Economic Development

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.

EMU to begin Pray-Harrold renovation this spring

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January 28, 2010

Eastern Michigan University is gearing up for another big renovation as part of its campus renewal.Excerpt:Construction crews are gearing up to start work on the Pray-Harrold Building at Eastern Michigan University.Work on the $42 million renovation project is expected to begin this spring. Construction workers will be replacing many of the core systems in the building, such as electrical and mechanical. This will be the first significant work done on the building since it was built in 1969.Read the rest of the story here.

Latest in Economic Development

United Solar Ovonic wins $13M in stimulus funds, to add 600 jobs

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Arts & Culture

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January 28, 2010

Uncle Sam wants United Solar Ovonic to spend his federal stimulus money wisely and create green technology and jobs. It's a task the Rochester Hills-based firm believes it's up to.The solar panel laminate firm recently received a $13.275 million tax credit as part of the company's planned investment into its Auburn Hills-based manufacturing plant. The plan is for the upgrade to both increase the efficiency of manufacturing the solar panels and to drive down the manufacturing costs. And it's expected to create about 600 jobs in Michigan.United Solar Ovonic is a subsidiary of Rochester Hills-based Energy Conversion Devices. The company makes thin film solar panel material that can be used in roof materials to create renewable energy.Source: United Solar OvonicWriter: Jon Zemke

Lockhart’s BBQ to add more flavor to downtown Royal Oak

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January 28, 2010

The nightlife in downtown Royal Oak is about to get a little more flavorful now that a new restaurant is getting ready to open.Drew Ciora, owner of the Royal Oak Brewery and Detroit Beer Company, plans to open a barbeque restaurant next to his Royal Oak Brewery in downtown Royal Oak. Lockhart's BBQ will specialize in traditional southern barbeque that is smoked and made to order on site."It's something I have always had a passion for and this is something I have always wanted to open," says Ciora, a Texas native who moved to Metro Detroit in 1995.The restaurant will go in the ground floor of the old Consumers Gas building at 202 E Third St., kitty corner from the Royal Oak Brewery. The 1920s-era building was recently renovated by Wold Architects and Engineers, which occupies the second floor.Lockhart's BBQ will occupy 5,000 square feet on the ground floor, which equates to enough room to seat 147 people if you include the planned outside patio. The $700,000 project is expected to start this week and wrap up before Memorial Day. Stephen Auger + Associates Architects is designing the interior of the restaurant.Source: Drew Ciora, owner of Lockhart's BBQ and Chris Aller, principal of Stephen Auger + AssociatesWriter: Jon Zemke

Saving Michigan with a green evolution

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Community Development

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January 28, 2010

It sure does seem as if it is going to happen, the greening of Michigan's jobs that is, with all the press surrounding it. But there are several key indicators that go beyond just news stories, and a few of them are in this piece. Excerpt: As the greening of business continues, one industry that is currently not doing so well is slowly planting its seeds of tomorrow. The auto industry will be the one to truly drive the green industrial revolution. Here is why: Currently, the state of Michigan has an enormous amount of engineers who are looking for jobs. Taking a look at the 2010 International Auto Show, and we see that electric cars are continuing to take the lead in automobile development. It is not necessarily the big car companies that will start the revolution. Many smaller companies are being helped out by big government loans and grants. A California-based company with a branch in Michigan, Tesla is quickly becoming a leader in electric car development. The company could very well be the first to the market with an affordable long range car. Furthermore, some new faces are arriving on the green car scene, including ALTe which is set to open a huge facility in Michigan. One does not need to look solely at the auto industry. Wind turbine manufacturing is set to start taking off in a big way. As of this year, the government is paying out billions for development and manufacturing of turbines. The turbine industry should be able to supplement the flailing manufacturing companies in the beleaguered state. Read the entire article here.

Birmingham-Troy transit center nets another $250K in stimulus funds

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January 28, 2010

Money is starting to pile up for the Birmingham-Troy transit center now that backers for it have netted another $250,000 in federal stimulus dollars.That brings the total raised to a little more than $1.5 million for the $7 million project that will serve as the transit hub on the border between the two cities for rail, bus, auto, bike and pedestrian transportation systems. And much more funding is potentially on the way.Organizers behind the project are trying to dip into two large pots of government money from the federal stimulus program. That includes the TIGER program, which represents $1.5 billion in discretionary spending for mass transit and the high-speed rail funds for Michigan. Competition for both funds is fierce and is at the discretion of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, but local organizers are optimistic that either one of these could fit the rest of the transit center's bill."There is a huge national competition for these funds but we feel we have a credible application for both programs," says Dan Beattie, director of federal affairs for Clark Hill, a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm representing Troy and Birmingham in the project.The two cities plan to create the transit center on the Birmingham side of the border between the cities. About $4 million would be set aside for the center, while the rest would be used to build a pedestrian tunnel underneath the tracks. The center will facilitate traffic from pedestrians, bicyclists, automobiles, buses, and the planned northern extension of the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line. There has also been talk of creating an east-west streetcar line to connect the station to Birmingham's downtown and Troy's Somerset Collection mall.The proposed site is in Birmingham's emerging Rail District. The cities plan to create a transit oriented development district around the station that would roughly be bordered by Crooks, Adams, and Maple Roads and Lincoln Street.Source: Dan Beattie, director of federal affairs for Clark HillWriter: Jon Zemke

Corridor Sausage Co. to bring homemade links to Cass Ave.

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Community Development

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January 28, 2010

Detroit's Midtown is turning into a bit of a food mecca as it gentrifies. The latest entry into the mix is the Corridor Sausage Co., which comes from the people who make the food at The Whitney famous.Excerpt:Will Branch and Zach Klein will open Corridor Sausage Co. in Willys Overland Lofts on Canfield, next to Traffic Jam and Snug, in September 2010. They currently rent production space in Howell and make small batches for a handful of restaurants in Ann Arbor and Detroit, and their tasso ham is available for purchase at Avalon International Breads.Ultimately, their 2,000-square-foot space inside Willys will offer fresh and smoked sausages, cured meats and other meat-based products. Besides traditional recipes, they specialize in slightly left-of-center charcuterie -- think lamb sausage blended with dried fig and ras el hanout. Branch characterizes their approach as "playful" and emphasizes their local commitment. "We're trying to use as many Michigan products as we can," he says.Read the rest of the story here.

Plans surface for rail trail in Oakland County

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January 28, 2010

Another road between Royal Oak and Birmingham is about to surface, but the problem is that this one is less traveled.Jim Rasor and his fellow city commissioners in Royal Oak are trying to change that. The legislative body is now formally pushing to turn a lightly used road for railroad maintenance vehicles adjacent to the tracks that run through downtown Royal Oak into a rail trail for everyone."This is a rail with trail, not a rail to trail," Rasor says.The trail would go from downtown Royal Oak north to the Birmingham border. Rasor hopes it could go even farther north if the other local municipalities pick up the cause. The space is already used illegally by pedestrians and bicyclists who routinely travel its length.The railroad corridor, which is owned by Canadian National, has two sets of tracks and a maintenance road running alongside it. Rasor and other backers of the plan want to build a barrier or fencing and shrubs between the tracks and road so the road can be opened up to everyone."There is a lot of space there," Rasor says. "All of the bridges are wide enough for the road. The rail was designed for four tracks but only two were installed."He admits that local municipalities like Royal Oak are too cash-strapped to tackle such a project, but thinks the Oakland County Parks System could do so. He points out that most of the parks in that system are on the outskirts of the county because the urbanized southeast section was already built out before parkland was being acquired. Rasor also likes to make the point that this will enhance the quality of life for young people and help attract young families. He compares Metro Detroit unfavorably to other vibrant urban areas that our brain drain funnels to that have well established non-motorized transportation options, like Chicago and Toronto. In Metro Detroit commuters are mostly chained to their cars."There are a great many groups that would like to see this happen," Rasor says.Source: Jim Rasor, city commissioner with Royal OakWriter: Jon Zemke

Oakland U renovates Meadow Brook Hall

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Arts & Culture

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January 28, 2010

A key component to the Meadow Brook Hall is about to get a major overhaul.Oakland University is spending $700,000 to completely gut and replace many of the structural and mechanical systems in the hall's kitchen. Those repairs include changing the ventilation system, providing new kitchen equipment, refurbishing the counter tops, and replacing flooring, plumbing and lighting. The refrigeration system will also be upgraded to meet modern standards.The kitchen was previously renovated in the 1970s and '80s. The hope is that modernizing it again will allow Meadow Brook Hall to put its best culinary foot forward for catered events.The Matilda R. Wilson Fund is financing the project, which should be done by April. The grant will also support a number of other smaller projects over this decade. Among those are the restoration of the dining room portraits of Matilda and Alfred Wilson, as well as ongoing preventative repair projects and ecological systems preservation. Source: Oakland UniversityWriter: Jon Zemke

Burton Theatre gets more neighbors inside, quickly filling old school building

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January 28, 2010

What was once the famed Burton International School in Detroit's Cass Corridor is quickly becoming a hotbed for new businesses, including a new art house movie theater.Excerpt:Joel Landy's one busy guy. As reported in Model D last week, he is currently transforming several vacant buildings on Cass Ave. south of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. into viable commercial buildings. Meanwhile, the developer is working to fill the Burton School with tenants -- one of which, the Burton Theatre, is already fairly well-known around these parts. Former classrooms are filling up, with seven now occupied by artists, non-profit associations and a computer company. There are 33 classrooms in total, along with other usable space such as a kitchen. "These are the most comfortable, workable art studios you've ever been in," says Landy. "The building is turning out really well." A recent improvement was the addition of wheelchair access.Read the rest of the story here.

U-M’s Delta Upsilon plans to restore Albert Khan house

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January 28, 2010

One of Ann Arbor's grand mansions is about to come back from the edge, thanks to plans for a full renovation.Excerpt:Another one of Ann Arbor's Hill Street beauties is about to become, well, beautiful again. Or, at least, that's the plan. Delta Upsilon has decided to renovate its chapter house at the University of Michigan.The fraternity owns 1331 Hill St., a grand Tudor-revival structure accentuated by exposed timbers on the outside and surrounded by stucco. Its interior is resplendent with ornamental woodwork, plaster, and Pewabic tile. Read more about its history here.Read the rest of the story here.