Transportation

Auburn Hills makes energy efficiency a priority

By Newsroom

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March 3, 2011

The city of Auburn Hills has completed an energy efficiency project that has already brought down utility costs and will likely find other savings by next year.Dan Brisson, the project manager and facilities and roads manager for the city's Department of Public Works, says with the steps taken to decrease electric use in city buildings, "we expect our investment will pay for itself."The changes come at a cost of $97,553, about half of it paid by an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the state of Michigan.The replacement of windows and insulation and going with 18-watt LED bulbs instead of 75-watt fluorescents at the library is already saving money, about $5,000 a year, Brisson says.The recent completion of a centralized heating, cooling and ventilation system is expected to save more tax dollars and also save the environment from energy by-products. In addition, meters and a web-based monitoring system will track usage and help identify energy waste."We'll probably monitor over the 2011 year, and then pick up which buildings are using the most electricity per square foot," Brisson says. Many city buildings are historical, in existence since the town was settled."Those buildings are the ones where you might think that there are areas where we can save energy," Brisson says. "But even some of the newer ones can have energy efficiency problems."Source: Dan Brisson, facilities and roads manager for Auburn Hills Department of Public WorksWriter: Kim North Shine

Latest in Transportation

Rochester Hills’ overpass gets “Complete Street” make-over

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Arts and Culture

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March 3, 2011

Reconstruction at M-59 and Crooks Road this year will do the usual road repair but also use a new approach that takes into account travelers not in cars.Called a Complete Street, the Crooks Road overpass will be built wider and with designated lanes to accommodate bikes and pedestrians. The $8 million project will also lay new sidewalks from Austin to Hamlin roads, Morosi says.The busy intersection is in Rochester Hills and is part of the 2011 construction line-up from the Michigan Department of Transportation. It is one of at least two Complete Street approaches in the package of road construction contracts to be awarded."When we're developing a Complete Street project we're required to meet with the local community to take into account non-motorized uses and facilities. The idea is to make it a more walkable community," says MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi. "Even before the Complete Street legislation we would meet with local communities to see if there's something we can include that the local community has always wanted but has been prohibited to do because of the way the road is constructed," he says.This M-59-Crooks project is "a great example of what we're doing to address that," he says. "So now people riding their bikes or walking won't be in conflict with traffic...People can ride, their bikes, Rollerblade, walk safely."The project is one of many included in $274 million in road contracts to be awarded in 2011 for a four-county area in southeast Michigan. Some 82 miles of road and 105 bridges will be repaired or constructed in Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne counties, which account for 40 percent of traffic in Michigan, according to MDOT.Source: Rob Morosi, spokesman for the Michigan Department of TransporationWriter: Kim North Shine

Specs Howard adds 39 jobs via digital media expansion

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Arts and Culture

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March 3, 2011

Specs Howard School of Media Arts continues to grow with the expanding media landscape that shapes its curriculum, hiring 39 new people in 2010 thanks mostly to its digital media arts classes.The 41-year-old school has traditionally created careers in broadcast industries, such as radio and TV. It expanded to graphic design in 2008 and the digital media arts (Internet, video, film) last year."We think these are the up-and-coming areas," says Lisa Zahodne, president of Specs Howard School of Media Arts. "That's where we saw the growth and continue to see the growth."The Southfield-based school plans to continue to expand its curriculum in the digital media arts this year. It has boosted its enrollment to more than 1,000 students this year, up 300-400 people from just a few years ago. The school is on track to add another 10-11 jobs this year to keep up with its rising enrollment.A new satellite campus opened in Farmington Hills last year. There are plans to expand facilities by a few thousand square feet at both locations, and potentially even beyond Metro Detroit soon."We are looking at branches on the west side of the state or possibly another state," Zahodne says. "We haven't decided yet."Source: Lisa Zahodne, president of Specs Howard School of Media ArtsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Prime Studios focuses on mobile, web apps; looks for first hire

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Arts and Culture

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March 3, 2011

Prime Studios is now just Prime, a reflection of the start-up's efforts to refocus on mobile and Internet applications.The downtown Northville-based firm got its start three years ago when a couple of 20-somethings (Kettering University graduates Matt Gaidica and Brad Birdsall) wanted to open an all-purpose creative studio that did everything from software applications to digital media work. After doing a plethora of apps for smart phones and websites, the partners knew they were onto something."We want to get into a heavy niche and focus on that," Gaidica says. "These are the things we're really into and good at."Prime has watched the demand for its services jump in the last year, as it created apps for Adrian College and a mobile website for Kettering University. The studio has taken on more custom work since then and is getting ready to add its first employee."We have always had room for 1-2 more people," Gaidica says. "We just need to find the right person."Source: Matt Gaidica, co-owner of PrimeWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Metro Detroit Aerotropolis: Why You Should Care

By Kim North Shine

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Arts and Culture

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March 3, 2011

Once upon a time cities were built near waterways, roads, and rail. Today, as markets go global, airports are becoming the main artery for most businesses. Detroit Region Aerotropolis is our attempt to capitalize on this new reality. Metromode asks: Can we compete on the international stage?

DASI Solutions grows with rapid prototyping machines, adding staff

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Arts and Culture

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March 3, 2011

DASI Solutions got its start with engineering software work for automotive companies 15 years ago.Today the Pontiac-based company has diversified not only its own client base in that area, but also its offerings. It recently began selling a rapid prototyping machine from Israel-based Objet that creates 3-D prototypes in a matter of hours instead of the standard weeks-long timeline. The new offering allowed DASI Solutions to take on a number of new clients, such as Stryker and Rousch Racing."The flood gates opened at the end of this last year," says David Darbyshire, engineer and partner of DASI Solutions. "We sold $2 million of these machines. We normally do $6 million in business." The machines retail for between $20,000 and $250,000 apiece.The company now has 28 employees, two independent contractors, and an intern after hiring four people in the last year. It expects to add two more jobs by this summer to keep up with demand for its services. Expanding into the prototyping field has the added advantage of finding new customers in different sectors it wouldn't normally come into contact with."It's fun," Darbyshire says. "It makes me feel like an entrepreneur again."Source: David Darbyshire, engineer and partner of DASI SolutionsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

The story at Ferndale Public Library is about going green

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Arts and Culture

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March 3, 2011

The biggest story going on right now at the Ferndale Public Library has nothing to do with the books, but with the building and the eco-minded, money-saving features that went into making it an award winner.The library, which reopened two weeks ago after the green renovation was completed only to be followed by a destructive flood, has won an Honorable Mention as Green Project of the Year from the Construction Association of Michigan and is expecting to receive the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.The hope is to earn the highest LEED ranking of gold. The changes to the library are expected to save $13,000 a year in energy costs. "Green Library" is a distinction that more and more libraries are pursuing.Architects Seth Penchansky and Dan Whisler, of Penchansky Whisler Architects in Ann Arbor, handled the design and Frank Rewold & Son was the construction manager.The green construction features include the planting of eight varieties of sedum on two roofs of the library, a summertime sight that sometimes generates phone calls about weeds growing on the rooftop.On the library grounds, under one grass and garden area near the entrance, and around an outdoor garden near the children's area, are a total of 16 bores 400 feet into the ground. They form the geothermal energy system that will heat, cool and ventilate the building.In addition, the library has a rainwater reclamation system that filters the water and subjects it to UV light to be used for flushing toilets and for sprinkling plants.There are also motion detector lights in places such as bathrooms. Low voltage fluorescents are deployed and coatings on the glass keep cold out during winter and warmth out during the summer."Most of these things you would never see," Sterritt says. "You have to know they're there."Ferndale's is one of at least seven libraries to have received LEED certification, according to the Green Libraries Directory.Harper Woods was the first to earn LEED certification in 2005, and the city of Hastings' was the first Michigan library to achieve LEED Gold certification in 2008.City planners and librarians say as cities look to make municipal facilities more earth-friendly and money-wise, the number will increase.Source: John Sterritt, president of the Ferndale Library BoardWriter: Kim North-Shine

Ferndale’s Paper Street Motors fills with 14 tenants, looks to open more spaces

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Arts and Culture

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March 3, 2011

Metro Detroit's new economy can often be found in aged shells of the old economy. Case in point: Paper Street Motors.Paper Street Motors began when Andy Didorosi stumbled upon an old, empty warehouse a year ago in Ferndale, just southeast of its downtown. The 20-something didn't see the tattered relic of an old automotive industry, but a place for small businesses to take root and grow, where they'd have the flexibility to get their feet under them financially without breaking the bank.The Russell Industrial Center-style small business incubator at 1151 Jarvis filled up with a number of emerging businesses almost immediately. The 14 tenants in the 22,000-square-foot space include Green Light Go Music Publicity, a national band promoter. A year later, Didorosi is sprucing the place up both through its aesthetics and service offerings."Basically this place was a depressing battleship grey," Didorosi says. "Now we're completely redoing it."Part of the Paper Street Motors (Paper Street is a reference to Fight Club) redesign is the installation of cubicles and a dynamic office environment. He is also looking at setting up additional locations in downtown Ferndale, Royal Oak, and Detroit, where members could utilize all of the spaces like a gym membership."So if you're a member of one then you're a member of all of them," he says.Source: Andy Didorosi, president of Paper Street MotorsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Dragun Corp opens Windsor, Toronto offices

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Arts and Culture

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February 24, 2011

Dragun Corp, an environmental services company in Metro Detroit, is making its presence known in Ontario.The Farmington Hills-based firm has added a few new staff members to its Windsor office over the last few years. It also recently opened a Toronto office to supplement its new work in Canada."That market has been strong and helped us diversify away from the Michigan economy," says Alan Hahn, business development manager for Dragun Corp.The 23-year-old company specializes in services such as brownfield and wellhead protection services for municipalities. Its namesake is James Dragun, the famous soil chemist who still serves as the company's president. The staff of 20 has been able to expand the company's niche services, such as legal expertise and environmental forensics, and will be offering them both abroad and at home this year."We are anticipating good things coming," Hahn says. "We're seeing more activity out there. We have seen more activity over the last eight weeks than we have seen in a long time."Source: Alan Hahn, business development manager for Dragun CorpWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

AllerDine.com becomes a resource for those with food allergies

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Arts and Culture

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February 24, 2011

Steve Rose thinks people who are food sensitive, i.e. have food allergies, should be able to eat out at new places and not fear a resulting trip to the hospital. His solution is his new business, AllerDine.The Farmington Hills-based website offers a list of restaurants and eateries that are both friendly and unfriendly to those with allergies. That includes whether the establishments offer peanut-free or gluten-free options."This is about saving lives," says Rose, president & founder of AllerDine. "This is about people who could die by eating out. We are trying to bridge the fear between food sensitive people and new restaurants."Rose was inspired to create AllerDine a few years ago when he just learned his young children had food allergies and was about to take his family on a vacation to Orlando. He came up with his own spreadsheet of restaurants that either met or didn't meet his family's eating needs, and then the CFL went off over his head.Today the two-year-old company is run by a team of five people. It has compiled a growing list of 1,700 restaurants in 20 cities that are at various levels of accommodation for food aversions. Rose is looking to add another position now so he can expand that list to 3,000 places by 2012."We're building an asset," Rose says.Source: Steve Rose, president & founder of AllerDineWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.