Oakland County receives $1M federal brownfield grant
Source: metromode, 5/28/2009
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
Plans surface for unearthing Clinton River in Pontiac
Source: metromode, 5/28/2009
A section of the Clinton River could see a lot more daylight in downtown Pontiac someday soon.
Oakland
County and city officials are working on plans to daylight the section
of the river that bisects Pontiac's downtown. The idea is to create a
riverwalk environment that helps draw more visitors and development to
the city's core. Other suburbs like Wyandotte and Mt. Clemens have
parlayed similar waterways into economic development engines.
"It would be a major project to bring some new life to downtown," says Steven Korth, manager at the Oakland County Water Resources Commission.
Major
is a nice way of saying expensive. The recently released feasibility
study says it would cost at least $47 million to unearth that river
segment. The city's dire financial situation and tight budget at the
county level means there are no piles of cash ready to move on this
project.
The Clinton River was buried in concrete tunnels in
1963 to help solve flooding issues. The plan would create a new,
open-air path for the river, cutting along the eastern edge of downtown
along Woodward Avenue before turning in front of the Phoenix Center.
"The original closure will remain where it is to handle the flooding flows," Korth says.
The
project is on hold until funds can be raised. However, local officials
are planning to apply for state and federal grants later this year.
Source: Steven Korth, manager at the Oakland County Water Resources Commission
Writer: Jon Zemke
Ferndale's Old Navy Outlet building gets new facade
Source: metromode, 5/28/2009
One of downtown Ferndale's most visible buildings is getting a facelift while it looks for a new tenant.
Grenadier Properties is putting a new façade on the front entrance to what used to be the Old Navy Outlet store
on the northwest corner of Woodward Avenue and 9 Mile Road. The
Southfield-based firm is refacing the front entrance with cast stone
(think limestone), new windows, and lights. The project is expected to
finish by the end of June.
"The four corners of Woodward and Nine are like Ferndale's four front teeth," says Robert Bruner,
city manager for Ferndale. "Regardless of how good the rest of the City
looks, our smile is only as good as those four buildings. I am very
happy the former Old Navy Outlet is getting some much needed attention."
Old
Navy left the space a little more than a year ago and Grenadier
Properties has been looking for a new tenant for the
15,000-square-foot, single-story building since.
"There are a few prospects, but we're still looking," says Josh Grenadier, the firm's co-owner.
It
has found a new tenant for the old Coffee Beanery space at the rear of
the Old Navy building. Inyo Restaurant, an Asian-influenced eatery,
plans to open there by the end of the week.
Source: Robert Bruner, city manager for Ferndale and Josh Grenadier, co-owner of Grenadier Properties
Writer: Jon Zemke
SEMCOG keeps Detroit-Ann Arbor rail line on track
Source: metromode, 5/28/2009
The Southeast Michigan Council of
Governments might be finished studying the feasibility of the
Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter train line, but that doesn't mean it's done
figuring out how to make it work.
"We're in implement mode," says Carmine Palombo, director of transportation for SEMCOG, which is quarterbacking the project. "We're not studying to see if this is a good idea."
Right
now SEMCOG is at the tail end of figuring out ways to make sure its
commuter trains can run smoothly with freight train traffic that
already travels the line. Two of the train companies, Canadian National
and Northfolk Southern, have already figured this out with SEMCOG.
Palombo
also maintains that the project is still set to become operational by
the end of next year. Although start times for the commuter rail line
have been pushed back several times this decade, the end of 2010
deadline is one that SEMCOG officials have held in recent years. It
coincides with the M-1 Rail line (Woodward Avenue light rail) deadline
for completion.
The plan calls for creating a commuter rail line between Detroit and Ann Arbor, with stops at Dearborn, Metro Airport and Ypsilanti. Amtrak will provide the trains. It could conceivably be expanded to connect Royal Oak, Ferndale, Troy/Birmingham and Pontiac.
Source: Carmine Palombo, director of transportation for SEMCOG
Writer: Jon Zemke
Milford Kensington Connector trail opens
Source: metromode, 5/28/2009
A short but important greenway is about
to open in Oakland County. The Milford Kensington Connector is set to
open later this week as a way to connect some major institutions in
this little hamlet on the county's west end.
The 10-foot-wide asphalt trail connects the edge of the village of Milford at General Motors Road to Kensington Metro Park about three miles away. It will provide safe passage between the park and Milford's downtown, YMCA and library. It connects about 30 miles of trails and sidewalks in the Milford area.
"It's a much-needed addition to the area," says Donald Green, supervisor for Milford Township.
The
$2.9 million project was first dreamed up in the mid 1990s and funded
by a millage assessed for greenway improvements a few years ago.
Construction began at the beginning of last fall and finished this
spring. People have already begun using it.
Source: Donald Green, supervisor for Milford Township
Writer: Jon Zemke
Cooley Law School dedicates new building addition
Source: metromode, 5/28/2009
The herd of deer roaming
around Cooley Law School's Auburn Hills campus are now able to bound
about without dodging piles of construction supplies and equipment.
They’ll just have to avoid the increased numbers of law school students
faculty and media.
The law school held a dedication of its new Oakland County campus this
morning, showing off the freshly finished renovated building, addition
and hat full of green feathers that comes with it.
Today marks the end of a long journey for the Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
The Lansing–based law school bought the 67-acre campus in the shadow of
the Chrysler headquarter in 2007. It began renovating an old 1980s era
GM/UAW building and then doubled its size to 130,000 square feet.
The original building now serves as part meeting space, part classroom
space and a lot of law library. The new addition is made up primarily
of classrooms, office and courtrooms for both practice and real trials.
The modern-looking building is also going for LEED
certification with a strong list of environmentally friendly features,
such as a 20,000 square foot green roof and recycled materials.
Cooley opened its Metro Detroit campus at Oakland University six years
ago with 28 students. Today it has 680 students at its new Auburn Hills
campus. It is expected to hold up to 800 within the next year or two
and possibly more than 1,000 after that.
Source: Cooley Law School
Writer: Jon Zemke
Main Street Oakland County hosts downtown preservation workshops
Source: metromode, 5/28/2009
Oakland County's downtowns have spent
decades turning themselves into some of Michigan's most vibrant urban
centers, and the county isn't going to allow a few bad economic years
to retard that progress.
That's why Main Street Oakland County
is being proactive this summer, with three workshops aimed at helping
keep these downtowns thriving and continuing their development
momentum. And this is while those downtowns are in slightly better
shape than the overall state economy.
"The whole thing is about how to make it in a tough economy," says Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County.
The
workshops will feature local, state, and national experts for a range
of urban issues, such as preservation and obtaining grants. The idea is
to help downtown stakeholders get new perspectives on these topics and
see how they can help each different downtown.
The first
workshop, set for June 19, will tackle issues like dealing with
declining property values in a down economy and financing projects in a
tough credit market. The second (July 17) will examine how to encourage
new economy development in the downtowns and take advantage of historic
assets. The last one (August 14) will tackle sustainability issues like
LEED architecture.
All will be held at the Oakland County
Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in
Waterford. For information, call (248) 858-1848.
Source: Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
New University Prep Science & Math High School to open on E. Riverfront
Source: Model D, 5/28/2009
More development comes to Detroit's riverfront.
Excerpt:
Work
has begun on the renovation of the Albert Kahn-designed Franklin
Furniture building in the East Riverfront district. The 80,000
square-foot building will become a University Prep Science & Math
High School.
The school will have 20,000 square feet on each
of the classroom floors, and another 20,000 square feet on a
newly-constructed fourth floor for a gym, cafe, conference room and
terrace.
Read the rest of the story here.
U-M moves forward on new $6 million soccer stadium
Source: Concentrate, 5/28/2009
U-M is kicking the soccer ball down the road toward a new stadium.
Excerpt:
The
University of Michigan has plans for improving more than one football
stadium. The university’s Board of Regents recently approved plans to
build a new $6 million soccer stadium next to its Varsity Tennis Center on South State Street.
The
fields, built last fall, are already there. The project calls for
building 2,200 seats and locker facilities around the fields, which
will be used by the university women's and men's soccer teams. There
will also be restroom, concession, and press facilities.
"Right
now there is temporary seating and no locker rooms," says Jeremy Reid,
a spokesman for the University of Michigan Athletic Department.
Read the rest of the story here.
Work restarts on Saline’s Henne Field
Source: Concentrate, 5/28/2009
Saline continues work on creating a town square green space for its downtown.
Excerpt:
Shovels are sprouting up in Saline's Henne Field this spring as construction workers once again begin to revamp the 8-acre park near downtown.
"We plan to have our construction for this year done by June," says David Rhoads, treasurer of the Friends of Henne Field.
Work
to turn the park into Saline's version of a town square began last
fall, but ended prematurely because the weather didn't cooperate. The Friends of Henne Field
hope to finish off the first phase this year for about $600,000. The
group then plans to raise the same amount of money over the rest of the
year so it can finish the $1.3 million project next summer.
Read the rest of the story here.
Greenleaf Trust building rising in downtown Birmingham
Source: metromode, 5/21/2009
The Greenleaf Trust Building is taking shape in downtown Birmingham.
Construction
workers are finishing off the foundation and basement walls this
spring. By early June, all of the footings are expected to be in and
then the 5-story building's steel skeleton should begin rising. The
construction can be monitored here.
The
mixed-use structure will stand on the footprint of an old, abandoned
gas station at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Maple Road. Designed
by Kalamazoo-based Eckert Wordell Architecture, it will feature retail, commercial and residential space.
Five
rental apartments will go on the fourth and fifth floors. The second
and third floors of the 50,000-square-foot building will be dedicated
to office space. Kalamazoo-based Greenleaf Trust will move its Metro
Detroit offices to the third floor. The first floor will be occupied by
Zazios, a modern Italian restaurant based in Kalamazoo.
Greenleaf Trust is going for silver LEED
certification for the building. Its environmentally friendly features
include a 1,500-square-foot green roof, natural lighting, and numerous
water- and energy-efficiency fixtures.
The 10-year-old bank
manages $7 billion in assets for individuals, foundations, endowments
and corporations, and specializes in personal trust, wealth management
and employee benefits.
Source: Patti Owens, vice president and managing director of Catalyst Development
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
Birmingham gears up for major bridgework this summer
Source: metromode, 5/21/2009
Birmingham is gearing up to do a lot of
work on its bridges this summer. The work includes improvements to the
West Maple Road, Oak Street and Lakeside Drive North bridges, along
with the replacement of the Baldwin Avenue Bridge.
The Baldwin
Bridge dates back to the 1920s and has been showing decades' worth of
wear and tear for a while now. The city plans to spend $700,000 to
replace it, starting in July and finishing by November.
Gone
will be the narrow, one-lane bridge, replaced by a two-lane span with a
5-foot-wide sidewalk. The city plans to recreate the historic arch
underneath with a stone-cut façade. It has done this with four other
bridge replacements.
"It will be a larger bridge than what is
there today, but it should be a better looking bridge," says Paul
O'Meara, city engineer for Birmingham.
The West Maple Road
Bridge will undergo $107,000 in painting work on the exposed steel
beams. It dates to 1950 and was significantly improved in 1998. The Oak
Street Bridge, built in 1960, will also receive a $72,500 paint job on
its exposed beams. The city plans to install channel diverters upstream
of the Lakeside Drive North Bridge (1992) to help prevent sediment
build-up. That project's estimated cost is $94,000.
Source: Paul O'Meara, city engineer for Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke
Royal Oak plans to add 2 buildings to historic district
Source: metromode, 5/21/2009
Two of Royal Oak's most notable homes are up for historic designation, the Orson Starr and George & Anna Hilzinger houses.
"We
have styles of houses that were important to the population that was
moving into Royal Oak at the time," says Ruth Cleaveland, chair of the Royal Oak Historic District Commission. "Over the years some of them were altered or torn down and are gone. There is no lasting impression."
The
Orson Starr House is possibly the oldest house in Royal Oak. Orson and
Rhonda Starr created the first settlement in Royal Oak Township in
1831. They built a log cabin at what is now 13 Mile Road and Main
Street on an 80-acre plot, and a wood frame house in 1845 at 3123 N
Main, one block south of 13 Mile, which still stands today.
The
house has gone through several different phases. It served as the Starr
family house until the early 20th Century, even serving time as a
residence and funeral home. It was transformed into a bungalow in 1915
before being returned to its original design in 1982 by the Royal Oak
Historic Commission.
The other structure is the George &
Anna Hilzinger house at 211 Knowles. George is the descendant of
William Hilzinger, a local electric entrepreneur and cobbler in the
late 19th Century. The family is also known as the one that ran the
Hilzinger Hardware store in downtown Royal Oak for most of the 20th
Century.
The Wood family from Britain built the New England
Classic Cottage style house in 1864 at 126 Phillips Street. George
& Anna Hilzinger bought it after that and moved it to Knowles so it
could make room for the Daily Tribune building in 1946.
The Royal Oak City Council added both of these buildings to the city's historic district.
Source: Ruth Cleaveland, chair of the Royal Oak Historic District Commission
Writer: Jon Zemke
Lincoln Park gives tour of historic building stock
Source: metromode, 5/21/2009
Historic buildings are less likely to be
torn down if more people are aware of and appreciate them. That's part
of the thinking behind Lincoln Park's North Fort Street Walking Tour.
Two
of the five buildings sponsored on the tour are or were in danger of
becoming targets of wrecking balls and building eaters. The Park
Theatre was threatened with being razed
to make way for a new mixed-used development before the developer
switched gears and decided to incorporate the historic structure into
his plans. The Mellus Newspapers building is facing a wrecking ball this year to make way for a parking lot.
The
three other buildings include the Lincoln Park National Bank Building
(1605 Fort Street), the Toleikis Building (at the corner of Fort and
Arlington streets) and the Woolworth Building (1770 Fort Street). All
of them date from the early 20th Century and represent some of the most
dynamic architecture in the surprisingly intact downtown.
"There's
really an interesting variety of buildings with a lot of interesting
stories to tell," says Leslie Lynch-Wilson, president of the Lincoln
Park Preservation Alliance. "There's a lot more there than just some
neat, old buildings."
Some of those stories include Bob Seger playing at the Park Theatre and Lincoln Park's newspaper breaking stories out of the Mellus.
Others aren't as well known, such as those behind the 3-story Toleikis
building and the Spanish Mission-style chosen for the old Woolworth's
building.
The tour is being organized by the Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance and is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Preservation Month. The theme for this year is "This Place Matters!"
Lincoln
Park's North Fort Street Walking Tour is set for 7 p.m. Friday. For
information, contact Lynch-Wilson at lalynch@wideopenwest.com or (313)
598-3137.
Source: Leslie Lynch-Wilson, president of the Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance
Writer: Jon Zemke
Metro Airport plans $15M runway upgrade
Source: Metromode, 5/21/2009
This summer, a very old section of runway at Metro Airport will be paved to life, thanks to $15 million in federal stimulus funds.
The
airport will rebuild one of its two crosswind runways, which is used
primarily during strong westerly wind conditions. This runway was
closed last fall because of bad conditions that weren't getting any
better without a full replacement.
"There is pavement out there
that is more than 40 years old," says Michael Conway, director of
public relations for Metro Airport.
The $34.6 million project
will replace the pavement and a couple of feet of gravel and asphalt
bedding underneath the 8,700-foot-long, 200-foot-wide runway. New
drainage and lighting systems will also be installed. The project won't
interrupt service or impact air-traffic patterns.
It is
expected to put 225 construction workers to work and will be completed
this summer. Originally it was set to take two construction seasons and
use fewer workers, but the stimulus dollars helped fast-track the
project in more ways than one.
"If the object of the stimulus
funds is to put people to work, this project is it," Conway says. "We
have the shovels leaning against the wall."
The new runway will
give air traffic one more option for navigating Metro Airport. It will
also help snow removal crews work more efficiently and help reduce
maintenance costs. The runway is expected to last 20 years.
Source: Michael Conway, director of public relations for Metro Airport
Writer: Jon Zemke
CAS-MI to expand laboratory space in Ypsilanti
Source: Concentrate, 5/21/2009
Ypsilanti is becoming one of those Michigan cities synonymous with rejuvenation. And this new research company is helping.
Excerpt:
Laboratory expansion projects in Michigan usually carry city names, like Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Kalamazoo. Add Ypsilanti to that illustrious list now that CAS-MI Laboratories is expanding its facilities there.
The independent testing laboratory is spending $3.5 million on an 11,000-square-foot facility in Ypsilanti Township and turning it into its new Innovation Center. A $1.2 million state tax credit over the next 10 years helped entice CAS-MI to create the new space. Ypsi won out over both Ann Arbor and Livonia.
"We have strong roots with the Ypsilanti community," says Dave Riggs, president of CAS-MI. "There are a lot of available buildings and research space in Ypsilanti."
Read the rest of the story here.
New Ann Arbor Downtown Plan to impact Zingerman's, South U
Source: Concentrate, 5/21/2009
Little changes to Ann Arbor's downtown zoning could have a big impact on its development.
Excerpt:
New
changes to Ann Arbor's downtown master plan (A2D2) could have
significant implications for Zingerman's and the South University
business district area.
Zingerman's has been pushing to
consolidate and expand in its corner of Kerrytown. However, those plans
have stalled because they include some former or vacant residential
property. The new changes would remove the residential zoning, making
Zingerman's expansion plans easier.
Read the rest of the story here.
Canopy to top Rosa Parks Transit Center
Source: Model D, 5/21/2009
They're about to put the cherry, errr..., canopy on top of Detroit's new downtown bus terminal.
Excerpt:
Construction
is moving along at the Rosa Parks Transit Center located at the corner
of Michigan and Cass. The signature tensile roof is going up. It will
be complete by mid-June, with the Detroit Department of Transportation
planning a June 25 grand opening for the center. At that time, the
central terminal for DDOT buses will shift from Capitol Park to the
RPTC.
DDOT Deputy Director Lovette Williams thinks the RPTC
will mean new visibility and viability for bus riding in Metro Detroit.
"This is something new to this area completely," she says, with
amenities such as the ability for passengers to sit indoors to wait for
their bus while being informed by real-time bus arrival and departure
signage; retail space that may be filled with little shops (think
newspaper stand); round-the-clock security; and a cashier-staffed spot
to buy DDOT and SMART bus passes.
Read the rest of the story here.
Green building takes center stage at Oakland County Green Summit
Source: metromode, 5/14/2009
Oakland County is giving some of its businesses a gentle push toward sustainability with its Oakland County Green Summit on Tuesday, May 19.
The
Troy-based event will cover a wide range of issues geared toward making
companies more environmentally friendly, including corporate
sustainability, the legalese of going green, pros and cons of LEED
certification, local government carrots and sticks for going green, and
a primer for energy audits.
"We're trying to put people who want
to go green or are thinking about it together with the resources that
will allow them to do this," says Nina Ignaczak, senior planner for
Oakland County Planning & Economic Services. "This isn’t pie in the
sky. This can happen right now."
The idea is to help push these
businesses toward sustainable practices to save them money, improve
their environment, and build communities' reputation for sustainability.
Bill Stough, CEO of the Grand Rapids-based Sustainable Research Group,
will serve as the events keynote speaker. He has 25 years of experience
in sustainable business practices and is the founder of the West
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.
The event will take place
between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Troy Community Center, 3179 Livernois.
Registration costs $35 and includes a continental breakfast. For
information, call (248) 858-1848.
Source: Nina Ignaczak, senior planner for Oakland County Planning & Economic Development Services
Writer: Jon Zemke