Dearborn : Development News

A 1970s-era office complex in Dearborn is under new ownership and management as plans to transform the Parklane Towers into a full-service, amenity filled-office and retail center unfold.

The 490,000 square-foot buildings that are perhaps the city's tallest, most prominent structures, are now owned by Dubai-based Fairlane Ventures and will be managed by the Farbman Group from Southfield.

"Fairlane Ventures has ties to Dearborn and has been looking to invest in a quality asset in the state of Michigan for sometime," says Michael Kalil, COO of the Farbman Group.

The plan is to make changes to the building that make it more attractive to current and prospective tenants looking for amenities such as a new fitness center, a new, larger conference center, a redesigned lobby and tenant services such as on-site dry cleaning and child care that comes with special rates and accelerated placement at the nearby Rainbow Childcare.

“We are thrilled to leverage our best-in-class services to increase occupancy and further improve overall operations for these dynamic, recognized buildings. It’s the perfect opportunity for us to partner with savvy investors from overseas who believe in the strength of southeast Michigan and the ongoing revitalization of Detroit,” Kalil says. “To advance our strategic growth, we will continue forging new international relationships as more investors and developers from around the world recognize the opportunities offered right here in Detroit.”

In addition to managing the Parklane Towers for Fairlane Ventures' investors, Farbman will also manage 15 buildings totaling 500,000 square feet at the Fairlane Commerce Park in Dearborn.

Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Andrea Trapani, IdentityPR, and Michael Kalil, COO Farbman Group

Plans to build a working and living community for artists in Dearborn are progressing now that the city has set a sales price for the city hall building that will be renovated by the nonprofit ArtSpace.

Artspace has built 32 communities around the country, all of them in cities that have seen economic potential in the creative culture and provided artists places to live, work and sell their works as well as perform.

Dearborn Mayor Jack O'Reilly made the announcement that Artspace is likely to pay $1.65 million for the 1922 Georgian revival style city hall that has become too costly and wasteful for the city to keep.

City hall employees will move into a smaller, more energy-efficient city building that's more centrally located while ArtspaceDearborn, in cooperation with the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority, renovates the old city hall into the City Hall Artists Lofts at 13615 Michigan Ave. Plans call for 40-plus affordable, live/work spaces for artists, art studios and spaces for arts organizations and creative businesses to operate on the east side of the city. East Dearborn, unlike West Dearborn with its influence of Ford Motor Company and the Henry Ford museum, is a more eclectic mix of businesses and has a deep rooted Middle Eastern community. The Arab American National Museum, believed to be the first and only museum devoted to Arab art and culture, is in East Dearborn.

The renovation could cost about $13.5 million, according to Artspace, and it acts as an arts and culture magnet that could attract new residents and visitors to the city.

Artspace’s Mission is to create, foster, and preserve affordable space for artists and arts organizations. Its motto: Bulding Better Communities Through the Arts.

The next step in the process is to apply for low-income housing credits from the state of Michigan, Artspace's Wendy Holmes says. Without those credits a nonprofit Artspace project can't happen. Tax credits typically cover 60-65 percent of the construction cost, the credits being based on the project's ability to provide affordable housing and to act as an economic stimulant. An architect is engaged and drawing up renderings of how an Artspace Dearborn would be laid out and function, she says.

A decision on whether to grant the tax credits is due in August. If approved, construction would start in 2014, Holmes says. If denied, Artspace applies again, and if approved then, construction would begin in 2015, she says.

One thing for certain is that the development would fill a whole city block on Michigan Avenue, where there are two matching City Hall buildings and another building in between. Housing will go into the City Hall building facing Michigan Avenue and in the one just like it around the corner. A third building between them will most likely have studio space,

"It would be a whole campus of arts activity, says Holmes, who has seen the economic spark that comes from providing a gathering spot for the creative community. In Seattle, for example, ArtSpace is about to start construction on its fourth space, this one connected to transit-oriented development, she says.

Along with lofts for living, places for creating or promoting all genres of arts, there would be space for art-related businesses.

"The concept is that space is used by to gather organizations with art interests. It could be a theater company," Holmes says. "There could be a fabrication area for, say, a company that fabricates different forms of art. This is
where creative people can come together in one place."

Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Teri Deaver and Wendy Holmes, Artspace

After five years in the making as a favorite gift shop and little girls' party spot in west Dearborn, Sophia's Giftique has opened a second location, this one in Detroit.

The New Center store inside the office building on West Grand Boulevard and Woodward will offer a similar mix of personal and home accessories, gifts and holiday items as well as its speciality products, Simply Victoria, a handmade greeting card line designed by the mother of one owner, and B3 (Bath, Body, Beauty) which was created by the sister of that store owner.

The store offers free gift wrapping and host private princess parties, tea parties and is frequently the site of charity events.

Sophia's owners see the shop becoming a stop in a series of retail and eating establishments that line the walkways through the New Center that's connected to The Fisher, Cadillac Place and St. Regis Hotel.

Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Sophia's Giftique and West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority

Walls are up and other major progress is happening at the Union at Dearborn, attracting University of Michigan Dearborn students to sign leases at the the near-campus community housing complex.

The Union at Dearborn will open in the fall with 504 luxury apartments directly across the street from campus on Evergreen Raod. While not on campus, it offers traditional dorm amenities such as laundry rooms, mailboxes, lounges and meeting rooms and will also have fitness facilities and a theater. U-M Dearborn, long considered a commuter school, does not offer on-campus housing.

U-M Dearborn will lease part of the complex for student activities, including an eating area, study areas and spaces for campus organizations and student life activities.

Regular shuttles will take students between campus and The Union and will give the university the next best thing to a residential campus community.

The apartments are fully furnished and come in one- and two-bedroom units with private bathrooms, appliances, granite countertops and flat screen TVs.

The $30-million Union at Dearborn was developed by Urban Campus Communities, also the developer of Union at Midtown for Wayne State University students. The complex will be managed by Asset Campus Housing, which manages more than 60 campus communities in more than 20 states offering housing to students at major universities and small institutions.

Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: The Union at Dearborn

State transportation officials see record Amtrak ridership in Michigan as a sign that the public is more aware of train service and seeing the future of commuter train travel in a more positive light.

In 2012, 792,769 passengers boarded Michigan's three Amtrak routes -- the Wolverine between Pontiac and Detroit/Chicago), the Blue Water between Port Huron and East Lansing/Chicago), and the Pere Marquette between Grand Rapids and Chicago. In 2011, that number was 780,655.

The record ridership also led to record revenue of $27.8 million in 2012, a year that had Amtrak adding extra trains to supplement the regular service.

It comes as plans to bring light rail in to Woodward Avenue downtown Detroit move toward implementation and a move to bring a regional commuter train system to metro Detroit and to Michigan and nearby states moves from a limp to a steady walk. Both are aided by federal funds from a program that endorses mass transit development as an economic stimulant. But with Michigan being a stronghold for auto travel, it's been a tough sell in some parts.

At the same time, Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation have been updating trains and making changes to allow for faster travel speeds and fewer route interruptions that will in turn make train travel more appealing.


Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Janet Foran, spokesperson, Michigan Department of Transportation

Concordia University Ann Arbor is taking a catered style of college learning to Dearborn, addressing a demand by non-traditional students looking to earn a degree in less time.

Concordia's new accelerated learning center in Dearborn opens this month; a Frankenmuth center opened in December. The Wisconsin-based, Lutheran-centered university is responding to existing and prospective students who want to earn a degree in less time but in more intense sessions (say longer classes and shorter semesters) in order to accommodate jobs or families that already occupy much of their time.

The center, which is currently located at the Great Lakes Members Credit Union building, 22720 Michigan Ave., will offer undergraduate courses in business, hospitality management, management of criminal justice and nursing, as well as a Master of Science program in organizational leadership and administration.

Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Rochelle Regenauer, Concordia University Wisconsin Centers and Accelerated Programs executive director

The Hyatt Regency Dearborn's transformation into an eco-friendly hotel is closing in on completion as an Adoba Eco Hotel, a hotel brand working to make a name for itself as being "Green from the Ground Up."

The hotel is situated near national tourist attraction, The Henry Ford, and Ford Motor Co. with all of its business travelers. The postmodern, glass structure where the Hyatt operated for more than 30 years is at 600 Town Center Drive and is one of city's most prominent structures.

Adoba Dearborn began operations in November, and the final sale of the hotel is expected later this month.

The purchase saves about 300 jobs and also gives visitors to Dearborn another lodging option. It also brings to metro Detroit a business that is focused on sustainability in its operations, including the use of low flow toilets, water-saving shower heads and more.

The Colorado-based company started in 2010 and was based on building - or in Dearborn's case, renovating - hotels that are LEED-certified facilities. LEED buildings meet national standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council for conservation.

Adoba owner, Atmosphere Hospitality, operates one other eco-hotel near Mount Rushmore in 2010. It opened in 2010 and has been named a top hotel for the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Once the purchase is complete, more involved LEED-focused renovations to the Dearborn hotel can begin and could take up to three years.

Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Adoba Eco Hotels & Suites and City of Dearborn

A growing market and interest in locally-sourced food, organic food and knowing where your food comes from has Garry Kuneman expanding his business, adding a new location and bringing new products to customers.

Kuneman, who worked the farmer's market circuit for 10 years, opened his Natural Food Local Express in Plymouth in July 2010. It didn't take him long to see that demand would lead to a second location.

The new store will open Dec. 1 at 6870 Telegraph Road. The company will take on a new name, Pure Pastures, with one location becoming Pure Pastures East and the other Pure Pastures West.

The name change is more of a reflection of the core business, says Kuneman. That is to sell meat, eggs and other products from Michigan farmers.

Except for air-chilled chicken, a European style of chicken preparation that's become popular since an endorsement from Dr. Mehmet Oz, and a portion of buffalo, another popular product, everything comes from Michigan. Local eggs that come from chickens that aren't caged and eat no soy or GMOs are a top seller. Kuneman will add more national products when he brings in more organic and gluten-free foods, he says.

Kuneman's start with farmers' markets and home deliveries are still a part of the operations. He plans to expand home delivery and product offerings and hire 3-4 new employees when the new store opens. Currently, there are four employees.

"The farmers markets helped me get a handle on the kind of products I wanted to carry. And it helped me build a customer base," he says. "There are several segments of the population we pull from: special diets, people who want to know what's in their food and some are concerned about the humane treatment of animals. It's a little pricier, but people are willing to pay to know what they're getting, to support Michigan."

Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Garry Kuneman, owner, Natural Food Local Express, the future Pure Pastures

A Sept. 24 groundbreaking for a student housing complex will take the University of Michigan Dearborn, largely a commuter school, into the direction of creating a campus residential community.

The $30-million The Union at Dearborn, a project of Bloomfield Hills based developer Urban Campus Communities, will convert a closed Ford Motor Co. diagnostic center into 231,791 square feet of space for 500-plus students and other campus amenities.

Inside the buildings, which are located across Evergreen Road from the U-M Dearborn campus at 760 and 780 Town Center Drive, will be space for student life activities, meeting rooms, student study areas offices and a cabaret style theater.

Construction is expected to be completed in time for the fall 2013 school year. School and city officials see it as a major academic and economic opportunity for Dearborn.

The Union at Dearborn also will bring a newly revived, 24/7 presence to the community, with economic growth expected for the surrounding businesses.

“This is such an exciting development for the City of Dearborn,” Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr. says in a statement announcing the groundbreaking. “We are thrilled that UM-Dearborn students soon will be able to call Dearborn home throughout the year and we look forward to welcoming them to our community.”

U-M Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little says students have asked about campus housing for many years.

“With the reduction of state funding and our commitment to minimizing tuition increases, this public-private collaboration will allow the university to continue to invest in its academic mission, while transforming the campus experience for all students. The Union at Dearborn also will provide greater access for students wishing to pursue a Michigan degree in southeastern Michigan,” Little says.

Source: Beth Marmarelli, associate director, communications & marketing, University of Michigan-Dearborn
Writer: Kim North Shine

As plans to improve a 304-mile stretch of passenger rail line that runs through Michigan, Illinois and Indiana move forward, the public is invited to participate in the process that determines what the local impact will be.

For metro Detroiters, the Chicago-Detroit/Pontiac Passenger Rail Corridor could offer connections to places that improve economic situations or quality of life, but it could also affect neighborhoods.

A series of meetings will be held this month and hosted by the three states' Departments of Transportation. The meetings will explain more about the proposal to make changes to the line and also take comments from the public. They will also offer possible route alternatives and identify potential issues that should be considered in the planning. They are required as part of the plan formation and environmental impact assessment to be done before construction can begin.

The rail improvements come as several metro Detroit communities, including Detroit, Pontiac, Troy, Dearborn, and the federal government have invested in new transportation stations that have brought economic benefit to cities around the
country by opening up access to jobs, education and affordable transportation.

According to GreatLakesRail, "the purpose of the program is to improve intercity mobility by providing an improved passenger rail service that would be a competitive transportation alternative to automobile, bus and air service between Chicago and Detroit/Pontiac…The program will provide sufficient information for the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) to potentially support future decisions to fund and implement a major investment in the passenger rail corridor."

The local meeting will be held Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 7 pm. at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel, 5801 Southfield Expressway, Detroit.

Comments about the changes can also be shared online at GreatLakesRail.org or by telephone, 877-351-0853.

Source: Janet Foran, communications, Michigan Department of Transportation
Writer: Kim North Shine

A Rouge River island with a deep history and a washed up appearance is looking better than it has in years, and though it's more industrial than natural its become a place of interest for recreational water users and environmentalists.

Fordson Island, an 8.4 acre piece of land born in the early 1920s when a channel was dug by the Army Corps of Engineers to increase shipping transportation, fell into decline in the 1970s after the water levels dropped, sediment rose and residents left.

Rundown homes, dozens of old and rusty boats and poor water quality were discovered years later, and a now two-three year old effort by several organizations, including AKT Peerless, an environmental and energy consulting firm; NOAA, the marine debris division National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority; and Friends of the Rouge have removed tons of debris, literally, which has resulted in an improvement in water quality.

Slowly, the island, although private, is starting to attract nature lovers and kayakers, along with fish and other wildlife. Hundreds of volunteers have removed many many cubic yards of junk and garbage, and water testing has shown an improvement in the amount of pollution.

Several goals have been set, including the return of fish once common to the area.

The island is about 3 miles inland from the Detroit River on the River Rouge owned by the city of Dearborn and accessible only by boat or a one-lane bridge from Detroit.

Source: Tim McGahey, regional manager of operations for Southeast Michigan at AKT Peerless
Writer: Kim North Shine

Dearborn is jumping on the food truck bandwagon by hosting rallies that will give locals - and visitors - of taste of several rolling restaurants and also serve as a test case for how food trucks interact with nearby businesses.

The first Dearborn Food Truck Rally, sponsored by Westborn Market, will be held from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. this Friday city's Parking Lot C behind PizzaPapalis, 22022 Michigan Ave., west of Monroe.

It is the first of three food truck rallies planned for this summer, the second coming Aug. 24 in the parking lot between the West Village parking decks and the third on Sept. 21 in the city lot behind the Double Olive.

The Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce, the city of Dearborn and the West Dearborn Downtown Development Authority are partnering with the Michigan Mobile Food Vendors Association, which put out the word about Dearborn's interest in food trucks and rounded up eight to 10 operators: Frank's Anatra, Concrete Cuisine, Treat Dreams, Ned's, Mack Shack, El Guappo, PPC and Jacques Tacos. Live music will be a part of the event and nearby businesses may try to capitalize on the activity. Economic development officials are hoping businesses will participate by offering specials, events and sales.

Food trucks are at the center of a debate over whether they help or hurt brick-and-mortar businesses, whether they're unfair competition and whether they should be more heavily regulated for food safety and business taxes. Portland, OR, a city known for its vibrant food truck culture, ran an impact study several years ago that demonstrated how the mobile eateries had mostly positive effects on the neighborhoods they were in, and aside for parking issues, local businesses saw the food carts as a good way to increase street activity.

"We think this will be an exciting and unique way to bring families downtown on Friday evenings for food, fun and entertainment,” Jennifer Giering, president of the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce, says in a statement. “These community events have a tremendous economic impact on surrounding businesses with the first event in Ferndale attracting 1,500 people, many of which patronized local bars and restaurants after the event.”

Source: Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce
Writer: Kim North Shine

A $15.8 million project will add a new track between Detroit and Dearborn, giving Amtrak passengers and freight cars their own dedicated lines.

The changes to the West Detroit Connection Track, which is the key link between the new Dearborn multi-modal transportation station and Detroit's station downtown, were OK'd by the federal Department of Transportation last week. Feds will pay for half the project and the Michigan Department of Transportation will pay the other half as they look for ways to alleviate a bottleneck on portions of the track.

The West Detroit Connection Track is also a key part of the Detroit to Chicago line, known as Amtrak's Wolverine line.

The project, which will break ground later this year, will alleviate a bottleneck that is increasing waiting times for trains, costing companies money and slowing down travelers.

Carmine Palombo, director of transportation programs for the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, says the changes make sense economically because they allow goods and people to move more quickly and efficiently.

"When you have 10 minute and more delays that are caused by the bottleneck that is there now, that is huge," Palombo says.

But metro Detroit and Michigan are still a long way off from trains carrying coffee-drinking, newspaper reading commuters. Improvements such as new stations, including in Dearborn, Detroit, Troy and Pontiac, as well as changes to increase train speeds up to 110 mph, are lining up to make Michigan a train-riding state.

"It's all part of the overall series of events to improve passenger service," he says.

As of now, the line is mostly for travelers and freight. He says a commuter train between Detroit and Ann Arbor is inching along but still far from a done deal.

"Part of what happens now is existing Amtrak trains start in Pontiac and go to Chicago…The problem is the times are not conducive for a lot of commuters .. The times are geared for getting you to Chicago, not points in between. And the costs are not necessarily in step with what commuters want to pay."

He says legislation that will have the state of Michigan financially supporting the train service could change that.
"When that happens we can have a little more say in the schedules and how that service is run," Palombo says.

In the meantime, the feds, who are executing President Barak Obama's High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program, see the project as a way to address congestion of the Midwest Regional Rail Network and promote alternative forms of transportation and to create jobs and spur economic development.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation and Carmine Palombo director of transportation programs, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Writer: Kim North Shine

Dearborn city officials may be moving out of City Hall and a bunch of artists could be moving in, bringing with them a place that attracts all sorts of creative types and potentially a brighter economy.

It'll happen if Artspace, a national nonprofit that facilitates live-work-sell developments for artists around the country, and the East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority succeed in their plans to start a Deaborn Artspace.

The project has passed most of the major hurdles to make it a reality. Before renovations and eventually move-in could begin, the city has to settle on a sales price and money has to be added to the $300,000 already donated by the Kresge and Ford foundations to cover renovations and other costs.

City Hall became the likely site after the city became aware that Artspace and the East Dearborn DDA were scouting locations. City officials are ready to sell the historic City Hall and move employees into a more modern building in order to avoid costly repairs to the building.

"Artspace got really enthusiastic about the project, when they heard about City Hall," Kania says. "They've done 30 projects around the country…They've never done a city hall before."

The campus-like arrangement on a prominent spot on Michigan Avenue and the openness of the building make it a great fit for a place where artists would live, work, rehearse, and sell or present their creations. There will be room for 40-50 live-work units and about 10 residents would live there. There will also be performance areas and vendor areas.

Every discipline of art is welcomed and Kania regularly receives inquiries from artists asking when Artspace will be taking tenants. If everything goes as planned, construction should begin in the third quarter 2014 and be finished and ready to lease in 2015.

Artspace Dearborn "would animate the historic structure with a 24-hour vibrant hub of activity that will bring the block alive with festivals, events and commerce," Kania says.

Typically, Artspace attract other artists, art organizations and businesses. "One of Artspace's projects in Minnesota fostered the area as the fastest-growing residential area with an abundance of restaurants, market-rate housing and creative businesses, Kania says.

The project would create construction jobs and jobs in the creative industry, she says.

"The East Dearborn DDA and the city of Dearborn are reinventing themselves for the 21st century. The City Hall campus will have the most profound impact on downtown business and cultural activity alike. East Downtown Dearborn will be on the map for utilizing the power of the arts to its fullest potential."

Source: Melissa Kania, East Dearborn DDA administrative assistant
Writer: Kim North Shine

Ground was broken Tuesday on a $28.2 million station to be used for multiple modes of transportation and a crucial link in regional mass transit.

The Intermodal Passenger Rail Station will be built at 20201 W. Michigan Ave., west of the Southfield Freeaway at the entrance of west downtown Dearborn.

Besides being a crucial link for Amtrak service and local bus services, the 16,000-square-foot glass-and-brick, historical-meets-contemporary structure will serve as a station for all types of transportation public and private.

There will be Wi-Fi service for passengers, bicycles racks, and interior design that highlights Dearborn's history and best-known institutions. The exterior will be a mix of contemporary design elements and historic features of landmark train stations. There will be a pedestrian bridge and a clock tower. In addition, it will be built with green features such as a solar collectors on the rooftop, rain gardens and energy efficient heating and cooling.

Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2013. About 280 temporary construction jobs will be created and 25 permanent employees, some full-time, some part-time, will be needed to operate the station. Federal Department of Transportation and economic stimulus funds are paying for the project.

Locally, it will be a convenient source of transportation for employees of some of the city's major institution and for visitors to its tourist attractions.

Regionally, it "will serve as a rail gateway to Dearborn and Southeast Michigan," according to an announcement released by the city Tuesday, the day a ceremony celebrating the ground breaking at The Henry Ford.

"The important transportation link will allow thousands of passengers per year to make connections to Amtrak’s Wolverine service that extends from Pontiac to Chicago; as well as to SMART, DDOT, Greyhound and charter buses; corporate and hotel shuttles; taxis and personal vehicles.

The station is positioned to support the eventual operation of the Detroit to Chicago High Speed Rail Corridor, which already has seen progress in western Michigan.

"It will also serve the proposed Ann Arbor to Detroit commuter rail line. Eventually, the commuter rail line will allow easy bus connection to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The station’s proximity to the Rouge River Gateway Trail on the north side of Michigan Avenue in Dearborn should prove popular to pedestrians and bicyclists and provide easy access to the campuses of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Henry Ford Community College," the statement went on to say.

It's a massive overhaul and ambitious project for a site previously used to only to store vehicles.

Source: City of Dearborn Department of Public Information
Writer: Kim North Shine