2008 – Page 2 of 152

Lincoln Park preservation group goes viral with video to save buildings

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December 18, 2008

The Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance is going beyond meetings, petitions and fliers to save buildings in its downriver downtown. The group has launched a video on YouTube to call attention to historic buildings in need of redevelopment. (video below)Martin Roberts of Eye of Ra Productions created the video highlighting historic structures along downtown's Fort Street corridor in danger of being swept into history's dustbin. Among the featured buildings is the Park Theatre, designed and built in 1925 by C. Howard Crane of Fox Theatre fame. Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency plans to raze it and replace it with a mixed-use development.Other historic structures include the Mellus Newspapers Building, the northwest block of Fort Street from Southfield Road to Arlington and the National City Bank Building. The alliance is working to preserve all of these historic buildings but local officials or developers have other ideas for that land that mostly means bulldozing them.For information on these preservation efforts, contact Leslie Lynch-Wilson at lalynch@wideopenwest.com or (313) 598-3137.Source: Leslie Lynch-Wilson, president of the Lincoln Park Preservation AllianceWriter: Jon Zemke

Detroit’s Lee Plaza building shopped to developers

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Arts & Culture

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December 18, 2008

Detroit's Lee Plaza might have some life left in it yet as the city shops it to potential developers.Excerpt:Lee Plaza may just see new life: Its owner, the City Housing Commission, is looking to work with a viable developer to build the financing necessary to revive the property. In the case that the numbers could be made to work, the agency would part with the building for $1.Built in 1929, the 15-story Art Deco tower is located on West Grand Boulevard and has sat vacant for since the early 1990s. Mildred Robbins of the West Grand Blvd. Collaborative has hopes that a renovated Lee Plaza would be of great benefit to the neighborhood. "If something were to come of this, it could create a revitalized environment," she says. "It can mean jobs, sustainability, more community in terms of businesses, retail and housing."Read the rest of the story here.

Developer turns old industrial building in Ferndale into creative class center

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Arts & Culture

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December 18, 2008

What was once old, dirty and stained is now new, edgy and hip in Ferndale.GVA Detroit has turned what was once an old mid-20th Century industrial building into a mixed-use building, complete with loft-style office space on Hilton Street between 8 and 9 mile roads. "We're trying to get the creative class to come there," says Jennifer Roosenberg, marketing and communications manager for GVA Detroit.The Southfield-based firm bought what it now calls the Zicor Building three years ago and completely gutted the structure so the only original pieces left are the walls, roof and floor."It was in pretty rough shape," Roosenberg says.The city rezoned the property for mixed-use, giving GVA Detroit a lot of flexibility on what it could do there. It's part of the reason why the developer left the units raw so the prospective tenants have more options on customizing the space. It has led to a lot of loft-life offices, with high ceilings, exposed ductwork and wide open spaces.The 15,000-square-foot building is divided into eight units over two floors. So far about 25 percent of the structure is occupied and another large tenant is close to signing. One of the tenants is a payroll company for the film industry that just opened a Michigan office.Source: Jennifer Roosenberg, marketing and communications manager for GVA DetroitWriter: Jon Zemke

Workers finish restoring Midway Theater façade in Dearborn

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Arts & Culture

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December 18, 2008

A little bit of Art Deco has returned to Dearborn's east downtown now that the façade of the Midway Theater has been restored.Work crews are done with the project for the season and only have a finishing touch or two to put on the converted cinema at 4915 Schaefer Road."We're going to put some sealer on it later when it gets warmer," says Mustapha Hannawi, the designer and contractor on the restoration.Local businessman Ahmed Chebbani owns the historic Midway Theater and is restoring its exterior to its original 1936 appearance. The $75,000 project repaired or replaced most of the original stonework.The 2-story building's interior is completely different. The structure ceased to be a movie theater in the mid 1970s, becoming an office building. Today the 18,000-square-foot building has offices on the second floor and a family entertainment center is planned for the first floor.Source: Mustapha Hannawi, the designer and contractor on the Midway Theater façade restoration Writer: Jon Zemke

Plans for The Madison make it leaner, meaner and more palatable to Ann Arbor City Council

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Economic Development

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December 18, 2008

The Madison is making a comeback in downtown Ann Arbor. Excerpt: Back again for the first time, it's The Madison. But the downtown development isn't bigger and better. This time it's a bit leaner and meaner. Jeff Helminski, the developer, has cut the plans down from 14 stories to four after the Ann Arbor Planning Commission recommended rejecting the original plans. That means the number of rental apartments has been chopped from 161 to about 60. Read the rest of the story here.

Work wraps up on SPARK incubator in Ypsilanti

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Arts & Culture

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December 18, 2008

Construction is wrapping up on a couple of key projects in downtown Ypsilanti. Excerpt: The finishing touches are being put on two major projects in downtown Ypsilanti, both of which are set to open soon - almost in time to ring in the New Year. Maurer Management & Properties, a local family owned firm, has done all of the heaving lifting for Ann Arbor SPARK's new East Incubator and the retail space in the old Kresge building. The workers are painting the walls and getting ready to roll down the carpeting for SPARK in the Mack & Mack building. They are also moving in the last pieces of the kitchen for the J Neil’s Mongolian Grille and Keystone Martini Bar in the Kresge. "We're in the last two weeks of it," says Eric Maurer, co-owner of Maurer Management & Properties. "They should be in by January." Read the rest of the story here.

Woodward Action looks to help fund next streetscape project

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Arts & Culture

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December 18, 2008

The Woodward Avenue Action Association wants to help the communities along Michigan's Main Street put their best face forward with its new streetscape grant program.The association recently received $160,000 from the Federal Highway Administration to help fund streetscape design or improvements along the Woodward Avenue corridor."We are looking for projects that will actually come to life," says Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association. The grants will range between $10,000 and $50,000. The projects can be for things like crosswalk improvements, new signage or decorative streetlights. Applicants can be either municipalities or non-profits that border the Woodward corridor.Applications are due by Jan. 16. For information, call (248) 288-2004.Source: Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action AssociationWriter: Jon Zemke

Motor City Interactive moves to downtown Brighton, expands staff

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Technology & Innovation

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December 18, 2008

Motor City Interactive is moving on up to the far west side. The Internet marketing company has moved its headquarters to the heart of downtown Brighton to give its expanded staff more room to expand. The company has grown to five people since its founding in 2001. It expects to add another two employees early next year. "That's 40 percent growth, which is pretty significant," says Patrick McLaughlin, spokesman for Motor City Interactive. Motor City Interactive provides digital and Internet-based services, ranging from email marketing campaigns and search-engine optimization strategies. The firm is currently focusing on its "Help You Build" program, which helps small businesses design and create websites. Among the company's clients are developer Schostak Brothers, HoMedics (a personal care product company) and KissAutoAuction.com. Source: Patrick McLaughlin, spokesman for Motor City Interactive Writer: Jon Zemke

S3 Entertainment Group creates $10 million financing fund for film

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Arts & Culture

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December 18, 2008

The credit crunch may be threatening the local auto industry but it's creating opportunity for at least one local film-industry firm. S3 Entertainment Group has created a $10 million financing fund for film productions in Michigan called, surprise, Michigan Film Finance.The idea is to help filmmakers in need of financing for their projects with the expectation of double-digit returns. So far the Ferndale-based firm is the only company in Michigan providing such financing for filmmakers to take advantage of Michigan's film incentives. S3 is also working with other lenders to originate, process, and disburse loans for productions.The money can be used for a broad range of needs, such as renting film equipment. S3 supplies numerous production services and equipment to filmmakers. It has worked on a number of major films shot locally, such as Gran Torino, The Butterfly Effect 3, Whip It! and Youth in Revolt.S3's business has taken off since Michigan approved its film incentives. It cuts paychecks to seven people and its subsidiaries employ about 80 more. The plan is to extend its employee base to 200 people by handling 15-20 major films per year. Source: Meghan Edwards, spokeswoman for S3 Entertainment GroupWriter: Jon Zemke

After 5 Detroit launches new website spin-off, Connect After 5

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Community Development

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December 18, 2008

After 5 Detroit is expanding, creating another website of a similar name. Excerpt: After 5 Detroit has become so successful it's spinning out subsidiaries. The latest addition is Connect After 5, a web site aimed more at businesses than people. The idea is to help area employers attract and retain young professional talent and boost employee morale by helping organize after work events, like a broomball tournament at Campus Martius for the likes of Compuware, Ernst & Young, Miller Canfield, Health Plan of MI and Marketing Associates. "We create fun events and opportunities for the employees to engage in outside of company walls," says Kerry Doman, founder & CEO of After 5 Detroit. Read the rest of the story here.