a spokeswoman for Westborn Market.
Westborn Market has stores in Dearborn, Livonia, and Berkley.
Source: Margaret Blohm, a spokeswoman for Westborn Market
Writer: Jon Zemke
Dearborn cuts ribbon on new welcome center
Source: metromode, 10/8/2009
Dearborn's new welcome center is ready to greet some people now that the ribbon on it has been cut.
The city and Dearborn Chamber of Commerce
facilitated the renovation of the Bryant Library earlier this year. It
will house the library, chamber of commerce, and the new welcome center
at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Mason Street. The price tag -
$175,000 – was funded by a state Cool Cities grant.
"With
so much going on in Dearborn, this Welcome Center is long overdue,"
Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly, Jr. said in a statement.
The
ground floor of the branch will house the welcome center, community
conference room, and chamber of commerce. The library will operate on
the second floor.
The newly renovated first floor of the circa-1924 building had been vacant and generally unused for years.
Source: City of Dearborn
Writer: Jon Zemke
Steel skeleton complete for Dearborn Town Center
Source: metromode, 9/24/2009
The erector set portion of the Dearborn Town Center project is done, now that the last steel beam was put into place Tuesday.
The
next phase is to button up the building by creating its exterior shell
before the worst of winter sets in. Construction crews expect to hit
that mark within the next four months, at about the same time they will
begin putting together the pre-cast parking garage behind the building
at Schaefer Road and Michigan Avenue. The whole project is set to be
done by December, 2010.
"We're slightly ahead of schedule by 2-3
weeks," says John Barker, executive vice president of Hobbs &
Black, which designed the building.
The Dearborn Town Center
will feature a 162,000-square-foot mix of office and retail space. The
vast majority of that space will be occupied by 500 workers from
Oakwood Healthcare System and Midwest Health Services, including 200
new jobs.
A 530-car public parking garage is also being built
(construction began this summer) to the rear of the building. Redico,
the developer, is also looking at adding 22,000 square feet of retail
space in front of the Schaefer side of the garage if it can be leased
before construction is done. Plans for senior housing behind the
parking garage are still being considered for a future phase of the
project.
The Dearborn Town Center replaces the recently
demolished Montgomery Ward department store. Montgomery Ward opened the
store in 1937, expanding it to 93,000 square feet. It went belly-up in
2001 and has been vacant ever since.
Source: John Barker,
executive vice president of Hobbs & Black; Jeff Gielniak, director
of architecture and construction for Oakwood Healthcare; and Tom
Dillenbeck, project architect of Hobbs & Black
Writer: Jon Zemke
Henry Ford Comm College creates murals for local hospital
Source: metromode, 9/24/2009
There are seven new murals in Detroit, thanks to Henry Ford Community College.
The
Dearborn-based college's Ceramics Club worked with seven current and
former students to create the murals in Midtown Detroit's Children's
Hospital of Michigan and Lessenger Middle School.
Henry
Ford students worked with three classes at Lessenger Middle School to
create two murals of three panels each. They are now mounted in the
Neurology Clinic at the Children's Hospital of Michigan and in the
school's main hallway.
The ceramic murals are called tessellations, a type of pattern design that forms a mosaic pattern by repeating similar shapes.
"It's
a system that always fits together, no matter how you put it together
in the picture," says Steve Glazer, an art instructor at Henry Ford
Community College.
Source: Steve Glazer, an art instructor at Henry Ford Community College
Writer: Jon Zemke
Dearborn Town Center is focus of economics talk
Source: metromode, 9/3/2009
The Dearborn Town Center is seen as a
potential game-changing development in the inner-ring suburb, and such
ideas will be the center of discussion at the Economic Outlook Breakfast on Sept. 15.
The focus will be on the multi-million-dollar project at the
corner of Michigan Avenue and Schaefer Road and its expected impact on
the city's east downtown and the community as a whole.
"That corner is the cornerstone to not only the district but the city," says Jennifer Giering, president of the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce. "We see that project as catalytic."
John Keuten, CEO of Oakwood Enterprises, will lead the discussion. Oakwood Healthcare System is the main tenant of the ambitious urban redevelopment project.
The Dearborn Town Center
will feature a 162,000-square-foot mix of office and retail space. The
vast majority of that space will be occupied by 500 workers from
Oakwood Healthcare System and Midwest Health Services, including 200
new jobs.
A 530-car public parking garage is also being
constructed (construction began this summer) behind the building.
Redico, the developer, is also looking at building 22,000 square feet
of retail space in front of the Schafer side of the garage if it can
get it leased before construction is done. Plans for senior housing
behind the parking garage are still being considered for a future phase
of the project.
The Dearborn Town Center replaces the old
Montgomery Ward department store that was recently demolished.
Montgomery Ward opened the store in 1937, expanding it to 93,000 square
feet. It went belly-up in 2001 and has been vacant ever since.
The breakfast will be held in the Early American Room at the Dearborn Inn, 20301 Oakwood Blvd. For information, call (313) 584-6100.
Source: Jennifer Giering, president of the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce
Writer: Jon Zemke
Dearborn focuses on sustainability with $250K federal grant
Source: metromode, 8/20/2009
Dearborn plans to become a lot greener, thanks to some serious federal greenbacks heading its way.
The
city just received $250,000 in federal stimulus funds to help determine
the feasibility for a number of green initiatives it is considering.
Those options include possibly establishing a waste-to-energy plant in
the city, enhancing recycling so residents can recycle in an unsorted
single-stream, and installing LED streetlights.
The federal
money may help at least one of these projects out of the infancy stage
of development. Two other cities, Flint and Grand Rapids, also received
similar grants.
LED streetlights, which use a fraction of the electricity and last longer than incandescent light bulbs, are the green cause dejour. Ann Arbor has grabbed numerous headlines with its efforts to install LED streetlights throughout its downtown. Pontiac has also installed LEDs, and a number of other cities such as Ferndale, Wyandotte, and Detroit have toyed with the idea.
Source: Mary Laundroche, director of the department of public information for the city of Dearborn
Writer: Jon Zemke
Work wraps up on Dearborn's Bryant Library
Source: metromode, 8/13/2009
Work is wrapping up on the last details of the renovation project at the Dearborn Bryant Library.
The new welcome center for the city and offices for the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce are nearly complete and expected to come online within the next few weeks. An early October grand opening is in the works.
The
city is investing $175,000 to convert the ground
floor of the branch into a welcome center, community conference room,
and new home for the chamber of commerce. Some of the original trim and
baseboard will remain.
The first floor of the circa-1924
building has been vacant and generally unused for years. The
renovation, funded by the state's Cool Cities
program, is expected to help breathe more life into the corner of
Michigan Avenue and Mason Street. The library branch will continue to
operate on the second floor.
Source: Mary Laundroche, director of the department of public information for the city of Dearborn
Writer: Jon Zemke
Work moves forward on Dearborn's Bryant Library
Source: metromode, 6/25/2009
One of Dearborn's architectural gems is about to welcome a bit of new life - a new welcome center.
The city is investing $175,000 to turn the ground floor of the Bryant Library branch into a welcome center, community conference room and new home for the Dearborn Chamber of Commerce.
The building will be completely redone; however, crews are saving the baseboard and trim around the windows so a fresh coat of varnish can be added. Work is expected to wrap up by the end of July.
"Some of the final touches are being done with the woodwork," says Cindy Grimwade, project manager for the Bryant Library renovation.
The first floor of the circa-1924 building has been vacant and generally unused for years. The renovation, funded by the state's Cool Cities program, is expected to help breathe more life into the corner of Michigan Avenue and Mason Street. The library branch will continue to operate on the second floor of the building.
Source: Cindy Grimwade, project manager for the Bryant Library renovation
Writer: Jon Zemke