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

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

When it comes to downtowns, Ferndale and Rochester came home with all of the hardware at the 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

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 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

Oakland County has applied for a hefty sum of money to make buildings more energy efficient.

Excerpt:

Oakland County has applied for $4.8 million in federal grants to make county buildings more energy efficient through technologies such as LED lights, geothermal heating and cooling and solar panels to heat water.

The county has been working on its application with the U.S. Department of Energy to ensure projects qualify and expects to confirm the grant soon.

"We're going to get it," Deputy County Executive Phil Bertolini said. "We've been working with them very closely."

About 20% of the money would go toward a new terminal project at the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford.

"The idea is to use the terminal to showcase all of the green technologies," said Art Holdsworth, director of facilities management.

Read the entire article here.

The Nine Mile bridge across I-75 has put a dent in businesses in the area but once it is rebuilt it'll be bigger and better for everybody.

Excerpt:

After slapping on a hard hat and donning a reflective vest, I recently took an MDOT tour of the project to replace the Nine Mile Bridge over Interstate 75 in Hazel Park.

As you remember, the bridge was destroyed when a gasoline tanker crashed and exploded beneath the span in July.

MDOT had originally planned to replace the bridge with a duplicate span, but then decided to construct a larger bridge in anticipation of the future widening of the freeway.

Crews from Toebe Construction, based in Wixom, have been working 24/7 on the project.
MDOT is trying to have the bridge reopened by Christmas, which would be welcome news for Karim Yousif, owner of J&E Auto Service, a heartbeat or two west of the bridge.

Read the entire article here.

The 650-square-foot space for Monica Bowman's new gallery is no stranger to art. Its location above Woodward Percussion has served as studio space for artists for years and is now home to The Butcher's Daughter gallery.

"Ferndale has an established gallery syndicate," Bowman says. "It's a great, open-minded, diverse community that loves art. I want to capitalize on what it already has going for it."

Bowman named the art gallery after herself. She is the sister, daughter, and granddaughter of butchers. The Butcher's Daughter moniker just makes sense for those who know Bowman, not to mention it sounds cool.

The gallery will focus on contemporary art from emerging artists in the Detroit and Washington D.C. area. The work of Lisa Marie Thalhammer will be on view through November 25.

Source: Monica Bowman, owner and director of The Butcher's Daughter
Writer: Jon Zemke