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Rockstar Digital expands staff, work into LED signs

By Newsroom

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General

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January 15, 2015

Ever want to use your big-screen TV as a tablet computer? Surf for information with a touch of a fingertip on a screen with plenty of space for information? A Sterling Heights-based company is making that happen. Rockstar Digital is turning large, flatscreen TVs into interactive displays. That includes everything from use one to help customers navigate the car-buying maze in an automotive dealership or finding their favorite store in their mall. "We're creating a 70-inch, 3-D map of the mall," says Robby Dhillon, president of Rockstar Digital. Dhillon is a recent graduate of Kettering University in electrical and computer engineering. He saw the rise of LED technology in 2007 and worked to created a software point of sale platform for Lady Jane. A little more than a year ago he launched Rockstar Digital with the idea of combing different sectors of cutting-edge technology. "I wanted to do something that wasn't just software but software and hardware," Dhillon says. Today the company has a staff of 12 employees and an intern. That team is working on turning 70-inch flatscreen panel into wayfinding machines for everything from businesses to city streetscapes. Check out a video of how it works here. Source: Robby Dhillon, president of Rockstar Digital Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Youngsoft adds new hires, clients, shoots for 20 percent growth

By Newsroom

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General

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January 15, 2015

Youngsoft is a software firm but it has found itself in the addition business as of late. The Wixom-based company is adding new clients, new hires, and new revenue. Youngsoft specializes in IT, software and consulting services, such as staffing, application development, and niche software practices. It services a number of different industries and has 400 employees in offices in North America and India. "We have been in a hiring mode," says Amy Courter, senior vice president of sales & marketing for Youngsoft. Courter is one of those new hires. She has served in executive positions at Valassis and most recently at VisionIT as its CIO. The 20-year-old company has hired a dozen people over the last year. It currently employs 200 in the U.S., including 73 in Michigan. Courter expects that sort of growth to continue in 2015. Youngsoft grew its revenue by 20 percent in 2014 and expects to hit that number again in 2015. It achieved that by adding a dozen new customers over the last year. Today eight of the company's 20 largest customers are newly acquired. "We're always adding more customers," Courter says. Source: Amy Courter, senior vice president of sales & marketing for Youngsoft Writer: Jon Zemke

Royal Oak gets web-savvy parking meters

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 15, 2015

You know the future is now when even the dreaded parking meter has an app and happily accepts internet transactions. Excerpt: The sticker represents Royal Oak’s partnership with Parkmobile, a parking payment provider that allows visitors to conduct parking transactions via their smart phones. Users can pay for parking through the internet, a mobile application or a toll-free number. There also are options for users to receive alerts to notify them when the time on the meter is set to expire. Read the rest here.

DDOT to get 80 new buses, real-time app

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 15, 2015

Detroit bus service is entering the new millennium with a fleet of new buses outfitted with GPS technology and an app for riders. Excerpt: "The city says 10 of the buses from the fresh fleet will be longer, 60-foot articulated buses that provide additional capacity on DDOT's busiest routes. The other 70 will be standard 40-foot buses. The new fleet arrives thanks to a $38 million in federal grants, with the Michigan Department of Transportation kicking in the necessary amount in local matching funds. " Read the rest here.

Creating an alternative transportation system requires more than less cars

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 15, 2015

The challenge to building a city that truly offers alternative transportation amenities means reconciling some difficult relationships. CityLab sums up the issues with transitioning to a multimodal community. Excerpt: "Supporting many modes requires including multiple actors in the planning process, all with different priorities and preferences. More travel choices also means private entrepreneurs will take the lead on some services normally offered by the public sector: from taxi or bus services to parking management to goods movement. And with the benefits of redefining and reallocating street space in a multi-modal system come new political problems in terms of fighting for that space, too." Read the rest here.

NBC spotlights Dearborn’s success with assimilation

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 15, 2015

NBC visits Dearborn, MI to look at what successful assimilation looks like with regard to to the immigrant Muslim community. ?Watch here.

Indie film destination Maple Theater renovates, adds second location

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Arts & Culture

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January 15, 2015

The Maple Theater in Bloomfield Hills is undergoing a second round of renovations and bringing on a partner theater, The Riviera, which is scheduled to open in Farmington Hills in May. The Maple, which was built in 1977 and eventually made the best of being too small to show most large run commercial films by featuring independent films, will have a larger lobby and lounge to add to the comfort of patrons. The renovations are expected to be completed by April. The theater, which is operated by Cloud Nine Partners LLC, was renovated to add a coffee bar and cafe in 2012, when Cloud Nine bought the three-screen theater from Landmark Theaters. The theater will remain fully operational during renovations. In the meantime, construction will begin Feb. 1 on The Riviera at 9 Mile Road west of Middlebelt in Farmington Hills. "We're very excited about this," says Ruth Daniels of Cloud Nine. "Michigan is a wonderful state for movie-going. It actually has more independent theaters than most states. And let's face it who doesn't love something new and updated." The Riviera, which is owned in partnership by Cloud 9 and Dipson Theaters, an operator eight movie theaters in Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania, will have nine screens and a screening room for private parties and corporate events. Dipson operates the theater that will be replaced by The Riviera. The existing theater closes at the end of the month. Birmingham design firm, Ron and Roman, will design the new theater, which will reelect a luxury feel, a cocktail lounge, specialty food menu and premium comfort, convenience and technology. Ron & Roman is also redesigning the Maple Theater. "It will be a very drastic change," Daniels says of the changes happening at the movie theater that will become The Riviera. "A movie is all about the experience and we want to give the best possible movie-going experience. I go across the country and see some of the amazing things people are doing with theaters," she says. " This is going to be amazing." Source: Ruth Daniels, Cloud Nine Partners LLC Writer: Kim North Shine

Lincoln Park Lofts ready for downtown residents and retailers

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 15, 2015

A former movie theater and adult club on Lincoln Park's main street are gone and in their place is a new residential loft and retail development. The grand opening of Lincoln Park Lofts on Fort Street at O'Connor is being celebrated Jan. 15. The project headed by the Wayne Metro Community Action Agency is a mix of historic rehab and new construction and is meant to offer affordable housing and retail space in place of the historic vacant Park Theater, which was a family draw before closing in the 70s. In the 80s it became the Hustler adult club until closing in 2008. The facade and marquee of the theater were saved and incorporated into the new development. The marquee is expected to be restored and re-lit eventually. Inside the former theater construction is nearing completion on 12 residential lofts. On the ground floor are two 1,200-square-foot retail spaces. Behind the former theater is a new building that houses 24 condos with ground level parking. The condos are fully occupied. "We are thrilled to have the Lincoln park lofts opening in our downtown. This is a project that has been a long time coming," says Madhu Oberoi, executive director of the city's downtown development authority. The project has been in development since at least 2009, when developer Louis Piszker, CEO of Wayne Metro Community Action Agency, told metromode, "It will stand out as an exciting entry point to downtown Lincoln Park. "We're looking at this project as a seed or catalyst to revitalize the downtown of the city." Today, Oberoi says his prediction holds true even as local preservationists fight plans to demolish a 1920s-era dime store just down the street from the lofts. The Neisner dime store would be replaced with a Save A Lot grocer. "This will provide a 24/7 resident population in the downtown which is extremely important for downtowns to survive," says Oberoi. "This is expected to generate walkable activity and need for support services to serve the downtown...Hopefully this project will provide a catalyst for other retail type businesses to locate in the downtown." Source: Madhu Oberoi, executive director, Lincoln Park Downtown Development Authority Writer: Kim North Shine  

Institution of Dance Arts opens in Ferndale

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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January 8, 2015

The new Institution of Dance Arts, Ferndale's only traditional dance class studio, is building a following of customers who want to learn dance as well as the skills it imparts imparts in their lives outside the studio. Owner Ida Lowback opened the studio several weeks ago at 701 Woodward Heights, Ste. 130. She and her four instructors and occasional staff guest artist teach several genres of dance and pilots to all ages. "Can you believe that the city of Ferndale has not had a studio offering traditional dance classes up until now?  Well, we are here now and excited to fill the void and share our passion for dance," says Lowback. The business inside a renovated office building, which looks like a former school. The cheery yellow paint on the inside opens onto a studio that was built with a sprung sub floor and a Marley floor covering, both of which make dance more comfortable, effective and safe than regular flooring. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Ida Lowback, founder, The Institution of Dance Arts

Vodka, gin distillery, tastng room planned for Royal Oak

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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January 8, 2015

Royal Oak may soon be home to small distillery and tasting room. Five Lakes Distillery received a small distiller license from the city commission this week, paving the way for owners Craig Schlicht and Keith Reid to make vodka, initially, and then, eventually, gin from a small space at 4320 Rochester Road. The plan is to produce vodka on site, 90 percent of it for distribution, 10 percent on site for the weekend-only tasting room, which will take up 190 square feet of the 855-square-foot facility. The owners have a permit to produce up to 60,000 gallons of spirits per year, says Todd Fenton, the city's manager of economic development, but as of now they expect to produce closer to 6,000 gallons. No opening date has been set as other city permits are still required. If successful, Five Lakes could join metro-Detroit-made spirits success stories such as Valentine Vodka in Ferndale, Hard Luck Candy Vodka in St. Clair Shores, Griffin Claw Brewing Co. in Birmingham and Zim's Vodka based in Warren. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Todd Fenton, economic development manager, city of Royal Oak