Royal Oak

Crofoot, 323East team up to create Rocketmonster contest

By Newsroom

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July 16, 2009

Rocket Monster. It sounds like the name of a Jim Henson Muppet or character from Where the Wild Things Are. Go beyond the surface and realize it's the newest place for musicians and video producers to show off their work.Royal Oak-based 323East and Pontiac-based Crofoot have teamed up to create RocketMonster.com. The online film festival website lets local bands and filmmakers broadcast their music videos and compete for a grand prize of $500 cash, $500 in merchandise from Konquest, and a year of text message marketing service from Fyremobile.com.The video creators can win by entering their work and promoting it virally using social media tools. Viewers vote for the 10 best films and website staff choose another 10 to make it to the final round on Oct. 4. The one with the most votes by Nov. 5 wins.The idea is to spur more creativity and collaboration in the music and film scenes while promoting artists' work. The low cost of creating Internet entertainment is expected to open the contest up to a lot of up-and-coming bands and filmmakers. 323East and its companion company Ohm Creative Group have put these sorts of principals together in downtown Royal Oak for years. The Crofoot, an old blighted building in downtown Pontiac turned into Metro Detroit's up-and-coming concert venue, also works closely with these companies and employs many of the same principals.Source: Jesse Cory, partner of 323East and owner of Ohm Creative GroupWriter: Jon Zemke

Ride the Trolley returns to Oakland County downtowns

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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July 16, 2009

Getting to and from Oakland County's vibrant downtowns is getting a little easier this summer. Pleasant Ridge, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Berkley, and Huntington Woods are using a trolley-bus program to ferry people between the five downtowns.The trolley will run to coincide with important events in the respective cities so nightlife revelers can travel between each downtown destination."We think it's going to bring more people to Ferndale," says Bob Brunner, city manager for Ferndale. "For us it was a no-brainer."The next trolley-buses will on Friday, July 30 and Thursday, August 20 between 6 p.m. and midnight. They will stop at places like Boogie Fever in Ferndale and 24 Seconds Bar and Grill in Berkley. Source: Bob Brunner, city manager for FerndaleWriter: Jon Zemke

Oakland County notches $2.4 billion in investment since 2004

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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July 16, 2009

During these tough economic times, many companies and organizations bring out the long-term statistics from the past several years to put themselves in a better light. Oakland County can fall back on both the long- and short-term statistics.The county released a report that shows not only has it taken in about $2.4 billion worth of investment over the last five years, it did well in June, with $748 million in investment.Most of that comes from General Motors' plans for a $650 million Orion Township plant, which will build smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. However, that leaves about another $100 million that the county was able to attract in the midst of one of the toughest economies in generations. Oakland County has had more than $2.4 billion worth of business investment in the past five years, giving residents a reason to be optimistic about its future during the most difficult economic challenge in its history, County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said recently."We had our best month ever during one of the worst times ever," Oakland County Executive L Brooks Patterson said in a press release. "We've withstood all of the body blows and we're still standing."More of the $2.4 billion came from emerging sectors based in the new economy ($1.3 billion), compared to traditional business sectors, like automotive manufacturing. Oakland County created its Emerging Sectors program five years ago to help diversify its economy and make up for lost manufacturing jobs. Source: Oakland CountyWriter: Jon Zemke

Upscale Markets In A Down-Sized Metro

By Amy Kuras

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Arts & Culture

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July 16, 2009

In a region littered with Krogers, high quality, locally owned food markets are not only holding their own, they're attracting a loyal fanbase of Metro Detroit foodies.

The Flute House restores building in downtown Royal Oak

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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July 9, 2009

Few people would guess a high-end flute store is the new next door neighbor for B&B Collision, a long-time staple in downtown Royal Oak, on South Main Street. Ervin Monroe, the retired principal flutist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, will open The Flute House by the end of the year at 913 S. Main St. The 2-story building will house the store on the ground floor and Monroe's home on the second."He sells high-end flutes by appointment only and sheet music out the back," says Keith Phillips, co-founder of Brighton-based The Think Shop Architects, designer of the building.It started out as home to Alegra Print & Imaging in the mid-20th Century, and has since played host to a body shop and brick emporium. The original building will house 5,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. The residential space above measures out to 2,100 square feet. Construction has been going on for about a year. When finished, Phillips says it will have a progressive contemporary look sure to make heads turn and jaws drop."It's going to be bright red," says Phillips, who is also a professor at Lawrence Technological University. "It's going to snap some heads back when it’s done."Source: Keith Phillips, co-founder of The Think Shop ArchitectsWriter: Jon Zemke

Royal Oak’s Bonal Technologies hires 2 for green tech jobs

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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July 9, 2009

Bonal Technologies took an old idea in an old industry and turned it into a green, new economy innovation.The 25-year-old Royal Oak-based firm specializes in the manufacturing industry. Over the last few years, it has come up with a sub-harmonic vibratory technology for users to save between 65 and 90 percent in costs and energy consumption. That has proven to be a boon for the company."We have been in a growth spurt for the last five years that has surpassed what we grew in the first 20," says Greg Merritt, sales manager for Bonal Technologies.That has allowed the company to grow to 17 employees and a couple of independent contractors. It just hired two staffers and hopes to hire more in the near future. Source: Greg Merritt, sales manager for Bonal TechnologiesWriter: Jon Zemke

120 E Hudson transforms downtown Royal Oak

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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July 9, 2009

Most people would look at 120 E Hudson St. and think it doesn't have a future in downtown Royal Oak, but Jim Schneider and Jim Johnson are prognosticators of better times.The building is one of a set of unremarkable industrial structures bookended by B&B Collision and the railroad tracks on the south side of downtown. Think plain-jane brick and cinder block edifices that have been rebuilt and expanded time and time again since their first incarnations as machine shops in the early 20th Century. These are not the buildings people want to hug. That hasn't stopped Schneider and Johnson from giving 120 E Hudson a new lease on life. They are at the tail end of transforming a "down-and-dirty industrial building," according to Schneider, to trendy loft-style office space, adding some much needed foot traffic and renewal to a sleepy side of downtown. And they're not the first ones to do that. Two others on this block have already made the transition. Another one is on its way."Realistically, this is what Royal Oak needs," says Jim Johnson, developer of 120 E Hudson. "There are enough bars and restaurants around here. We need more office workers."What is now 120 E Hudson used to be much bigger. Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schneider+Smith Architects, literally cut the building in half and put a small parking lot in between the two structures, creating what is now 120 and 200 E Hudson. Both are in the process of becoming offices. 120 E Hudson, which is nearly finished, doesn't even look like a light industrial building. Its exterior is now clad in brick, concrete, aluminum, and glass, giving it a modern, contemporary look. It looks like the developer listened to the architect when it came to the design, instead of the other way around.The interior is similar in appearance, with an open floor plan flanked by a couple walls of offices on the ground floor. The L-shaped mezzanine with its steel staircase, railing, and caged fans above give the open area the feeling of a factory floor. Its metallic look and brushed concrete floors complement its aesthetic and history.An advertising co-op of about 25 people is set to occupy the 7,000-square-foot building later this month. Johnson is still looking for a tenant for 200 E Hudson. That structure is still in the down-and-dirty industrial phase, but set to come online looking like its neighbor before the end of the year."It is a great use for these old buildings," Schneider says. "It's really green architecture if you think about it."Source: Jim Schneider, president of Schnieder+Smith Architects and Jim Johnson, developer of 120 and 200 E Hudson St.Writer: Jon Zemke

Burn Rubber creates niche footprint in Royal Oak

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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June 25, 2009

Downtown Royal Oak is known for its boutiques but few have as many unique aspects as Burn Rubber. The small business is more than a shoe store, it's a sneaker boutique. Customers don't come in to buy shoes. Sneakerheads spend days in line to buy Star Wars-style kicks that double as art and status symbols."We sell a lifestyle," says Roland Coit, co-owner of Burn Rubber. "It's more about being your own person. Most of the stuff we have they only make 1,000 pairs or 500, or even less, and they sell out fast. It's a lifestyle of exclusivity."It explains why Coit and his partner Rick Williams need only 480 square feet of space and six people to do business. It's unnecessary to have a large retail floor for shoes that come in short supply, like Nike Air Yeezys (Kanye West's shoe) and Clark Kent Air Force 1s.These shoes are often made of expensive leather and horse hair. It explains why prices can get into the $300s for a pair or even higher. Coit and Williams even know where to point people who are looking for personalized shoes with graffiti-like art."That makes a shoe that much more limited," Coit says. "It makes it one of a kind."Source: Roland Coit, co-owner of Burn RubberWriter: Jon Zemke

The Next Generation In Invention

By Daniel Johnson

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Arts & Culture

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June 25, 2009

Meet the wunderkinds behind Titanium Expo Robotics, a company created by three high school kids from Royal Oak. Their land mine-detecting robot not only took top awards at Lawrence Tech's Robofest, it heralds a potentially game-changing industry for SE Michigan, while prompting deep ethical questions about where our technological innovations are headed.

The Fifth Royal Oak fills residential, commercial space

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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June 25, 2009

The Fifth Royal Oak is now full, from top to bottom, and all of its doors will be open by mid-July.The iconic tower on Washington Street near the Royal Oak Music Theater has either sold or leased all of its residential and commercial space. Jimmy Pallazolo has leased 4,200 square feet of space for his salon, a 20-year-old institution in downtown. It is expected to open by July 10.The rest of the 78 residences in the 18-story high-rise are now occupied and the fitness room for the residents is set to open on July 10, too. Even though The Fifth Royal Oak started out as a for-sale development, the plummeting real-estate market forced the switch to include rentals and now it is mostly filled with renters."That's really where the market is today," says John Hanna, co-developer of The Fifth Royal Oak. "The lease market is pretty hot."One of the swankiest developments in downtown Royal Oak, this city landmark is also one of its tallest buildings and offers some of the most luxurious high-rise living spaces in Metro Detroit. It has dramatic views that sweep across southeast Michigan. The residential units start at the seventh floor and continue to the 18th floor. All of the homes feature amenities, such as floor-to-ceiling windows and inset balconies. The condos vary between one, two and three rooms. The second through sixth floors are dedicated to parking. Each unit comes with a heated, indoor parking space. The project is being spearheaded by Michigan developers John and Jack Hanna of Chrysos Development & Management Co. For information, call (248) 591-5432.Source: John Hanna, co-developer of The Fifth Royal OakWriter: Jon Zemke