Grosse Pointe reforms downtown zoning for taller buildings
Source: metromode, 11/12/2009
Grosse Pointe is laying the groundwork to make its downtown area denser and more competitive in Metro Detroit.
The
City Council approved zoning changes that will allow for taller
buildings, more density, residential units, and more commercial uses in
the traditionally flat city center. The couple of blocks of downtown
that line Kercheval Street are mainly served by 1-2 story buildings
that feature ground floor retail and office space above.
"The
rules should encourage new development that allows for greater heights,
uses and flexibility in the village," Peter Dame, city manager for
Grosse Pointe, wrote in an email.
The new rules now allow for
residential units above the first floor of a building to encourage more
downtown living. Businesses now may include office space on the back
half of the ground floor of commercial buildings. Retail and
restaurants must still face the street unless offices have already been
grandfathered in.
Developers can now look to build taller
buildings in the center of downtown. Buildings can rise as tall as 52
feet in the center of downtown and taper down to 42 and 35 feet the
father from the center they are. Developers can also make a payment to
the city if they can't provide sufficient on-site parking. The idea is
to make development more economically feasible on smaller land parcels.
Source: Peter Dame, city manager of Grosse Pointe
Writer: Jon Zemke
Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office to expand
Source: metromode, 8/6/2009
The Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office is picking up steam this summer, with plans to become supercharged by this fall.
So far six communities have joined the program run by the Michigan Suburbs Alliance,
including Ferndale, Lincoln Park, Roseville, Grosse Pointe Woods,
Madison Heights, and Farmington Hills. Another two or three dozen
municipalities have it on their agendas for late this summer or early
fall.
"We expect that by the end of the month we'll have 15-20,"
says Brittany Galisdorfer, program director for the Southeast Michigan
Regional Energy Office.
There are no upfront costs for smaller
communities. The program will help participating municipalities fill
out grant applications and go after projects that will make them more
sustainable.
One of the early favorites is switching street
lights from normal incandescent bulbs to LEDs. It's a tactic Ann Arbor
and Pontiac have successfully deployed to capture significant
electricity and maintenance savings. Farmington Hills wants to buy a
foreclosed home and turn it into an eco-friendly showcase for local
residents.
Source: Brittany Galisdorfer, program director for the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office
Writer: Jon Zemke
Wayne County racks up $26M in neighborhood stabilization funds
Source: metromode, 6/25/2009
The words green demolition would seem
mutually exclusive at first glance, but Wayne County will take a stab
at making them a reality this year.
It is preparing to start a
pilot program that calls for the deconstruction and recycling of
abandoned homes instead of the normal process of bulldozing them and
dumping what's left into a landfill or the Detroit incinerator.
The new program trains people how to deconstruct these homes to their
foundations, recycling the details, metal, and wood everywhere from
scrap yards to architectural warehouses. The foundations will then be dug up and recycled.
"We hope to hit the ground running within 60 days," says Jill Ferrari, senior executive project manager for Wayne County, who is overseeing the program and supervising its use of federal neighborhood stabilization funds.
The
county has been awarded $25.9 million to buy, rehab and demolish
foreclosed structures. It recently received the first $3.9 million from
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Source: Jill Ferrari, senior executive project manager for Wayne County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Services for Older Citizens considers Grosse Pointe's Newberry House for new home
Source: metromode, 5/21/2009
An agency that helps make senior citizens
feel young again is looking to breathe some new life into the historic
Newberry House in Grosse Pointe.
Services for Older Citizens is conducting a feasibility study to see if it can move into the century-old structure behind the Henry Ford Cottage Hospital
on Ridge Road in Grosse Pointe Farms. The Grosse Pointe-based agency
hopes to wrap the study by the end of June and make a decision shortly
after.
"We need more space for our seniors," says Sharon Maier,
executive director of Services for Older Citizens. "We've been
searching for a building for years."
Services for Older Citizens
would move its 17 staff members and operations out of its current
1,000-square-foot space to the 10,000-square-foot Newberry House. The
agency would have to extensively renovate the interior to fit its
needs, such as its Meals on Wheels program.
The Newberry House
dates back to the early 20th Century and has been a part of the Henry
Ford Cottage Hospital campus since its construction. Services for Older
Citizens is looking at signing a long-term lease for about $1 if the
building proves feasible.
Source: Sharon Maier, executive director of Services for Older Citizens
Writer: Jon Zemke
Grosse Pointe War Memorial to restore, display recovered statue
Source: metromode, 5/14/2009
The Grosse Pointe statue that wandered away is about to make its way back home and spend the rest of its life indoors.
Officials believe the 5 1/2-foot-tall, 300-pound, bronze statue belonging to the Grosse Pointe War Memorial
had a little help on its journey. The nude sculpture of a young woman
overlooking a reflecting pool disappeared in 2001 and was believed
stolen for the entryway of some by-any-means-necessary art collector
far, far away. A police diving team found it at the bottom of the
Detroit River last week. It's at the Coast Guard facility on Belle
Isle, awaiting its return.
"We hope to get it back later this week," says Mark Weber, president of the War Memorial Association.
Weber
says the statue appears to be in excellent shape, considering the
circumstances and the zebra mussels that attached over the years.
Several factors played in its preservation, including its former use as
an outdoor water fountain and being submerged in fresh water.
The
War Memorial Association plans to have an expert examine it to
determine what, if anything, needs to be done to the circa-1940s
sculpture. But whether it's in great shape or not, War Memorial
Association officials don’t plan on letting it outside anymore.
"We would probably keep it inside," Weber says. "That way it will be safer and look just as good inside as it does outside."
Source: Mark Weber, president of the War Memorial Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
Sanders to add 4 more stores in Metro Detroit
Source: metromode, 5/7/2009
Back in the day it seemed like there was a Sanders on every neighborhood corner in Metro Detroit. The local institution provided a place for young and old alike to indulge in their sweet tooth. Those times fell by the wayside in the latter part of the 20th Century, but today they’re making a comeback.
The local icon has opened four shops in places like downtown Wyandotte, downtown Grosse Pointe, Laurel Park Place mall in Livonia, and even up north in Mackinaw. Over the next few months, there are also plans to open new stores in Rochester, 12 Oaks Mall in Novi, and at the company’s Clinton Township headquarters. The company also plans to open one more in a yet-to-be-announced location later this year.
"Fred Sanders had a great vision," says Brian Jefferson, chairman of Sanders. "He was ahead of his time. We're trying to recreate that vision."
The company is going for higher-quality ice cream and sweet treats as it opens new stores. Many of its ingredients are all natural and are used in recipes from the early 20th Century that stressed quality more than quantity. Sanders also plans to incorporate some newer recipes in the near future.
Source: Brian Jefferson, chairman of Sanders
Writer: Jon Zemke
Grosse Pointe approves Kroger redevelopment project
Source: metromode, 3/19/2009
Redevelopment work on the Kroger in downtown Grosse Pointe is poised to happen in the near future.
The City Council recently approved the plans to reconfigure the traditional supermarket on Kercheval, Grosse Pointe's main drag. Work is expected to begin in January.
Kroger plans to double the square footage of its store at the corner of Kercheval and Notre Dame by adding a second floor. The supermarket is also proposing to build a 177-space parking garage on a surface lot to the rear. Designs for the new structure show a spiffy brick-and-stone exterior that complements the rest of the traditional downtown architecture.
For years, Kroger was the only downtown supermarket; that changed a few years ago when Trader Joe's announced it was coming to downtown. Not long afterwards, plans surfaced to revamp, expand, and improve the Kroger store.
Trader Joe's has been open for about a year and has been doing a brisk business despite being tucked away between a parking garage and storefronts for other businesses on Kercheval.
Source: Peter Dame, city manager for Grosse Pointe
Writer: Jon Zemke
Beaumont spends big bucks renovating Grosse Pointe hospital
Source: metromode, 1/29/2009
Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe is catching its second wind thanks to some timely investments in renovation.
"The
building was looking tired so we did some sprucing up," says Karen
LeDuc, communications manager for Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe.
Beaumont
has been renovating the common areas with new paint and carpeting since
it bought the 289-bed hospital in late 2007. The latest investment is
in newly renovated seven-chair Infusion Services Unit. Beaumont spent
$225,000 on the 2,570-square-foot space.
The new unit provides a
space for patients of all ages to receive intravenous medication for
conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease.
The new room comes with amenities like 32-inch flat-screen TVs and
reclining chairs for patients.
The Sisters of Bon Secours
founded the hospital in 1945. Today it provides medical, surgical,
emergency, pediatric and critical care services. It's located at 468
Cadieux Road, just north of Jefferson Avenue and downtown Grosse Pointe.
Source: Karen LeDuc, communications manager for Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe
Writer: Jon Zemke