Development News

Former NYC stylist chooses urban feel of downtown Wyandotte for new salon

Thursday, August 23, 2012

A hair salon and boutique has opened in downtown Wyandotte, joining several other new businesses, some of them run by young owners who are working together to bring more new blood to the 'dot.

Mary Karasinski, the owner of Beauty Lounge Salon and Boutique which held a pin-up-era models-meet-cool-cars grand opening over the weekend, is one of the new business owners excited about a new era of businesses coming to downtown.

"Wyandotte is a great city and has been for a long time, but we're trying to bring a younger crowd and feel to downtown," she says.

She and other new business owners have special events planned for October and February for starters.

Karasinski, Southgate-born and a hairstylist for 11 years, has lived in Chicago and New York. She moved back to Michigan in 2008 and chose Wyandotte for her first salon because she loves the city's vibe.

"It's a closer knit community, but we still have that walkability of an urban area, the downtown feel," she says. "Plus we're only 10 minutes from downtown Detroit…and my salon is right on the water."

The Beauty Lounge, 2909 Biddle Avenue, opened about two months ago. It has a boutique stocked with clothing and accessories, some of brought back from a trip Karasinski made to the Los Angeles Design Center last week. The Beauty Lounge has an Aveda-trained staff working with Aveda products and make-up artists wokring with MAC cosmetics.

The salon is one of several new businesses along Biddle to open in the last several months. Among them: Coastal Thai restaurant, a sushi bar and coffee shop with a twist, Tongue's Protein Bar and Chill Lounge.

"It's exciting to see what's happening here," she says.

Source: Mary Karasinski, owner, Beauty Lounge Salon and Boutique
Writer: Kim North Shine

Wyandotte turns up the heat on solar power

Thursday, June 14, 2012

It's more than ironic that a coal pile lies within view of a new solar power system in the city of Wyandotte.

The city, which operates its own utility, Municipal Electric, has made a major commitment to moving away from traditional forms of energy and toward alternatives such as solar and geothermal.

One of several projects underway in Wyandotte is the recent completion of two solar-power producing arrays that will take the load off the traditional power generators.

Other projects include changes to LED lighting on city streets and buildings and a free program to provide every Wyandotte property owner with a free energy audit, which includes freebies such as energy-savings light bulbs (as a way to encourage the energy-efficient changes to properties). The program also offers 1.99 percent interest loans.

The object is to create less demand - and strain - on the utility, saving everyone money, says Melanie McCoy, Wyandotte's Municipal Services general manager.

The solar power project came in two parts. One is a larger array built on a city water department settling basin. The other, a smaller solar garden, was placed across the street from Bishop Park.

"This little solar garden is very visual," McCoy says. "The kids at the park can see it. People in the community see it."

She says there are plans to install a kiosk and plaque explaining what the solar garden and the city's alternative energy program is about.

The solar power project, which was made possible by a $3.8 million Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant, is the latest in a series of changes showing the city's commitment to alternative energy, many of those changes prompted by government grants and tax incentives.

McCoy says the changes will eventually pay for themselves, and already they've created jobs - some temporary, some permanent, from consultants and contractors to energy and financial managers. Those jobs in turn have generated spending at local businesses, she says.

It has the ability to generate 212 kilowatts of solar power, enough for about 50 homes, she says. She says it will take about 16 percent of the load off the coal fire generation the city puts out. She says the irony of the new generation of power overshadowing the old school power source of coal - Wyandotte also uses gas to generate power for its residents - is not lost on city officials.

"This is bringing good things to our city," she says. "This has been a great thing for us."

Source: Melanie McCoy, Wyandotte Municipal Services general manager
Writer: Kim North Shine

Wyandotte pocket park reaches finals in It's About Place contest

Thursday, June 07, 2012

The city of Wyandotte's proposal to turn an unused, unattractive passageway in the central business district into a pocket park where people, activity and art will come together is a finalist in the Let's Save Michigan It's About Place contest.

Wyandotte's was one 40-plus proposals entered in the contest. The finalists were selected through online voting that ended June 1. The winner, who will receive up to $2,000 to implement their proposal, will be selected by a panel of judges.

Wyandotte's pocket park proposal would turn a long, narrow space between two buildings into a place to congregate while shopping, dining out or spending time downtown. The tired stretch is ideally situated near downtown businesses, parking, summer concerts and the annual art fair but poorly used and designed to invite people to stop.

"Our goal is to make this space much more than a pass-through or afterthought, says Natalie Rankine, director of the city's Downtown Development Authority. "The DDA has a good start at creating outdoor places and elements that define outdoor space: The arbor, the clock tower, the Purple Heart Memorial Garden, the fountain to name a few. Places like this help to establish a sense of place, invite people to congregate and encourage foot traffic in our downtown district.

The DDA is also working on brining an outdoor art mural to downtown and this would be the perfect spot if the pocket park comes to pass, Rankine adds.

Source: Natalie Rankine, director Wyandotte Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine

Thai food mixes it up in Wyandotte

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Growing up, Sam Yang didn't often eat food like the dishes he and his family prepare for customers at his restaurants - Bangkok Crossing in downtown Detroit and the newer Coastal Thai in downtown Wyandotte.

His daughter, Susan Yang, says her father wasn't privileged enough to sup on such exotic entrees, but "he grew up learning how to cook. It was a poor country. He ate different things, but learned about Thai cooking."

The Yang family's latest venture to share his experience and the taste of Thai is in a spot on Sycamore Street in Downtown Wyandotte.

Susan Yang says "business is steady. It's going pretty well."

The family chose the new location "because Wyandotte didn't have any Thai restaurants and we heard people wanted something different." While Bangkok Crossing on Woodward near Campus Martius in downtown Detroit draws a lunch crowd of office workers, Coastal Thai gets a dinner crowd of mostly locals.

The restaurant has created full-time employment for six, including chef, servers and owners.

Source: Susan Yang, manager, Coastal Thai, Wyandotte
Writer: Kim North Shine

Wyandotte business and city partner on rooftop solar panels

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Hood's Do It Best, one of Wyandotte's longest operating businesses (since 1952), is taking on some very modern changes by installing solar power panels on its rooftop.

The project, part of a city and federal grant program that awards grants and other incentives to businesses and homeowners that make their property energy efficient, is expected to be completed this week, says owner John Christie.

Christie says he received a $12,000 grant that covers about a quarter of the cost of the installation of 48 panels. Cresit Energy of Wyandotte and various local contractors are working on the project.

The investment will pay for itself in about three years, Christie says, by allowing whatever energy is generated to be used at no cost to the hardware store.

Any extra power generated goes back into the city's power grid for all to use. The purpose is to relieve the demands on power providers by using alternative sources of energy.

Christie says customers are noticing the change to the store and asking about it. All Wyandotte residents and businesses are eligible for energy conservation grants for a variety of energy-conservation changes, from minor to major.

"Hopefully it spurs people on," he says, "and gets the word out."

Source: John Christie, owner, Hood's Do It Best
Writer: Kim North Shine

DIA brings art to the streets of metro Detroit communities

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Art is in the streets, outside libraries, shops, restaurants, city offices, churches, banks, coffee shops, parks and many other outdoor spaces as the Detroit Institute of Arts expands its Inside/Out art project to more metro Detroit communities.

Now in its third year, the project is a way to promote art - all reproductions from the DIA's collection - while creating the reciprocal benefit of drawing visitors to the DIA to see them in person. The DIA has arranged free admission on set Sundays for residents of the communities where the outdoor art is displayed.

There are 80 works can be found in the cities of Clarkston, the Bloomfields, Eastpointe, Roseville, Farmington, Farmington Hills, the Grosse Pointes, Mount Clemens, Southfield, Taylor, Wayne and Wyandotte. Click here for locations.

The Inside/Out project is in third year, and besides installing the pieces of art outdoors it is cluster the works so that they are within walking or biking distance, generating pedestrian traffic through the communities with the open air galleries.

The DIA is working with the communities to plan bicycle and walking tours.

Source: Detroit Institute of Arts
Writer: Kim North Shine

Energy efficiency for every Wyandotte homeowner, plus new jobs

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Every home in Wyandotte is eligible for free energy inspections as well as grants, discounts and low-interest loans to residents interested in making energy efficient changes to their homes.

Just over $4 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Energy and the state of MIchigan was awarded to Wyandotte's municipal services department to carry out its "Save a Watt" program in Wyandotte.

Franklin Energy Services, a Wisconsin company with an office in Detroit, was hired by the city to carry out the program.

Every single home, whether owned or rented, is eligible for free energy audits. The results of those audits determine what, if any, improvements are needed, and money and discounts are available to help pay for them.

"We're shooting for at least 2,000 homes. That's a good chunk of the homes in the city," says Pam Tierney, who is the energy services program manager for Wyandotte Municipal Services. She calls the grant a jackpot for the city.

"This is a chance for our residents to get a huge helping hand toward making their homes greener and more comfortable while saving money," she says.

Besides saving the city and residents money the program is a job creator, Tierney says.

"We have marketing consultants, quality control people, the five contractors that are doing work and their subcontractors," says Tierney, adding that local merchants are benefiting by selling needed supplies.

Already 600 homes have received audits, she says. Once 1,000 residents participate, the city will be eligible for funding to install a solar panel project on Wyandotte’s Bacon Memorial District Library. The Better Buildings for Michigan program will pay for the library rooftop panels.

“Whether you want to make your home more comfortable, your library more energy efficient or the planet greener---this is a great program to at last get it done!” Mayor Joseph R. Peterson says in a statement. “We’re hoping every resident in our city recognizes this great opportunity and signs up now.”

Sign up by calling 1-855-674-9926.

Source: Pam Tierney, energy services program manager for Wyandotte Municipal Services
Writer: Kim North Shine

Streets for all. Designing cities that welcome all forms of transportation

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Streets for everyone. The Michigan Complete Streets initiative gained momentum in 2011 in metro Detroit and around the state as cities enacted changes or made plans to design roads and sidewalks that take pedestrians, cyclists and drivers into account. The Michigan's Complete Streets movement got props for being a role model nationwide. Separately from Complete Streets, cities and various nonprofits worked on the same goal: streets that accommodate all. It's been a process playing out for a few years now so expect to see more bike lanes, new style crosswalks and other changes coming to a town near you.

Michigan is national leaders in street design that serves cars, bikes and pedestrians
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0317micompletestreets0201.aspx

Streetscape grants from Royal Oak's WA3 help unify Woodward Corridor
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/woodwardcorrgrants0194.aspx

Royal Oak's non-motorized transportation plan is out for public feedback
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/1110royaloakwalkride0232.aspx

Walkers, cyclists may like changes coming to Grosse Pointe, Dearborn
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0901fedtransgrants0223.aspx

By Kim North Shine

Medical center to bring 44 jobs, business traffic, to downtown Wyandotte

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Wyandotte's Biddle Avenue, the main street through its downtown, will see much more traffic -- and potential customers -- when a medical office building opens on a two-acre piece of land that's long been the site of vacant and blighted properties.

The two-story, minimum 22,000-square-foot medical and professional building will be located at 2070 Biddle Ave. and be largely connected with Henry Ford Health Systems. The project received approval from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority on Tuesday. The approval was required as the city has declared the plot of land a brownfield redevelopment project eligible for tax relief for developers, who will invest $4 million in the project.

The project, which will create 44 permanent jobs and bring business and new tax revenue, is the culmination of five years of work by the city, which painstakingly acquired properties so that something more substantial could take their place. The city has spent $1.6 million on the project in order to bring about a development that would generate local taxes for the city, schools, county and state. There have been nearly 30 structures on the plot of land since 1912, including single family homes, a gas station and a commercial print facility.

It is unclear when construction will start and end.

Source: Michigan Economic Growth Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine

Hot coffee, cool vibe on tap at new bar in Wyandotte

Thursday, November 10, 2011

A new coffee bar where the Joe can come with a protein boost and the patrons can kick back is open for business in downtown Wyandotte.

Tongue's Protein Bar & Chill Lounge serves coffee mixed with protein powders. The beans are roasted at Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor. Tongue's also whips up smoothies, slushies and serves assorted snacks and treats. Herbal teas and healthful drinks are also served along with upbeat messages such as "Life is Beautiful" on blackboards. The feel is laid-back, with oversized leather furniture, lots of natural wood and places to read, talk or even play piano or chess.

Father and son owner-managers Greg and Tim Tongue are the brains behind the operation, where customers will find a Tongue Splitter (a quad shot) and a Tongueccino (coffee with flavoring).

The opening at 2958 Biddle Ave., the Dot's main drag, fills in a vacant spot in downtown, says downtown development director Natalie Rankine.

Source: Natalie Rankine, Wyandotte Downtown Development Director
Writer: Kim North Shine

The 'dot's downtown is cooking up new eateries

Thursday, August 25, 2011

At least three new culinary options are opening up in downtown Wyandotte in coming weeks.

Coastal Thai will open at 140 Sycamore. The Sushi Restaurant will open at 130 Maple. Sweet Nothings, opening in September, will sell its goodies, including custom designed cakes made by award-winning bakers, from 145 Maple. Desserts such as pineapple upside-down cakes and fudgie jumbo brownies are on the bakery menu of this seven-year-old establishment.

The new businesses are a few of many additions to the city's center, which is expected to see a loft and retail development called the Lofts at Willow Tree, and more businesses and public projects related to the waterfront that runs along the city and more.

"There's a lot going on," says Natalie Rankine, executive director of the Wyandotte Downtown Development Authority.

Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Natalie Rankine, executive director of the Wyandotte Downtown Development Authority

5 Metro Detroit cities share in $1.06M grant for new lighting tech

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Light bulbs that are part of a million-dollar-plus investment from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation could flip the switch on job creation, energy savings and environmental protection.

Through the MEDC's Advanced Lighting Technology Demonstration grants, 14 Michigan communities are sharing the $1,066,429 pool. They're committing to updating their bulbs to higher tech, energy saving designs and, when possible, to buying them from Michigan manufacturers. The object is to save money (taxpayer dollars) on energy costs, prevent greenhouse gases by replacing old-style inefficient bulbs and create jobs that involve the nuts and bolts of updating, replacing and maintaining the new bulbs.

Melanie McCoy, general manager of Wyandotte's municipal services department, says the LED project will be completed in tandem with a solar panel installation on city buildings.

"What we're going to do is actually a fabulous project," she says.

The $100,000 grant will pay for part of a project to replace existing street lamps and pedestrian walkway lights along a path that leads from the public library, down Biddle Avenue through downtown and up Eureka Road for several blocks to the high school.

The project, which will go out to bid as soon as the city searches for Michigan companies that can benefit, will be completed by next July. At the same time the city will use its own funds to add solar power generators to the library and a water department building.

"This is a combination of a renewable energy project together with an energy efficiency project," McCoy says.

MEDC President and CEO Michael A. Finney says in a statement announcing the award of the grants that "the energy and cost savings benefits plus the maintenance savings due to the longer life of the lamps are impressive with the newer technology lighting that's now available. These benefits are more important than ever to local governments in reducing operating expenses."

"In addition, manufacturing of advanced lighting technologies is a growing industry in Michigan and has the potential to create a new source of jobs and investment for local and state economies."

The types of lighting to be used in the government facilities and on public transportation vehicles include LEDs, or light emitting diodes, AKA solid state lighting; induction lighting, and plasma lighting.

The recipients of the grants must collect data and report their energy savings, cost savings, jobs created. The Michigan Energy Office will require that funded grantees regularly collect, track, and report metrics data related to energy savings, cost savings, jobs created and emissions reductions.

Besides Wyandotte, other metro Detroit recipients are Roseville, $81,074; Hazel Park, $50,150; Farmington Hills, $81,405; and Detroit, $100,000.

Source: Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Melanie McCoy, city of Wyandotte
Writer: Kim North Shine

Lofts moving into downtown Wyandotte

metromode Thursday, February 03, 2011

A downtown loft development is the first of its kind to grow out of the creation of Wyandotte's Neighborhood Enterprise Zone.

Gilbert Rose, the managing partner of Newton Investment Co. LLC, the loft project developer, says the enterprise zone's offer of discounted taxes on renovations and improvements was "quite the enticement to make this investment in the city." Pairing it with financial backing from the Wayne County Home Loan program sealed the deal.

The Lofts at Willow Tree project will cost at least $300,000, Rose says.

"The City of Wyandotte is eager to make this project and others like it happen so that more and more downtown places will be occupied by people," he says.

The four two-bedroom lofts will be rented, overlook downtown, and located at 3005 First St. Architect Tom Roberts will design the lofts and construction should begin by April and finish within four months, Rose says.

The Lofts at Willow Tree gets its name from the longtime Willow Tree women's clothing store, which is also owned by Rose. They will be built on the second floor of the building, above the clothing store, which faces Biddle, Wyandotte's main downtown drag. The apartments will also overlook Biddle but will be entered from First St. They are in the space formerly occupied by Barry & Co., a hair salon that moved to away to a first-floor, downtown location two years ago.

"We think lofts will be very attractive. We have great tenants now who love living in downtown Wyandotte," Rose says. "We put up a couple of signs for the Lofts at Willow Tree and we've had a ton of calls. We are very excited. We think after we do this, we'll see more and more of this."

Source: Gilbert Rose, managing partner Newton Investment Co. LLC

Writer: Kim North Shine

Wyandotte DDA's business improvement grants paying off

Metromode Thursday, January 20, 2011

In just over six months, a Downtown Development Authority grant program has paved the way for 17 businesses to relocate, update or change and improve in some way.

Last June, the DDA set aside $40,000 for businesses to be reimbursed for moving expenses, refurbishing costs, facade changes and more. The money comes from the taxes that are captured from businesses located in the DDA district.

Another $40,000 was allocated for this fiscal year, and there's about $15,000 left to spend, probably enough for three more businesses, says Brandon Wescott, director of the Wyandotte DDA.

"Our vacancy rate has gone down� Prices for downtown space has become more affordable. If you see what these businesses are doing, how they're changing some of these places, it's really great," Wescott says.

The businesses that have moved into Wyandotte or improved their current digs include Angelina's Mexican restaurant, Total Health Foods and Riverside Yarn Gallery.

Westcott says he and city officials have decided to extend the grants to restaurants interested in opening sidewalk cafes.

"Anything that can increase foot traffic, invite people downtown," he says. "That's what we want to see more of."

Source: Brandon Wescott, director Wyandotte Downtown Development Authority

Writer: Kim North Shine

DTE donates solar panels to Metro Detroit colleges, church

Metromode Thursday, September 16, 2010

Advances in solar technology have DTE Energy installing new equipment at a solar facility, but the older solar panels and power inverters are being put to good use.

Solar equipment from the utility's first solar facility, in Scio Township, near Ann Arbor, is being replaced with newer technology. The facility started producing solar power in 1997 and was decommissioned this summer for the updates.

"It reached the end of its usefulness for us, but it certainly has applications for the groups that we're donating the solar panels to," says Scott Simons, spokesman for DTE Energy. "It was among the first for commercial applications, and the materials and the tech has changed in that time."

In the metro Detroit area, receiving solar panels will be Oakland Community College's Auburn Hills campus, which will install 30 panels on the roof of the Advanced Technology Center and use them for the Electrical and Alternative Energy curriculum; Monroe County Community College, which will install 26 panels to be used in the alternative energy curriculum; E-Three Labs, Detroit, which will install 20 panels for technical training in Detroit and River Rouge; and St. Elizabeth Church in Wyandotte, which will incorporate two panels into other renewable energy systems at the parish.

Elsewhere in Michigan, panels were given to the Huron Area Technical Center in Bad Axe and the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association in Dimondale, as well as to an orphanage in Haiti.

Simons says the company is also excited about installing the new technology at the Scio Township site, which should start producing electricity in the next month. Technology has come a ways in the past 13 years, and some of the new panels will be able to track the sun as it passes through the sky.

The utility's first-ever donation of panels came about because organizations were contacting them to see if anything was available, he explains.

"It's a good way to recycle and repurpose solar panels," he says. "We want more people to get involved in solar energy."

Source: Scott Simons, DTE Energy spokesperson
Writer: Kristin Lukowski

Wyandotte : Development News