The year in review is replete with stories of companies' and city leaders' moving away from the idea of housing employees in far-flung freeway off-ramp office parks and into walkable Legolands, using old factories and downtown addresses as building blocks. And let it also be said that metro area residents have new routes of travel to work and play, whether it's bridging trails or slinging bikes onto buses.

It's all about bringing people together, whether into dense centers for art and life science, downtown condos, or onto bike trails and public transit. Enjoy our recap of Metro Detroit's development in 2009.

• Metro Detroit mass transit gets a lift from Omnibus bill
• Birmingham/Troy transit center moves forward
• Bus bike racks help fuse transit options in Metro Detroit
• Night Move bus opens new service in Detroit's city center
• New bridge in Pontiac connects Clinton River Trail
• Michigan Life Science Innovation Center opens in Plymouth
• Red River Artist Center opens doors in River Rouge
• Ground breaks for Dearborn Town Center development
• BAE Systems builds new campus in Sterling Heights
  

--This article originally appeared on March 19, 2009

Mass transit systems that have been underfunded or non-existent for year after year got a healthy infusion of federal funds from the Omnibus act.

Omnibus means Omnibus Appropriations Act, which is an annual run-of-the-mill Congressional budget bill. These are notorious for earmarks (federal dollars set aside by members of Congress for projects in their districts); while only a fraction of the overall bill, they can add up to big-time controversy. 

Metro Detroit's mass transit program scored a number of these earmarks to make a lot of small but effective improvements to existing systems and to help get new ones off the ground.

"That's definitely money the system has needed for a very long time," says Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, a local mass transit advocacy group. "The bus system has been run on a very minimal budget."

Some of those small-but-important earmarks include:

• $1.425 million for a new fare collection system for Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) buses
• $712,500 to replace DDOT buses
• $3.924 million for maintenance and engine replacement of Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transit (SMART) buses

Money for popular rail projects, such as:

• $950,000 for the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line
• $475,000 for the Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study to put light rail on Woodward Avenue

The Omnibus bill also includes language directing the Federal Transportation Administration (the agency that doles out funds to build mass transit lines) to give "priority consideration" to the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line. That project is expected to come online in the fall of 2010.

Source: Offices of senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow and Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on April 23, 2009

The plans for the Birmingham/Troy transit center are taking shape while the funding sources are being targeted.

The planning commissions for the two cities recently met to review architectural renderings of the proposed center. They plan to hold a community design charrette on June 15-16 after the architects come back with more detailed plans.

"We're waiting on them to make some changes and tweaks," says Jana Ecker, planning director for the city of Birmingham.

The two cities plan to create a $6 million transit center on the Birmingham side of the border between the cities. About $4 million would be set aside for the center while another $2 million would be used to build a pedestrian tunnel underneath the tracks.

The center would facilitate traffic from pedestrians, bicyclists, automobiles, buses and the planned northern extension of the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line. There has also been talk of creating an east-west streetcar line to connect the station to Birmingham's downtown and Troy's Somerset Collection mall.

The proposed site is in Birmingham's emerging Rail District. The cities plan to create a transit-oriented-development district around the station that would roughly be bordered by Crooks, Adams, Maple and Lincoln streets. A Southeast Michigan Council of Governments official will conduct a walkability tour of the neighborhood on April 29 to gauge how best to take advantage of the expected transit oriented development.

Officials from both cities are also meeting with the staffs of Michigan's congressional and senate office holders to help arrange funding. Congressman Gary Peters has already put in for a $2 million federal earmark to help bring the project to fruition.

Source: Jana Ecker, planning director for the city of Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on April 16, 2009

Soon all bus riders in Southeast Michigan will have a place to park their bikes when they get on a local transit system.

The Detroit Department of Transportation will equip all of its buses with bike racks this year, joining SMART and the Ann Arbor Transit Authority. The $680,110 project is paid mostly with federal transportation funds funneled through the state.

Transportation Riders United, a local mass transit advocate, hailed the improvement as a way of connecting more transportation options in Metro Detroit. The lack of these options and connections has held the region back, in the view of TRU's leadership.

"If a bus doesn’t come within a few blocks of your house, it's not an attractive option," says Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United. "If you can ride your bike a mile or two to a bus, then it becomes a much more attractive option."

Incorporating more options for bicyclists has been a major goal for both TRU and local leaders. SMART and AATA added the bike racks a few years ago to help boost ridership. They have enjoyed significant use as more and more Metro Detroiters took to two wheels, especially as gas prices went higher.

They are also looking at making the proposed Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail and Woodward light rail lines bicycle-friendly.

"That's the ultimate goal, is to have many different ways to get around," Owens says.

Source: State of Michigan and Megan Owens, executive director of the Transportation Riders United
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on June 25, 2009

The Night Move is no longer singular. The popular weekend express shuttle between some of Metro Detroit's most vibrant downtowns now has a companion shuttle called The Loop.

The Night Move goes between downtown Royal Oak, Ferndale and Detroit on Fridays and Saturdays. The Loop will focus on moving between hot spots in Detroit's downtown and Midtown neighborhoods on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Loop will stop at the Town Pump Tavern/Centaur, Bookies Bar and Grill, Greektown, Wayne State, Traffic Jam and Snug and MGM Grand between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m. It costs $5 for an all-night pass.

"We'd like to eventually run this bus for free," says Jennifer Harlan, marketing director for The Night Move, adding that accomplishing that requires more sponsorships from area establishments. "That's the end goal."

The Night Move runs on biodiesel and is owned by Chris Ramos.

Source: Jennifer Harlan, marketing director for The Night Move
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on April 16, 2009

Non-motorized traffic on the Clinton River Trail will soon have an option to crossing Telegraph Road that doesn't include dodging fast moving traffic.

The state has approved spending $2.1 million to build a bridge over U.S.-24 in Pontiac, connecting two points of the Clinton River Trail. The bridge will be built for both pedestrians and bicyclists.

"It will close one of the last remaining gaps and it's one of the most difficult gaps because its a state highway," says Dan Keifer, a member of the steering committee for the Friends of the Clinton River Trail.

Crossing that section of Telegraph Road isn't exactly friendly to people trying to get around in something other than an automobile. Car regularly whiz through the seven-lane highway, one of the busiest in northern Oakland County.

The 16-mile-long Clinton River Trail system has been slashing through more and more of Pontiac recently. A 1.5 mile extension was added last year, connecting the trail to downtown and major institutions, like the Phoenix Plaza Amphitheater. The Friends of the Clinton River Trail plans to connect that extension to Auburn Hills soon.

The Clinton River Trail is a recreational trail on an abandoned rail line through the heart of Oakland County. It connects the cities of Sylvan Lake, Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills and Rochester. It also connects with the existing West Bloomfield Trail to the west and the Macomb Orchard Trail to the east.

Source: Dan Keifer, a member of the steering committee for the Friends of the Clinton River Trail and State of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on September 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

--This article originally appeared on September 3, 2009

Which comes first, a mature community's rebirth or the artists? Rick Manore believes it's the artists, and he thinks they will serve a big part in breathing new life into downtown River Rouge.

It's why he is opening the Red River Artist Center in the downriver suburb this month. The center is based on the same idea as the Russell Industrial Center, which is to provide space with maximum freedom at a minimum price. Manore thinks it will also serve as the spark that will turn downtown River Rouge into Metro Detroit's newest Bohemia.

"It's not just an arts incubator," Manore says. "It's the first step in revitalizing the community."

Manore should know. He started the C Pop art gallery in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood in the 1990s and watched the area blossom into a haven for the creatively inclined. Midtown is now Detroit's premier neighborhood for investment and attracting young creatives.

Manore says River Rouge reminds him of an early Midtown, and also when downtown Royal Oak started to come into its own in the 1970s. He thinks River Rouge's central location, historic area, and cheap, established housing stock makes it ripe to follow in those footsteps.

The Red River Artist Center is in the former home of U.S. Steel Information Systems. The 1960s building was vacant for a decade before the city offered to work with Manore and cut him a deal that would make the center work.

"They understand the proposal," Manore says. "When it comes to urban transformation you need artists."

Some have already taken up residence in the 2-story building's 25,000 square feet, including two photographers. The office section of the building includes more than a dozen 15-by-15-feet spaces that Manore plans to rent out at $155 a pop, including free utilities and Wi-Fi.

"This is a great place for two guys who have a business to go to and not have to take a customer to their rec room," Manore says.

The Red River Artist Center plans to hold an open house next weekend. The center is located at 10750 W Jefferson Ave.

Source: Rick Manore, coordinator and founder of Red River Artist Center
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on April 30, 2009

A big development project is starting to come down the final stretch of long road, now that ground has broken for the Dearborn Town Center.

City officials have been working on this development at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Schaefer Road since the economy was roaring and everyone's house was worth more than their mortgage. Construction workers are expected to begin work on the 162,000-square-foot, mixed-use building next week and finish up by the end of 2010.

"We are very excited, especially with everything that has gone on with the credit markets and banks," says Barry Murrary, economic and community development director for the city of Dearborn.

The Dearborn Town Center will mainly serve as the home for Oakwood Healthcare System and Midwest Health Services. That will maintain the 300 jobs they have in Dearborn's east downtown and add another 200 positions. Those people will occupy 154,000 square feet of office space in the 3-story building. There will also be 8,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.

A 530-car public parking garage will also be constructed 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.

"We'd like to see more of this mixed-use, walkable development in downtown," Murrary says.

The Dearborn Town Center replaces the old Montgomery Ward department store that was recently demolished. Montgomery Ward opened the store in 1937, expanding it into 93,000 square feet. It went belly-up in 2001 and has been vacant ever since.

Southfield-based Redico, the developer, originally planned to reuse much of the building in the redevelopment but decided against it after complications were discovered, such as a lack of space between floors and small windows. Redico also planned to move the historic clock from the Montgomery Ward building into the new building. However, the clock fell apart during demolition. Redico is now looking at putting in a replica clock in the Dearborn Town Center.

"It's really is a new chapter in development of downtown," Murrary says.

Source: Barry Murrary, economic and community development director for the city of Dearborn
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on February 19, 2009

The construction workers have just begun gearing up for demolition in Sterling Heights to make room for BAE Systems new campus.

The military-based firm is taking over the old TRW site on the 32400 block of Van Dyke and turning it into its new engineering campus. The expansion is expected to create 460 new jobs thanks to an investment of $44 million in the 81-acre property.

The Michigan Economic Growth Authority approved $1.4 million in loans to make the creation of the new tech center possible. The center will concentrate on the land and armaments projects.

BAE Systems builds the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, the Valanx, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and a number of other ground vehicles for the U.S. Army.

General Dynamics has traditionally been the main defense contractor in Sterling Heights. However, a number of other defense contractors have set up shop in Sterling Heights in recent years, creating hundreds of engineering jobs in the process.

Source: Steve Guitar, director of the Community Relations Department for the city of Sterling Heights and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Writer: Jon Zemke

Metro Detroit's economic future is partly up in the air. An electric change is blowing in on the wind, which is rustling the leaves of newly planted trees, which shade newly installed hike and bike paths, which means less driving. See any trends?

Metromode walks you through a few of the best development projects and investments from 2009 that promise to fill our tanks not with gas, but with new green jobs and inspiration for a healthier quality of life.

• $125 million in incentives approved for Wixom alt energy plant project
• ITC creates alt energy infrastructure with Green Power Express
• MDOT sets aside $5.6 million for new hybrid buses
• LaFontaine gets gold star... in LEED certification
• Rochester brewpub earns USDA organic certification
• Michigan International Speedway dives into irony with green initiatives
• Oakland County receives $1M federal brownfield grant
• Macomb County to build 27 miles of trails, bike lanes in 2010

--This article originally appeared on October 8, 2009

The light is green for the transformation of the old Ford Wixom plant into a new alternative energy facility, at least from the state.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm approved tax incentives worth $125 million over the next five years. Now Xtreme Power and Clairvoyant Energy are just waiting on federal approval for U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantees to make the project happen.

Ford closed the factory (the big one that looms over I-96) a couple of years ago, creating another symbol of the domestic automotive industry contraction in Michigan. Uses for the empty plant were the subject of rumors, including a film set/studio, before Ford agreed to sell it to Xtreme Power and Clairvoyant Energy, based in Texas and California, respectively.

The firms plan to redevelop the massive complex into one of the nation's largest renewable energy manufacturing parks, a $725 million investment that could generate 4,000 new jobs.

The 52-year-old facility will manufacture energy storage systems and high-efficiency solar panels at the site. That could mean a lot of alternative energy assembly activity because the 320-acre site has 4.7 million square feet of space.

Source: State of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on February 19, 2009

Solar panels and wind turbines are the sexy part of alternative energy. What's not as attractive is creating the infrastructure to transport all that alternative energy to population centers out in the middle of nowhere.

Novi-based ITC Holdings is creating that infrastructure and investing between $10 billion and $12 billion to make it happen. ITC owns much of the electric grid not only in Michigan but in the Midwest.

The firm plans to expand the grid to, say, wind farms in the Upper Peninsula so that they link up with places like Minneapolis or Detroit. This Green Power Express will eventually transport 12,000 megawatts of renewable energy to city centers.

ITC is also working to upgrade the rapidly aging grid. Such upgrades are expected to help make the system more efficient, conserving lots of energy that is currently lost in transport.

Source: ITC Holdings
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on September 17, 2009

Hybrid buses could be coming to a stop near you, thanks to a new initiative through the Michigan Department of Transportation.

MDOT awarded a new $5.6 million contract to Azure Dynamics. The Oak Park-based firm will provide up to 50 small hybrid buses for yet-to-be-determined transit agencies located in Michigan.

"We have plans in the future to put out a call for projects to see who is interested," says Janet Hawkins, a spokeswoman for MDOT.

A protoype bus and recipient transit agency are expected to be chosen and delivered before the end of the year, with more to come next year.

Hybrid buses have been discussed but not really put into use in Metro Detroit, with the exception of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's aggressive efforts to switch its entire fleet to hybrid buses.

Azure Dynamics' vehicles are expected to improve fuel economy by up to 40 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and maintenance costs by 30 percent.

Source: Janet Hawkins, a spokeswoman for Michigan Department of Transportation
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on June 18, 2009

Car salesmen aren't exactly thought of as environmentalists, but the folks at LaFontaine Automotive Group are turning that piece of conventional wisdom on its head.

The Highland-based firm just opened a new dealership that has been certified LEED gold, the second highest level LEED certification available. The 63,000-square-foot facility cost $15 million to build with a slew of green feathers in its hat.

Those include a special car wash system that recycles 85 percent of the water. Indigenous plants that require less water, provided by a roof storm water retention system, were used for landscaping. The big-ticket green item is a geothermal heating and cooling system that clocks in at $600,000, but is expected to dramatically cut heating and cooling costs.

There are also other smaller green features like low-flush toilets, energy-efficient lighting, and 85 skylights. Most of the dealership was built with recycled content. There is even a windmill that provides power for the irrigation pump. All in all, the green features are expected to cut energy consumption costs in half.

Source: LaFontaine Automotive Group
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on October 29, 2009

Wayne County's Refuge Gateway in Trenton is becoming greener and greener these days, now that 200-some trees have been planted there.

Students from the University of Michigan, local Boy Scouts, and refuge volunteers planted the native species of trees last weekend as part of a rehabilitation of this brownfield site adjacent to Humbug Marsh. The idea is to help reverse the adverse effect of pollution that industrialization has had on the area and return it to its natural state.

"This is basically the first phase of the project," says Becca Robinson, landscape designer for the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

Other parts include day lighting a storm water drain in the wetland area. That means the pipe will discharge into the marshland, creating a waterway that leads to the Detroit River and resulting in less pollution and a restoration of the natural filtration process. The trees were planted around this area.

The Refuge Gateway is part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The 5,700-acre space includes natural areas on both sides of the Detroit River between the Rouge River and the mouth of Lake Erie.

For information on the project, contact Melinda Jones at (800) 642-7353 or mjones@uniquetreesandshrubs.com or Robinson at (734) 692-7672 or Rebecca_Robinson@fws.gov.

Source: Becca Robinson, landscape designer for the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on October 8, 2009

One of Metro Detroit's greenest restaurants is now organic – certified organic.

Mind Body & Spirits has been certified USDA Organic by Oregon Tilth, a third-party nonprofit organization. The downtown Rochester-based firm is now Michigan's first fully certified organic restaurant. There are fewer than a dozen certified organic restaurants in the U.S.

"It's a third party source that ensures that what we say we're doing, we're doing," says David Youngman, director of marketing and communications for Mind, Body & Spirits. "A lot of businesses are making claims of organic products."

Mind Body & Spirits had already been embraced by the tree huggers when it opened last fall. It took a 100-year-old building, renovated it, and added 2,000 square feet and a load of sustainable features.

These include the largest bank of solar power panels in Michigan, used to generate clean energy and to heat water. The restaurant also has a geothermal heating and cooling system. It also used VOC-free paint, bamboo flooring, and sustainable furnishings. A greenhouse was built along Third Street to provide fresh herbs and produce for the kitchen and to beautify the sidewalk.  

Source: David Youngman, director of marketing and communications for Mind Body & Spirits
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on June 18, 2009

For all of you Birkenstock-wearing, tree-hugging hippies out there, forget about what you know about Michigan International Speedway. Forget about what nasty stuff comes out of those cars flying around the track. Forget about the stereotypical NASCAR fan. Focus on the $17 million green renovation MIS just underwent and all of the sustainable features and practices that come with it.

"That's one of the great things about that is it brings attention to green initiatives," says Roger Curtis, president of Michigan International Speedway. "It does go against the conventional wisdom."

MIS is adding 8,000 square feet of solar panels (provided by Auburn Hills-based Uni-Solar) on its 31 suites and media center. Those panels are expected to produce 70,000 kilowatts per hour of alternative energy that will be utilized by MIS, making it one of the largest producers of alternative energy in U.S. sports. MIS also has a recycling program and plans to add wind power next year.

This might seem like lipstick on a pig to the stereotypical lefty environmentalist, but Curtis says that there is less of a difference between those people and NASCAR fans than commonly meets the eye. He points out that a large cross section of NASCAR fans are conservationists in the Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir tradition who care deeply about the environment and doing the right thing.

"They might now wear a name tag that says I am an environmentalist but they are hunters, campers and rafters," Curtis says.

For example, he says that MIS started a recycling program last year but only in the the grandstand area. It left the campground area out of the equation at first, but people started demanding recycling options, too, almost immediately. Recycling is now offered throughout MIS.

"You have to start somewhere," Curtis says.

Source: Roger Curtis, president of Michigan International Speedway
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on May 28, 2009

Three looks like the charm for Oakland County and big federal brownfield grants.

The EPA recently gave Oakland County a $1 Million Coalition Assessment Grant, making it the third such award the feds have given to Michigan's richest county. It will help local communities and developers perform environmental assessments on contaminated or obsolete land.

Money from previous grants helped turn an old gas station in Wixom into a new strip mall. These funds also allowed an old illegal dumping ground just outside of the Palace of Auburn Hills to be turned into a large multi-use project, creating space for retail, a bank and a hotel.

"We're open to almost any type of project," says Brad Hansen, environmental program coordinator for Oakland County.

Half of the money will be evenly split between Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Madison Heights and Pontiac. The remaining $500,000 will be available for projects in other county communities.

The Oakland County Brownfield Coalition plans to focus much of these funds on the Woodward Avenue, 8 Mile Road, and 10 Mile Road corridors. A number of prominent organizations in these areas, such as the 8 Mile Boulevard Association and Woodward Avenue Action Association, helped land the grant as part of the Oakland County Brownfield Initiative.

Source: Brad Hansen, environmental program coordinator for Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke

--This article originally appeared on October 22, 2009

Many more miles of trails and bike lanes are coming Macomb County's way in 2010. The county is expecting 27 miles of new pathways on two of its major trails – Macomb Orchard Trail and Metro Parkway Trail.

Construction is expected to begin on a nine-mile connector trail between two sections of the Macomb Orchard Trail. The pathway is already 14.5 miles long and is made up mostly of an asphalt surface. The nine miles of new trail will be made of gravel and connect the cities of Armada and Richmond. Work is expected to finish on the $450,000 project by the Fourth of July 2010, completing Macomb County's first east-west trail.

"It will get you from the border of Oakland County to the border of St. Clair County," says John Crumm, program manager of planning and environmental services for Macomb County.

Beginning next spring, $3 million will be invested in trails and bike lanes in Harrison Township. The project will create 18 miles of pathways and should wrap up in the early fall.

"It's a bunch of little projects that connect all of the neighborhoods to the Metro Parkway Trail," Crumm says.

Source: John Crumm, program manager of planning and environmental services for Macomb County
Writer: Jon Zemke