i3 Detroit creative center opens in downtown Royal Oak
Source: metromode, 9/24/2009
i3 Detroit, a new space for creatively inclined people, is about to open in downtown Royal Oak.
The
cooperative is a communal space for makers, inventors,
and entrepreneurs. The 1,500-square-foot location at 322 E Fourth St.
has room for heavy tools, electronics, and a studio/lounge. It's comparable to Detroit's Russell Industrial Center, but
members don't have individual work areas.
"We're more like a locker, less like a small office," says Nick Britsky, director at large for i3 Detroit.
Right
now, i3 Detroit has 13 paid members and a five-member executive board.
It needs 24 members to break even. Additional members would allow the
cooperative to buy bigger and better equipment, maybe even a bigger
space. Britsky and his partners chose downtown Royal Oak for its
central location in southeast Oakland County. They plan to hold an open
house on Oct. 3.
i3 is an national non-profit that got its
start in New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. It encompasses a
wide range of interests and professions, such as machinists,
programmers, artists, and electrical engineers. It also hosts public
classes and workshops on woodworking, Linux, amateur radio, telecom
architecture, computer programming, and automobile repair.
Source: Nick Britsky, director at large for i3 Detroit
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
Mass transit ridership hits record levels in Metro Detroit
Source: metromode, 9/24/2009
Mass transit ridership continues its
climb in Metro Detroit, saving millions of gallons of gas and
increasing demand for more effective transportation options.
Michigan
transit usage jumped 6 percent from 2007 to 2008. All of those bus and
train riders helped save 35.6 million gallons of gas, the amount
consumed by 61,800 cars. That also equates to 4.4 billion fewer miles
driven in 2008 than in the year before, a 5 percent drop, and 321,000
fewer tons of air pollution.
"People are voting with their feet
by driving less and taking more public transportation," says Shelley
Vinyard, a spokeswoman for Ann Arbor-based Environment Michigan.
These
numbers come when Metro Detroit is pursuing plans to dramatically
expand and improve its mass transit system, primarily by adding rail
lines to the mix. Detroit and Ann Arbor are looking at adding streetcar
lines, and there are plans to create commuter rail lines between
Detroit and Ann Arbor and north from Ann Arbor to Howell.
However,
there have also been attempts to cut transportation funding at the
local and state levels. Environment Michigan and other groups/local
politicians are calling for more funding to meet the growing demand for
mass transit.
"We need more public transit funding so we can provide more choices for the increased demand across the state," Vinyard says.
Source: Shelley Vinyard, a spokeswoman for Ann Arbor-based Environment Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland Comm College plans $5.2M in upgrades
Source: metromode, 9/24/2009
More improvements are coming to Oakland
Community College after its Board of Trustees approved $5.19 million in
renovations to its Auburn Hills, Orchard Ridge, and Royal Oak
campuses.
The Auburn Hills campus is getting the lion's share
of improvements, including replacing $4.8 million worth of 40-year-old
boilers and other equipment. It will also spend almost $170,000 to
repair the roof of Building A and make Building F compatible with the
Americans with the Disabilities Act.
"We're dealing with
30-40-year-old systems that were built in a different era," says George
Cartsonis, director of college communications for Oakland Community
College. "They have reached the end of their lifetimes."
The
Orchard Ridge Campus will spend $185,000 to catch up on deferred
maintenance and repairing its sanitary sewer. The Royal Oak campus will
get $91,000 in upgrades to its Lila Jones Johnson Theater.
Oakland County voters in 2001 approved a 0.8-mill property tax to pay for these projects.
Source: George Cartsonis, director of college communications for Oakland Community College
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
More Metro Detroit concert venues go smoke free
Source: metromode, 9/24/2009
More and more venues across Metro Detroit are going smoke free.
Classy
stalwarts like the Fox Theater in downtown Detroit and Hill Auditorium
in downtown Ann Arbor have been on that list for a while. Joining them
are smaller venues, like the Magic Bag in downtown Ferndale and now the
Royal Oak Music Theatre.
"It's overdue," says Justin Miller,
general manager of the Royal Oak Music Theatre. "It's obviously just
the right thing to do with everything we know today about smoking."
A
growing number of bars, coffee shops, eateries, and performance venues
in Metro Detroit have been kicking out smokers in recent years. There
are at least 5,889 licensed dining places in Michigan that prohibit
smoking as of today.
Ontario has already outlawed smoking in
public establishments. Michigan has been wrestling with similar
legislation in recent years. It came close last year, when both the
state House and Senate passed different smoking ban bills, but it died
after the two legislative bodies couldn't reach a compromise.
"Sooner or later we're going to see this across the board," Miller says. "We're just trying to get ahead of the curve."
Source: Justin Miller, general manager of the Royal Oak Music Theatre and SmokeFreeMichigan.com
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
Detroit RiverFront Conservancy offers first tour of Tricentennial Park expansion
Source: Model D, 9/24/2009
People are about to start walking on the newest section of the Detroit Riverwalk.
Excerpt:
The Detroit RiverFront Conservancy
(DRFC) is hosting its first Member Appreciation Open House on Sunday,
Sept. 27 from noon to 3 p.m. at Rivard Plaza. The event will feature a
sneak peek tour of the soon-to-open expansion of Tri-Centennial State
Park.
Conservancy members will be able to view the park's
amenities, including natural storm water treatment, fishing overlooks,
a memorial to Detroit River advocate and philanthropist Peter Stroh,
and bike and pedestrian connections to Rivard Plaza and the Dequindre
Cut.
The Open House will also include nature exhibits showcasing Michigan amphibians and reptiles, birds of prey and mammals; kayaking and fishing opportunities; and complimentary refreshments, carousel rides, and Diamond Jack river tours.
Read the rest of the story here.
The politics of dirt in downtown Ann Arbor
Source: Concentrate, 9/24/2009
Downtown Ann Arbor knows how to dig a big hole, but it hasn't figured out where it's going to put the dirt yet.
Excerpt:
Where
to put the dirt? It's a question that's starting to vex downtown Ann
Arbor officials as they prep to begin digging one big hole in the
ground.
The hole is for the Library Lot underground parking deck
next to the Ann Arbor District Library. The city has started on some of
the work to build a 677-car parking garage underneath a surface parking
lot on Fourth Street and to replace some of the surrounding
infrastructure, such as sewer and water lines.
But the big
hole for all of those cars is coming later this year. That means an
acre of earth four stories deep has to go somewhere.
"We're talking about a mountain of dirt," says Susan Pollay, executive director of Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.
Read the rest of the story here.
Ann Arbor City Council approves City Place plans
Source: Concentrate, 9/24/2009
The long, strange, arduous journey of the City Place development continues to take another odd turn in downtown Ann Arbor.
Excerpt:
The
City Place development got its approval from the Ann Arbor City Council
Monday, clearing the path for the downtown development, or not.
The future of the project that has become the poster child of downtown development gone awry
is about as clear as mud. Yes, the development now has the city's
blessing, but it doesn't with the recently enacted demolition
moratorium on the small neighborhood on the southern edge of downtown.
The city is studying the idea of designating the newly named
"Germantown" neighborhood a historic district.
Ann Arbor
Builders wants to raze seven historic homes (including one of the
city's oldest) along Fifth Avenue just north of Packard Road to create
a dense housing development. Original plans called for 90
brownstone-style condos in a long 4.5-story building that is
reminiscent of Beacon Hill. Several months of wrestling with neighbors and city officials created a number of different versions of the plans, but a consensus has proven elusive.
Read the rest of the story here.
Downtown Royal Oak theater/entertainment complex moves ahead
Source: metromode, 9/17/2009
The proposal to build a new movie theater
in downtown Royal Oak took a big step forward earlier this week when
the City Commission passed a resolution committing the city to
approving the project's liquor license application.
That means
plans to build a 10-screen theater in the parking lot behind the Main
Art Theater can go forward. The developer behind the Main North building and
Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment, want to
build a combination first-run movie theater complex, bowling alley, and
bar. The theater would be similar to the Emagine theaters in Novi,
Canton, Birch Run, and Woodhaven.
The theater would show
first-run movies and offer 16 bowling lanes. In contrast, the Main Art
shows independent and foreign film house-style movies.
""We
don't think we'll be competing with the Main Art in any way, shape, or
form," Glantz says. "In fact we think we'll help because it brings more
movie goers to the area."
The $14 million entertainment complex is proposed for the large empty lot at Troy Street and 11 Mile Road. It
will feature 1,700 seats, with theaters holding from 86 to 395 viewers.
There will be some bowling lanes set aside for the general public, and
a private party room with four bowling lanes on the mezzanine level.
The
bowling alleys will be more drop-in bowlers, as opposed to leagues. The
complex will give a free pair of socks to bowlers who rent shoes and
wipes to clean bowling balls.
"It will be all about people who come out and to socialize and have fun," Glantz says.
Preliminary
designs call for a one-story building, similar to modern-day cinemas
and in contrast to the multi-story theaters in downtown Birmingham. As
of yet, nothing is planned to be built above the screens.
Source: Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment
Writer: Jon Zemke
Developers interested in the Mellus for film studios
Source: metromode, 9/17/2009
It looks like there is still interest and life in the historic Mellus Newspaper building in downtown Lincoln Park.
Lincoln Park Productions,
a local start-up based in the film industry, has approached the city
about turning the one-time home of the Downriver suburb's local
newspaper into a production studio or film training school for
Michigan's emerging film industry. However, a deal is far from done and
the Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance is still looking for developers interested in the building.
The
2-story building had been vacant for a number of years before the
Lincoln Park Downtown Development Authority purchased it last year.
City officials have solicited demolition bids to turn the building plot
into a surface parking lot.
While city officials state the
building is beyond help, local preservationists have brought a number
of respected architects forward to say it could be easily restored.
Ideas have ranged from an arts center to a retail incubator for
fledgling businesses in need of just a little space. The Lincoln Park
Preservation Alliance is open to all ideas.
A key, and lucrative, part to any rehabilitation plan could be Michigan's newly expanded historic tax credits.
Since the Mellus is on the National Register of Historic Places, it is
eligible for historic and brownfield tax credits that could knock up to
50 percent of the construction costs off the project.
The
building on Fort Street was built in the 1940s. It is an intrinsic part
of the downriver suburb's history, having served as the home of Lincoln
Park's local newspaper for decades. Local preservationists think saving
the Mellus and the adjacent Pollak (named after Pollak Jewelers)
building are important steps toward preserving downtown Lincoln Park's
heritage.
The Mellus still has its original porcelain-enameled
Moderne commercial exterior, while the Pollak building retains its
terrazzo entrance sidewalk.
Source: Leslie Lynch-Wilson, president of the Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance
Writer: Jon Zemke
Lawrence Tech expands laboratory space
Source: metromode, 9/17/2009
Lawrence Technological University is expanding the laboratory space in its College of Engineering building in Southfield.
The
university expects to spend $400,000 converting recently vacated space
into new laboratories for everything from civil to chemical engineering. The human resources department moved its offices to make room for the expansion of the bio-medical program.
Five
new biomedical labs, expanded studying areas and prototyping space set
aside specifically for entrepreneurial projects will fill the area.
There is also a new conference room and offices for civil engineering.
So
far about half of the funds have been used to buy and install
equipment. Another $200,000 is needed to finish off the expansion,
which should take about another year.
"We're doing it in phases," says Devdas "Dave" Shetty, dean of the College of Engineering at Lawrence Technological University.
Source: Devdas "Dave" Shetty, dean of the College of Engineering at Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County expands Main Street Oakland program
Source: metromode, 9/17/2009
Oakland County is expanding the reach of its Main Street Oakland program, adding South Lyon and Waterford to the mix.
The
program provides planning and consulting assistance to the
participating communities. The idea is to help these downtowns, the
tradition centers of their respective communities, regain some of their
glory and accentuate the community's unique character.
"The goal
is not to transform them into a Rochester or a Milford, but to help
recapture that vibrancy from 100 years ago," says Bret Rasegan,
planning supervisor for Oakland County.
The program helps to
attract businesses, preserve historic buildings that provide character,
and create vibrant urban centers in otherwise sprawling suburban areas.
"It's certainly encouraging more walkability and in-fill development," Rasegan says.
Source: Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Mt. Clemens moves forward with property showcase
Source: metromode, 9/17/2009
Downtown Mount Clemens stakeholders want to show just what the center of their city is capable of.
The
city will be holding its Downtown Mount Clemens Property Tour on
Thursday, Sept. 24, the same day as its annual ArtParty. The tour will
feature 30 move-in ready commercial properties inside the downtown.
Mount
Clemens has gone through a bit of a business growth spurt this year,
welcoming five new or expanded businesses. More are also in the works,
but that doesn't mean there isn't room to grow in the central business
district. Holding the tour during one of its major events is expected
to show just how fertile the area is these days.
"We really
wanted to showcase downtown Mt. Clemens when we have a lot of people on
the streets," says Arthur Mullen, executive director of the Mount
Clemens Downtown Development Authority. "We feel it's a great way for
people to come and experience the downtown and talk to the people
there."
The tour will be self-guided, with docents at individual
properties and extensive information packets detailing support
services, benefits, and demographics. Goodie bags with gift items from
several businesses and information packs highlighting the community,
its strengths, and why it is such a good investment will also be given
away.
The event will be held from 3-7 p.m. at the ArtParty's
welcome center, 61 Macomb Place. For information about the Downtown
Mount Clemens Property Tour, contact Arthur Mullen at (586) 469-4168 or
afmullen2@yahoo.com.
Source: Arthur Mullen, executive director of the Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
MDOT sets aside $5.6 million for new hybrid buses
Source: metromode, 9/17/2009
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
Oakland County focuses on home ownership retention
Source: metromode, 9/17/2009
The name of the housing game isn't
necessarily convincing people to buy their first home, but to keep
people in their current ones during this time of falling home prices
and foreclosures.
"It's been such an issue in the last two
years," says Kathy Williams, supervisor of housing counseling and
homeless services for Oakland County.
It's why Oakland County is
hosting another My Home – My Future Home Ownership Retention seminar on
Monday, Sept. 21. The event will focus on preventing home foreclosure
and the falling home prices, shrinking tax base, and blight that often
come with it. Attendees will be able to learning about budgeting,
credit, and refinancing among other subjects.
The seminar is
scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Dublin Community Center, 685 Union Lake
Road in White Lake. It is free and open to all Oakland County
homeowners. For information, call Oakland County Housing Counseling at
(888) 350-0900 ext. 85402.
Source: Kathy Williams, supervisor of housing counseling and homeless services for Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Art house theater headed to old Burton Elementary on Cass Ave.
Source: Model D, 9/17/2009
At least one of Detroit's historic empty schools is finding new life as a movie house featuring foreign and independent films.
Excerpt:
The Burton Theatre is set to open in the Burton Elementary building on Cass at Peterboro on Oct. 3.
The movie house will screen new, independent films, LBGT, foreign, and cult.
The
four partners behind the project -- David Allen, Jeff Else, Nate
Faustyn and Matt Kelson -- saw the scarcity of movie theaters in
Detroit, plus they had a 35mm projector. When developer Joel Landy
purchased Burton Elementary, they discovered that he wanted a movie
theater in the building. It was a perfect match.
Read the rest of the story here.
Alt transportation answers WCC's parking problem
Source: Concentrate, 9/17/2009
The conventional wisdom in Southeast
Michigan is that more parking always solves the problem. That's not
what they're thinking at Washtenaw Community College.
Excerpt:
Washtenaw
Community College is dealing with its highest enrollment ever, which
means the commuter campus is experiencing its greatest demand for
parking (and lack of supply) ever.
Most other Midwest
institutions would conclude they need to build more parking. Well,
Washtenaw Community College is dealing with the acute parking shortage
by asking its students to take the vehicle less traveled – alternative
transportation.
"We still have a parking problem but we're
redoubling efforts to alleviate the problem," says Janet Hawkins,
director of public relations and marketing for Washtenaw Community College.
Read the rest of the story here.
Developer, neighbors reach agreement on Ann Arbor's Near North project
Source: Concentrate, 9/17/2009
Near North is near approval in Ann Arbor, thanks to a compromise between residents and the developer.
Excerpt:
Near
North is doing something many big developments in downtown Ann Arbor
haven't been able to do lately – move toward approval with some sort of
consensus.
The developer recently pulled its plans and the local
coalition of neighbors around the project site dropped their
opposition. The project is now set to go before the Ann Arbor City
Council on Monday for approval, thanks to the compromise.
"It
wasn't so much a deal as it was a collaboration on design changes that
made the project so much better," says Bill Godfrey, the developer
behind Near North.
Read the rest of the story here.