Coverage of projects, big and small, and the people who create them, which promote the economic health of a community, including manufacturing, retail, office, and hospitality developments.
You don't have to fly to California, France or Italy to experience wine country. A mere hop, skip and jump over the international border is Lake Erie's North Shore. With more than a dozen wineries, Ontario's best-kept secret is quickly developing into the perfect weekend destination for Metro Detroiters. Let Metromode be your guide.
After receiving feedback from the community, the Woodward Light Rail project will hopefully be taking another step forward in the next few months in regards to its design.With several plans suggested, Transportation Riders United (TRU) is advocating that the train run in the left lane of the road whenever possible, instead of sharing the right lane and running the risk of being delayed behind parked cars, buses, and other traffic impediments, says TRU Director Megan Owens.One of the major details of the plan that still has to be worked out: Where the track should be laid on Woodward? According to TRU's research, a quicker and more reliable system comes from track in the center lane."A challenge is finding a balance between being a downtown circulator, and also wanting to have the beginning of real rapid transit," Owens says. "If you're going more than a mile or two, you want it to be quick enough to be convenient for you."The public comment period ends Monday; visit TRU's website for more information. Owens says it will probably take a few months to compile the information and then proceed."We're not quite breaking ground yet, but this is a critical step forward," she says of the light rail.Other upcoming meetings address Michigan's rail transit from a broader sense. The Michigan Department of Transportation is developing a Michigan State Rail Plan to build a long-term vision for both passenger and freight rail transportation throughout the state; a public meeting is set for 4-7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at Michigan State University's Detroit Center, 3408 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Michigan by Rail is also hosting a public forum Wednesday at Fairlane Center South, at U-M Dearborn, from 6-8 p.m., to discuss present and possible future rail systems.Amtrak exists for passenger service, plus there are freight tracks, but not really a plan for using that resource throughout the state, Owens says. Wednesday's meeting will discuss some of the places in Michigan people would like to be able to visit by train and how that could best be done. One example is a way to get up north on the weekend without sitting in traffic on I-75.High-speed regional trains, commuter trains, light rail, and buses all play a part in mass transit. "It really all fits into the similar idea of giving people in Michigan, and in Detroit, choices as to how to get around," she says. "We can't do everything all at once, but it is important to continue to support and advance all these different transportation options."Plus, the benefits go beyond easy transit: jobs, revitalization of urban areas, decrease in air pollution, and less dependence on foreign oil. "It's costly and complicated to get all the pieces done, but to have the future we want for our city, we really need all these options," Owens says.Source: Megan Owens, director of Transportation Riders UnitedWriter: Kristin Lukowski
Exterior improvements are wrapping up at Oakland Community College's Royal Oak campus.The four exterior entrance ways couldn't all be done at the same time, since the building was continuously used for classes; hence the project's November-to-present timeline. Work on the fourth entrance at the corner of Lincoln and Washington is almost done and should be completely wrapped up by this November, says OCC spokesman George Cartsonis.The $1.5 million project also includes outdoor lighting and landscaping, and was funded through the college's property tax millage, earmarked for building restorations, technology upgrades, scholarships and development of new academic programs. "It has dressed up the entrances, and makes the campus even more welcoming than it was before," Cartsonis says.Source: George Cartsonis, spokesman for Oakland Community CollegeWriter: Kristin Lukowski
The landmark Detroit Zoo water tower got a facelift just in time for fall.The colorful tower, at Woodward Avenue and 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak, had the existing graphic steamed off. The tower was then power washed and scraped, and then given a new design. The design hews to the original theme of animals and humans walking across a plain at dusk, but this time the elephant was replaced with a rhino. (Detroit's elephants have since retired to a sanctuary.) The $200,000 makeover was finished Aug. 24."The water tower -- one of the most visible landmarks in the region -- was in desperate need of work, both structurally and aesthetically, for some time," Patricia Mills Janeway, the zoo's communication director, writes in an e-mail. It had been 12 years since the tower was last wrapped.The work took a little longer than expected due to inclement weather, but the end result was worth it: "We are very happy with the way it turned out," she adds. "Many of our visitors, members, donors and neighbors have told us that they are happy we kept the 'critter parade' design."The tower no longer stores water; its only purpose is a giant billboard. Janeway estimates the advertising value of the tower at more than $100,000.Source: Patricia Mills Janeway, communications director for the Detroit ZooWriter: Kristin Lukowski
Oakland University is celebrating its new building, and future satellite campus, in downtown Mt. Clemens with a reception to turn over the building's keys.Developers Gebran S. Anton and Stuart Frankel have been vacating the Towne Square Building, 20 South Main Street, after announcing that it would be given to the university to be used as classrooms. The building, valued at about $2 million, was built in 1984. It's two stories, 25,422 square feet, and constructed of brick and glass.The reception will be from 10-11:30 a.m. Sept. 22.Minor renovations will be needed to convert the space from offices to classrooms, and the university is working with Macomb County to utilize Neighborhood Stabilization funding, available through U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants. A total is still being worked out; the final amount could determine if the building will be open in time for summer classes or fall classes.Arthur Mullen, executive director of the Mt. Clemens Downtown Development Authority, used a variety of adjectives to describe how he feels about the university's new building coming to the area: geeked, stoked, thrilled. "We're glowing with excitement," he says. "I think having students in our downtown helps our redevelopment efforts along drastically."He also plans on putting together a residential website for students and other people interested in living there to allow them to explore the houses available within a quick walk of the classroom building. "We want to encourage young adults to move into downtown, and use our downtown," he says.Source: Arthur Mullen, executive director, Mt. Clemens Downtown Development Authority; Oakland UniversityWriter: Kristin Lukowski
Patti Engineering is getting ready to expand its staff at home after growing its footprint across the nation.The Auburn Hills-based company recently opened offices in Massachusetts and Texas over the last year. It is now planning to add to its staff of 34 employees and four interns. If sales continue to rise this year, Patti Engineering expects to hire another 10-11 people over the next year."2010 has been so much better than 2009," says Sam Hoff, CEO of Patti Engineering. "We have been concentrating on marketing and sales."Add partnerships to that list. The control systems integration company has recently been named a Siemens Solution Partner by Siemens Industry. The partnership will allow employees from both firms to work jointly so they can expand market share. "It legitimizes what we have been doing with Siemens for the last five years," Hoss says.Hoff started the company with his wife Patti in 1991 after he left his job and had trouble finding another. A colleague didn't have room for Hoff on his business' staff, but offered to use Hoff's services if he started his own firm. Today that company is Patti Engineering.Source: Sam Hoff, CEO of Patti EngineeringWriter: Jon Zemke
The number of loans from the First Step Fund has now hit double digits and is expected to go higher soon.The TechTown-based microloan fund has made small loans to 10 companies across southeast Michigan. Those companies range from the Jimmy Kicks custom shoe operation in Detroit to Ann Arbor-based grant writing software firm InfoReady. "We have been thrilled with the quality and quantity of applications," says Matthew Naegle, an associate with the First Step Fund.Among the other companies to receive loans so far are Clean Emission Fluids (Detroit), Current Motor Company (Ann Arbor), Launch Learning Group (Detroit), Livio Radio (Ferndale), NextCat (Detroit), Air Movement Systems (Detroit), Coliant Corporation, and Bandals (Rochester Hills). More than half a million dollars in loans have gone to these companies over the summer.Invest Detroit and Ann Arbor SPARK, which runs the Michigan Micro Loan Fund, created the First Step Fund earlier this year. The idea is to create a funding source for local start-ups starving for seed capital. The current credit crisis has resulted in traditional lending institutions cutting back on investment capital.Each loan averages about $50,000 and is either short-term or in the form of a convertible note. Proceeds are usually used to push forward product development or expand inventory. Loan recipients are picked by a board independent of TechTown. Source: Matthew Naegle, an associate with the First Step FundWriter: Jon Zemke
Matt Dahn and Tony Castiglione are two guys who like to play the stock market. They're also two guys who are using their considerable skill creating a start-up, Quantitative Capital Group, that is rooted in stock trading.The two friends have been working on a new piece of software that takes the highs and lows out of the stock market. They're calling it a quantitative trading system, and they believe it will provide a smoother mental ride to trading on the stock market."We have been in different trading floors with different trading teams and we saw a need for technology that takes the emotion out of trading," Dahn says.The duo have just started putting this together at the NextWave small business incubator in Troy earlier this summer. They expect to add a few programmers this fall and finish a prototype within 60 days. They expect to continue growing their start-up within the newly established incubator over the next year."NextWave came along at the right time," Castiglione says. "It's a really good fit."Source: Matt Dahn and Tony Castiglione, co-founders of Quantitative Capital GroupWriter: Jon Zemke
Dr. Paul Ehrmann's mission is simple: He wants to affect the next 125 years of your life. His plan is not to fight weight loss but to promote a healthier lifestyle.
The economy hit pushtwentytwo like most other businesses in 2008-09, but now the public relations/marketing agency is on the rebound and hiring.The 6-year-old company recently added two positions in its downtown Pontiac headquarters and is looking for two more in administration and graphic design. It currently employs 14 people and the occasional independent contractor or intern. It expects to make 2-4 more hires over the next year. That's on top of the company's revenue growing by 25-30 percent since the recession hit its peak. But pushtwentytwo's leadership is being a bit cautious as the economic recovery begins to take hold."As much as our clients are spending money again they are being very careful, so we have to be very accountable," says Mike Verville, partner with pushtwentytwo.The firm is expanding its online presence to fuel growth by moving into more Internet services, such as web development and social media. "There are a lot of opportunities for companies looking to enter the digital space, and companies that have been quiet for a while."Source: Mike Verville, partner with pushtwentytwoWriter: Jon Zemke
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