Cranbrook scores $181M for renovations, improvements
Source: metromode, 10/29/2009
Cranbrook
has surpassed its $150 million fundraising goal one year early,
bringing in $181 million that will be used for a combination of
projects, including major renovations to the school's campus.
About
$75 million will be spent on new construction or renovation projects at
the Bloomfield Hills school. Among those projects are the construction
of a new Girls Middle School and the renovation and expansion of the
Boys Middle School. The Quads and Kingsford copper roofs will also
undergo a restoration.
The Cranbrook Art Museum is scheduled
for a complete renovation, including the addition of a new Collections
Wing to will provide public access to the museum's entire collection.
The
Cranbrook Institute of Science will receive a new group entrance and
parking structure. The Planetarium will receive a technology upgrade
while classroom space is renovated and two new anthropology halls are
added.
More than 28,000 people gave to the fundraising campaign. For information, click here.
Source: Cranbrook Schools
Writer: Jon Zemke
New developer shows interest in Mellus building
Source: metromode, 10/29/2009
Could there be a last-minute savior for the Mellus Newspapers building in downtown Lincoln Park?
An
owner of a Detroit-based home care business has submitted an offer for
the Mellus building and the adjacent Pollak and Dorsey buildings on
Fort Street. All three buildings are vacant and in disrepair. The
developer has stepped forward with an architect and a plan to transform
the three buildings into office space for 20-30 employees.
The
Lincoln Park Downtown Development Authority has authorized the
demolition of both the Mellus and Pollak buildings. The DDA board is
considering the offer and has yet to sign a demolition contract.
The
Mellus was built in the 1940s and is on the National Register of
Historic Places. 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
building on Fort Street still has its original porcelain-enameled
Moderne commercial exterior, while the Pollak retains its terrazzo
entrance sidewalk.
Source: Leslie Lynch Wilson, president of the Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance
Writer: Jon Zemke
Brownfield tax credits OK'd for Station 65 in Mount Clemens
Source: metromode, 10/29/2009
The Station 65 project in downtown Mt.
Clemens took another step forward this week when the state approved the
brownfield tax credits for its redevelopment.
Downtown Mt. Clemens-based Partners in Architecture is working to turn the historic Firehouse No. 2
into its new headquarters. The 16-person-firm (including interns) plans
to turn the second floor and part of the first floor into its offices.
The remainder will be available for retail or office uses.
"The rest of the first floor is still available for lease," says Mike Malone, a partner with Partners in Architecture.
The nearly century-old building is across the street from the New Street Lofts.
The ornate structure dates back to the turn of the 20th Century. It
went from being a fire station to offices to a combination of office
and commercial space. Plans to turn it into lofts had been discussed
before Partners in Architecture, which rents space less than a block
away, bought it.
The firm plans to put an extensive green roof
on the 2-story building so its employees can use it as a green space to
relax. The plans also call for removing part of the second floor to
make office interiors visible. Work is set to begin within the next few weeks and wrap up by next spring.
Source: Mike Malone, a partner with Partners in Architecture
Writer: Jon Zemke
Ferndale, Rochester big winners of Main Street Oakland County awards
Source: metromode, 10/29/2009
When it comes to downtowns, Ferndale and Rochester came home with all of the hardware at the 2nd Annual Main Street Oakland County Awards.
The
awards recognize excellence in downtown revitalization in five
categories, including organization, promotion, design, and economic
restructuring.
Ferndale took awards in all five of the
categories. The judges recognized the city for its outstanding public
relations outreach and special events for the DIY Festival. Two of its
businesses, Pinwheel Bakery and Elegance by Design, were recognized for
their facade renovations.
Rochester won awards for promotional design for its In Town magazine and for its community commitment.
Source: Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Refuge Gateway on Detroit River receives 200 new trees
Source: metromode, 10/29/2009
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
Work begins on Wyandotte's Good Eats Grill and Cafe loft
Source: metromode, 10/29/2009
Work has begun on the loft apartment above the Good Eats Cafe and Grille in downtown Wyandotte.
"We're ploughing ahead with it," says owner Leo Stevenson.
Stevenson
also owns the 2-story building at 125 Elm St. and has been restoring it
over the last year. He considered the second floor space, which was
vacant for years, obsolete even though it once served as a law office.
That changed when the city approved a new Neighborhood Enterprise Zone
for the entire downtown. That allows property owners to pay only 17
mills of taxes on new space built on a second floor or higher, instead
of the normal 48 mills. There is no new tax assessment for improving
existing upper floors.
This came when the market bottom fell
out for upper floor commercial space in small downtowns like Wyandotte.
At the same time, downtown apartments have become increasingly popular,
prompting Stevenson to turn the 1,500 square feet into a two-bedroom
apartment.
Source: Leo Stevenson, owner of the Good Eats Cafe and Grill building
Writer: Jon Zemke
Novi recognized for its greenways and conservation
Source: metromode, 10/29/2009
The word sustainability isn't regularly
used with a sprawlburg suburb like Novi, but the municipality recently
won the first Oak Land Award at the 2009 Oakland County Green
Infrastructure Celebration.
The awards recognize communities
that contribute and demonstrate successful efforts toward the planning,
promotion, design, development, and support of green infrastructure in
Oakland County. Novi won for its interconnected network of open spaces,
natural areas, and waterways.
"They really have a whole host
of natural resources that nicely blend the natural environment with
development," says Jim Keglovitz, a senior planner for Oakland County
Planning and Economic Development Services.
Novi employs a
number of conservation initiatives, including a wildlife habitat plan,
a linear greenway system, and wetland protection plan, among others.
For information about the county's Green Infrastructure Vision, click here.
Source: Jim Keglovitz, a senior planner for Oakland County Planning and Economic Development Services
Writer: Jon Zemke
Woodbridge container housing project gets big green lights: City Council OK and predevelopment funds
Source: Model D, 10/29/2009
An innovative container/housing development is making headway in Detroit.
Excerpt:
A visionary project that will turn 93 reused shipping containers into housing units has achieved some important milestones.
The
project, called Exceptional Green Living, will be located at the
southeast corner of Rosa Parks and Warren in Woodbridge. The much
buzzed about development is moving ahead, having just received
unanimous approval to proceed from Detroit City Council and secured
initial predevelopment funding.
Read the rest of the story here.
Ann Arbor's 10,000 Villages expands downtown space
Source: Concentrate, 10/29/2009
Ann Arbor's Ten Thousand Villages is racking up sales in the six figures as the downtown-based store continues to grow.
Excerpt:
One
of the largest Ten Thousand Villages outlets in the U.S. is getting a
little bigger now that the downtown Ann Arbor store is expanding its
space.
Ten Thousand Villages opened up five years ago at 303 S
Main St., the space that used to be Lucky Drugs. It has since expanded
from its 1,500 square feet into the basement below, a space that's of
nearly identical size. The basement is being used for storage for the
time being to facilitate the store's growing sales.
Read the rest of the story here.
Ann Arbor moves forward on East Stadium bridge replacement
Source: Concentrate, 10/29/2009
Ann Arbor is working on another big bridge project near Michigan Stadium.
Excerpt:
The
East Stadium Boulevard bridges near Michigan Stadium are about to
undergo a transformation that will eventually lead to their replacement
within the next couple of years.
The 92-year-old bridges have
begun to fail, prompting city officials to remove and replace the
structures that normally have a 75-year lifespan. The bridges span
State Street and a railroad line. The City Council recently authorized
the removal of five of the 16 concrete beams after one began failing
earlier this year.
"This particular beam went from bad to worse
in the last winter because of the freeze-thaw cycle," says Homayoon
Pirooz, a project manager with the city of Ann Arbor. The city will be removing the first four beams rather than just taking out beam No. 5, he adds.
Read the rest of the story here.
Romeo turns old house into new Starkweather Arts Center
Source: metromode, 10/22/2009
The Starkweather Arts Center is opening
up the rest of its downtown Romeo historic building this fall, on the
10th anniversary of its first art show.
Artists and art
connoisseurs of all colors, creeds, and ages have used the facility
since Helen Starkweather, a former art teacher with Romeo Public
Schools, willed the building, 219 N Main St. near the Masonic Temple,
to the village for use as an art center in 1987. It's now a source of
pride and vibrancy in the village center.
"It's the only place like it around," says Tara Klein, director of the Starkweather Arts Center. "There are no other galleries around. Everyone calls this the gem of Romeo."
The
3,500-square-foot building was built in 1865. It originally served as a
millinery for Starkweather's family. The shop was in the front and the
family lived in the back. Fixtures from its millinery days are still
visible.
Today the building has a gallery, shop, and offices on
the ground floor. The newly renovated second floor now has space for
art classes, a gallery, and offices. The new portion will allow the
arts center to host classes for the first time.
Source: Tara Klein, director of the Starkweather Arts Center
Writer: Jon Zemke
Dayco turns old factory into new tech center
Source: metromode, 10/22/2009
Dayco has refurbished a small, old manufacturing plant and turned part of it into a technical center in Roseville.
The
automotive supplier bought the assets of one of its customers, which
included the 60,000-square-foot facility. The move saved 24
manufacturing jobs and created five new positions in the technical
center.
"This facility is growing," says Dan Engler, a vice president with Dayco.
The
company took a section of the facility that was used for stamping and
turned it into the technical center. That project is part of the
$500,000 in upgrades made to the structure.
"When you come in you see the improvements that the employees haven’t seen in years," Engler says.
Source: Dan Engler, a vice president with Dayco
Writer: Jon Zemke
Macomb County to build 27 miles of trails, bike lanes in 2010
Source: metromode, 10/22/2009
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
Farmington puts final touches on downtown streetscape
Source: metromode, 10/22/2009
They're getting ready to stretch the ribbon in Farmington so it can be cut on the downtown streetscape project next weekend.
The
city recently finished paving and striping the $3.2 million project.
Construction workers are putting the final brick pavers, lamp posts,
and signage in place this week.
"They're wrapping up the final details," says Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington Downtown Development Authority.
The
project rebuilt Grand River Avenue between Farmington Road and Warner
Street, making the byway friendlier to pedestrians, bicyclists, and
motorists. It also expanded the sidewalk area, adding bump-outs around
parallel parking spaces and installing new sidewalks, crosswalks,
benches, bike racks, trash cans, and decorative streetlights.
City
officials are now applying for grant funding to complete the original
scope of the project, which called for doing the same sort of work on
Grove Street between Grand River and Orchard Street and adding a
boulevard.
"We're very hopeful that will happen," Knowles says.
Source: Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oak Electric adds wind turbines to Waterford HQ
Source: metromode, 10/22/2009
Oak Electric is walking the walk by installing the product it sells.
The 11-year-old firm recently installed a wind turbine at its Waterford headquarters. The Swift Wind Turbine (made in Grand Rapids) is the same one that Oak Electric sells and installs, along with other renewable energy products.
"We wanted to test the data for ourselves," says Gary Pipia, president of Oak Electric.
The
turbine is expected to produce 2,000 kilowatts of clean energy each
year. To put that in context, an average home consumes 400-600
kilowatts of energy, so the turbine could satisfy the energy needs of
up to five homes. The turbine costs $12,000 installed.
Oak
Electric has installed a number of these throughout Metro Detroit,
especially in the Ann Arbor area. It also installs other wind turbines
and solar energy systems. It's in the process of installing a five
kilowatt solar system at its headquarters, where it already has energy
efficient lighting. All of these are products the 11-person firm sells.
"We've got some jobs out there," Pipia says.
Source: Gary Pipia, president of Oak Electric
Writer: Jon Zemke
U.S. DOT names Woodward an All-American Road
Source: metromode, 10/22/2009
Woodward Avenue has always been known as
Michigan's Main Street, so it should be a no-brainer that it's now an
All-American Road. That's the conclusion the U.S. Dept. of
Transportation came to this week.
Woodward is now one of 37
byways in the U.S. that is designated as an All-American Road, part of
the U.S. Dept of Transportation's National Scenic Byways Program.
Staff at the Woodward Avenue Action Association expect the new
designation to bump up tourism and investment dollars along the
corridor.
"It raises the profile of Woodward Avenue not only in
America but around the world," says Nicole Brown, outreach and
promotions coordinator with the Woodward Avenue Action Association.
What
sets Woodward apart is its heritage as the home to the U.S. automotive
industry. Historic places like the Ford Piquette Plant (where the first
Model Ts were made) in Highland Park show the area's importance in the
story of the United States. New signage describing this history and the
new designation are expected to be erected along Woodward next summer.
"It's always the story the road tells that can't be duplicated anywhere else that sets it apart," Brown says.
Source: Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator with the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland, Wayne counties host home-buying/retention seminars
Source: metromode, 10/22/2009
Oakland and Wayne counties are diving headfirst into the home-ownership seminar game. Both have held these seminars as a way of stemming the current foreclosure tide.
Oakland County will host another "My Home – My Future Home Ownership Retention Seminar" on Nov. 9. The free event will feature experts giving advice on how families can stop their most valuable assets from becoming bank defaults. The idea is that preventing more foreclosures will mitigate blight and erosion of the local tax base.
The Oakland County seminar will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Southfield Public Library, 26300 Evergreen Road. For information, call Oakland County Housing Counseling at (888) 350-0900 ext. 85402.
Not to be outdone, Wayne County recently held a "Foreclosure Prevention and Protecting Your Home Investment" seminar in Redford Township. That seminar looked at people seeking advice on a case-by-case basis and incorporated the United Way's 2-1-1 system.
Source: Wayne and Oakland counties
Writer: Jon Zemke
More Slows Bar BQ is cooking with new Midtown carry-out location
Source: Model D, 10/22/2009
It's been a minute, but Slows is making some headway at creating its Midtown Detroit location a reality.
Excerpt:
Slows Bar BQ
has received the financing necessary to complete the build-out at its
second location, at the northwest corner of Alexandrine and Cass Ave.
in Midtown.The 6,000-square-foot building will be used for carry-out,
catering, and as the primary smoking facility for the Midtown location
and its Corktown brother.
After permits and approvals are in hand, construction will begin, hopefully in December; the spot should be open in summer 2010.
Read the rest of the story here.
A3C installs solar panels on downtown Ann Arbor office
Source: Concentrate, 10/22/2009
A3C is making the sun shine a bit
brighter and work a bit harder in downtown Ann Arbor these days, thanks
to its new solar panels.
Excerpt:
Just when you thought A3C Collaborative Architecture's downtown Ann Arbor headquarters couldn't get any greener, it did.
The Gold LEED
certified structure on 210 Huron Avenue is putting the finishing
touches on the installation of three new solar panels on its roof. Each
solar panel will serve as an example of just what type of
environmentally friendly options are available to A3C's customers.
"It
demonstrates some of the great renewable energy systems out there,"
says Dan Jacobs, founding principal and director of sustainable design
for A3C Collaborative Architecture.
Read the rest of the story here.
EMU begins work on new indoor practice facility
Source: Concentrate, 10/22/2009
Athletes are about to get a new place to run around in in Ypsilanti.
Excerpt:
A lot of athletes in Ypsilanti are going to have a warm place to play year round now that Eastern Michigan University has started work on its new indoor practice facility.
The $3.9 million project features a 1,000-square-foot welcome center and 86,000 square feet of playing space. That athletic area is versatile enough to support a number of different sports.
"It provides a state-of-the-art facility that can be used by all of our teams," says Walter Kraft, vice president of communications for Eastern Michigan University. "It's big enough for soccer, football, and golf. All of our teams can use it."
Read the rest of the story here.