Downtown Plymouth gets new biz incubator space
Source: metromode, 11/19/2009
One downtown Plymouth office landlord is
getting a little creative when it comes to filling empty space.
Trowbridge Realty has created a business incubator of sorts at 705 S
Main for promising, out-of-the-box start-ups.
"We needed something clever to market the building," says Ryan Richmond, vice president of Trowbridge Realty.
The
building was originally built in 1999-2000 and features 30,000 square
feet of Class A office space and a ground floor built for a realty
firm. Well, that real-estate company bit the dust when the housing
market crashed and 705 S Main was left with a lot of empty space.
Now
prospective tenants can rent spaces as little as 120 square feet in
size. The first few months are free as long as tenants have more than
your average business idea. That means more new economy start-ups and
fewer run-of-the-mill old economy firms.
"We're looking for
newer ventures," Richmond says. "Some who can define some long-term
growth. Someone with an out-of-the-box idea."
So far 6,000
square feet has been designated for the incubator, with 10 businesses
already signed up. More could be allocated if the demand grows. For
information, send an email to rrichmond@trowbridgerealty.com.
Source: Ryan Richmond, vice president of Trowbridge Realty
Writer: Jon Zemke
Local owners take over Parkside of Plymouth project
Source: metromode, 11/5/2009
The Parkside of Plymouth development is getting a second lease on life now that new local investors have taken the project over.
The
downtown development had stalled out earlier this year before Sue
Knight and Patrick Tortora (Plymouth and Northville residents,
respectively) took it over. The new developers hope to have it all
wrapped up by the end of this winter and fully occupied by next May.
"It's
constantly being worked on," says Chris Knight, the realtor
representing the project. "There is a lot that needs to be done."
The
new owners were attracted to its location on Penniman Avenue
overlooking Kellogg Park and to the value of such a large development
in a small downtown.
"We all love downtown Plymouth," Knight says. "It's such a positive environment to do business in."
The
18-unit structure will be a mixture of for-sale and for-lease
residential units, plus ground floor commercial space. It will also
utilize geothermal heating and cooling units, which are considered
cutting edge environmentally friendly building technology. Geothermal
technology uses the constant temperature of the earth to help heat and
cool the building while keeping costs low.
Source: Chris Knight, the realtor representing Parkside of Plymouth
Writer: Jon Zemke
Michigan Life Science Innovation Center opens in Plymouth
Source: metromode, 9/24/2009
It's official. The Michigan Life Science
and Innovation Center, one of the state's most intricate business
incubators, is open for business and already has an impressive list of
tenants.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Ann
Arbor SPARK, and Greater Wayne Economic Development Corporation cut the
ribbon for the old Pfizer space that will now house a combination of
experienced entrepreneurs and start-up life science companies.
The
57,518-square-foot facility offers office state-of-the-art laboratories
for drug development and clinical research. That means millions of
dollars of equipment that is available to start-ups at a low cost. It's
also has a central location, putting it within 20 minutes of five
counties and Metro Airport.
"There is really nothing of this magnitude or scope under one roof," says Roger Newton, president and CEO of Esperion Therapeutics.
The companies that have signed on
include Algal Scientific, Distributed Compliance Solutions, Esperion
Therapeutics, Lifetime Nutrition, Lycera, Milad Pharmaceuticals
Consulting, Next Generation Therapeutics, Velesco Pharmaceutical
Services, and Chef House Catering, which operates the center's cafe.
Source: Roger Newton, president and CEO of Esperion Therapeutics
Writer: Jon Zemke
Secure-24 cuts ribbon at new tech center in Plymouth
Source: metromode, 8/27/2009
The ribbon is cut and the servers are humming at Secure-24's new data center in Plymouth.
The
new 18,000-square-foot facility will house operations for both the
Southfield-based information security provider and Wayne County. The
new tech center will create 250 new jobs, according to Wayne County
Executive Robert Ficano.
"It's a new direction for Wayne
County," Ficano says. "It's something that sends a signal that we want
you to come and invest in the area."
The $3.7 million facility was created as part of a public-private partnership. Secure-24
was able to build the facility, along with another 20,000-square-foot
tech center in Southfield, thanks to a $7.1 million state tax credit
over 10 years.
The idea is to consolidate IT projects between
Secure-24 and Wayne County in a state-of-the-art and secure space.
Organizers behind the project hope it will also attract more IT firms
to the area.
Source: Robert Ficano, county executive of Wayne County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Plymouth to finish parking deck work by Sept
Source: metromode, 8/20/2009
Work on downtown Plymouth's central parking structure is gearing up to finish by month end.
The
city had hoped to complete the $150,000 project earlier this summer,
but the discovery of new problems with the deck prevented that. The
project includes recoating, redoing seals and joints, and repairing
cement. The stair tower also has been painted and the heating pipes
insulated to help save energy.
The deck, built in 1983, is
located behind the commercial storefronts of the square block bordered
by Main Street, Penniman Avenue, Ann Arbor Trail, and South Harvey
Street, a stone's throw from Kellogg Park.
Source: Plymouth Downtown Development Authority
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
Downtown Plymouth to start parking deck renovation
Source: metromode, 6/11/2009
Work on one of downtown Plymouth's most important pieces of infrastructure is getting ready to start as early as next week.
The city expects to choose a contractor to renovate the dual-level parking deck this week. The project, originally budgeted for $200,000, is estimated to cost $150,000. It will include recoating, redoing seals and joints and repairing cement. The stair tower will also be painted and the heating pipes insulated to help save energy.
"Since the contractor is here, it's cheaper to do it now," says John Buzuvis, assistant director of operations for the city of Plymouth.
The deck, built in 1983, is located behind the commercial storefronts of the square block that is bordered by Main Street, Penniman Avenue, Ann Arbor Trail, and South Harvey Street, a stone's throw from Kellogg Park.
Source: John Buzuvis, assistant director of operations for the city of Plymouth
Writer: Jon Zemke
Dhake Industries begins work on Plymouth office expansion
Source: metromode, 4/30/2009
More new economy jobs are heading to Metro Detroit now that one of its companies is expanding its office space.
Dhake Industries is renovating and expanding its global headquarters on the 15100 block of Northville Road in Plymouth. Plymouth-based DeMattia Group
is renovating the existing building and building a 2-story addition.
The extra space will add about one third of the space it already leases.
"It's
enough to make a sizable marketing area for them to showcase their
products," says Michele Liotino, marketing manager for DeMattia Group.
The
renovated and additional space will be used for engineering, research
and development, quality assurance and application laboratories. It
will facilitate an expansion of the company, but Liotino declined to
say how much or how many jobs would be created. She did say that Dhake
Industries sees the current economic decline as an opportunity to
position itself for future growth.
"They're taking advantage of the opportunity right now to build so they have all of the products in line and ready to go," Liotino says.
Dhake Industries, founded in 1979, is a supplier of specialty coatings for engineered plastics and a minority owned company.
Source: Michele Liotino, marketing manager for DeMattia Group
Writer: Jon Zemke