Development News

The truism that road construction is a business killer may not be so true for downtown Rochester. Several businesses have recently opened or are about to despite a major rebuild of Main Street through the heart of downtown.

"It's like nothing we've ever seen. We are busier this year than all of last year," says Kristi Trevarrow, executive director of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority.

The project is expected to be finished July 20, Trevarrow says. The closure of Main Street started in early April and involves completely rebuilding the road, including unearthing the original brick road, and adding new amenities, decorative details, and energy efficient features. The decorative details such as planters won't be in until September, she says.

Some of the businesses coming to town:

The Meeting House, a restaurant owned by two guys with impressive restaurant backgrounds. Owners Jason Moon and Chris Johnson bought the whole building at 301 S. Main St. and will use the outdoor patio and first floor for dining and the upstairs for private events, Trevarrow says.

Carrie Lee's is expanding from its popular Lake Orion location to 227 Main St., former home of Fuse Lounge & Bar.

Mama Mia's will serve a Tuscan menu on the site of Fortesa, 543 Main St., which closed last year. It was approved for a liquor license this week, Trevarrow says.

Dublin Fish & Chips moved in about a month ago, she says, after deciding a downtown location was better than a shopping strip in Macomb Township.

The trend of self-serve yogurt with a buffet of toppings comes to Sweet Island Yogurt, which is at 404 Main and undergoing renovations.

Also recently opened, and getting lots of traffic (the good kind), is Moon River Soap Co., which purchased a building at 339 East St. to replace its location in New Baltimore.

"It's been absolutely wonderful," Trevarrow says, "even with the construction."

Source: Kristi Trevarrow, executive director, Rochester Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine

Farmington Hills is the new headquarters of TM Group, a business technology consulting firm that has combined two of its locations into one headquarters designed to foster collaboration, and even fun, among its employees.

The 6,700-square-foot office at the Farmington Hills Corporate Campus at 12 Mile and Halstead roads brings together executive management, sales and marketing, client support, and consulting and developing under one roof.

Their new workplace combines largely naturally lit offices, meeting rooms, a training room, library, media room, contemporary kitchen and a "refresh room" where employes can watch TV, listen to music, play video games or just relax and destress, the company says in a statement announcing the newly designed headquarters.

"May began our 29th year as a highly successful Michigan-based business technology consulting firm – a tremendous milestone of achievement and a great time for us to consolidate in this new corporate headquarters.  We are one of only a handful of Microsoft Dynamics partners worldwide who have nearly three continuous decades with the same management team, product family, and with the most tenured team of certified Dynamics consultants in our area,” says Judy Thomas, president of The TM Group, which calls itself a highly acclaimed provider of Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM solutions.
“We made a special effort to provide a more updated environment for our team and a welcoming environment for our clients, prospects, and visitors.”

Source: Jennifer Swiderski, spokesperson, TM Group and Automation Alley
Writer: Kim North Shine

Rebecca Bayes has brought together her two passions into one business in downtown Berkley.

It's an unlikely pairing, but Bayes, a longtime financial consultant and yoga practitioner, believes mixing the two fields and helping her financial consultants get in touch with their emotional, spiritual, and physical sides is the next frontier in finance.

She's exploring it through her newly opened Shanti Yoga on Coolidge between Catalpa and 12 Mile roads.

"It's my fantasy," she says. "It's amazing to see it come together."

Shanti, which means peace, opened July 2 in a 1,300-square-foot renovated building that now has offices, meeting rooms, and yoga studio in one.

Bayes, who was a longtime financial consultant for Comerica Bank before going out on her own two years ago, already plans to expand to physical therapy and reiki.

Source: Rebecca Bayes, owner, Shanti Yoga
Writer: Kim North Shine

All the eco-conscious bells and whistles that earned Oakland County International Airport a LEED Gold certification are also saving the county money by running at about half the utility costs prior to energy-focused rebuild.

According to Oakland County the new airport operates at 44 percent greater efficiency. From October 2011 through March 2012 the average cost of utilities dropped from 49 cents per square foot to 27.5 cents per square foot.

Features such as wind and solar electricity generators, a solar hot water heater, geothermal heating and cooling, fluorescent and LED lighting and, one of the more obvious for passengers, a living wall of tropical plants that clean the indoor air.

“These are real savings,” Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson says in a statement announcing the utility cost analysis. “The energy efficient technology is part of the wow factor business and general aviation travelers encounter when they use the new terminal as their gateway to the region.”

“The airport has a great impact on southeast Michigan,” says Oakland County Director of Central Services J. David VanderVeen. He oversees the airport - the second busiest in Michigan. The airport, which is located in Waterford, underwent a $7.5 million update last August. Airport user fees and federal and state grants covered the cost.

“Nearly every Fortune 500 company flies through here in the course of a year and it has a $175 million impact on the region,” he says.

Source: Bill Mullan, media and communications officer, Oakland County
Writer: Kim North Shine

The people who brought to Ferndale The Oakland, with its focus on sophisticated rich decor, classic cocktails made like in the old days, intimate seating and a no standing allowed rule are going the other direction with a Tiki Bar that welcomes groups to congregate, drinking from plastic cups amid twinkling lights and an casual Polynesian style.

Honi Honi Tiki Bar opened June 22 in downtown Ferndale and "will offer all the things the Oakland can't," the owner announced.

Honi Honi refers to the Polynesian greeting of pressing noses together and inhaling at the same time. "It represents the exchange of life and the sacredness of the simple ac of greeting,"

The drinks will be tiki-inspired and made of fresh, local produce and high quality spirits. The menu will be small, one to two beers and three of four cocktails, and will continually change.

Honi Honi is located at off Troy St. behind The Oakland, which is at 201 1 9 Mile. Troy is one block south. The establishments will have separate entrances and operations.

Source: The Oakland and Honi Honi
Writer: Kim North Shine

Downtown Birmingham is getting serious about making its already pedestrian friendly downtown just as inviting to bicyclists.

The city turned to Portland and Minneapolis, cities known for leading the way for safe and fun cycling on city streets, for advice and has just started the first phase of a project aimed at encouraging cycling as a viable form of transportation.

The Downtown Bicycle Parking Plan will bring bike racks to 80 spots around downtown.

They will be easy to find, use, high-quality and well distributed, says Jana Ecker, Birmingham's director of planning. These parking areas will be well lit and clear of pedestrians and cars, she says.

“Our goal is to make the City more user-friendly for all modes of transportation,” Birmingham City Manager Bob Bruner says.

The first phase of the three-phase plan, the installation of 45 bike racks, began earlier this month, and will be finished by the end of summer. Phases 1 and 2, which will involve the final installations, signage and some minor infrastructure redesign, will be completed over the next two years.

Source: Jana Ecker, planning director, city of Birmingham
Writer: Kim North Shine

One family's devotion to Michigan and their appreciation of the state's food, history, and style has led to the opening of The Mitt in downtown Mount Clemens.

Ken and Tracy Leonard decided to open the restaurant at 143 N. Main Street to pay homage "to all the great things about this beautiful state," he says.

For about four weeks now the restaurant has been in soft opening mode, preparing for a full-scale operations. The Mitt got an unexpected publicity boost when Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stopped in while on the campaign trail.

The Leonards, who have a history of running restaurants, lived in California until 14 years ago after deciding to come back to Michigan raise kids and contribute to the state's economy.

"I was born in raised in Michigan. I really thought that Michigan gets a bad rap. I think it's a great state and we need to get that out there. This is about a sense of pride in our home state," Leonard says.

The Mitt, a bar, restaurant and pizzeria serving under the "From Michigan For Michigan" motto, is decorated in a Michigan motif - think Up North rustic cabin - and serves Michigan comfort food that's 100 percent homemade and 95 percent all Michigan products," Leonard says. He or someone from the staff shop at Eastern Market weekly and work with companies that provide Michigan products.

Besides comfort food that Leonard says is made fresh "the freezer is seldom used," the interior is something to take in: Michigan artists' artwork line the walls and a mural of the Mackinac Bridge spans the length of the restaurant.

The opening has created 35 full-time jobs and Leonard is in the process of hiring more as crowd demands have some employees working overtime, he says.

Opening The Mitt is both a shout out to his birthplace and a call to families who want affordable, good, fresh food," he says.

"A lot of of people chose to pack their bags and leave when times got tough for Michigan," he says. "We stuck it out. We stayed here for the hard times… We think the people that have stayed here did it for the same reason. They believe in Michigan."

Source: Ken Leonard, owner/operator, The Mitt Restaurant and Bar
Writer: Kim North Shine

What might be downtown Birmingham's most prominent address - a sad sight when award-winnning Forte closed last year after 16 years - is jumping again with the arrival of an out-of-town steakhouse that's eyed Michigan as an expansion spot for awhile.

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, which has 13 restaurants in Ohio, New York, Pittsburgh and Florida, brought its high-end service, rich club decor and menu of aged steaks, fish and seafood, to town last week, opening at 201 South Old Woodward.

According to the Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber, the owners have sought a Michigan location for 18 years, and the menu, which features local and company-wide specialties, incorporated metro Detroit into the menu by paying homage to local athletes and celebrities.

The restaurant, which underwent major renovations, is located a block away from the four-star Townsend Hotel and fits the upscale feel of the hotel and the city. The arrival alleviates a prominent vacancy and also creates full-time and part-time jobs.

Source: City of Birmingham, Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber
Writer: Kim North Shine

The story behind the origin of Brew Jus, its artisan sliders paired with beer sauces and its signature beer ice cream (yes, there is a such thing), is one of finding a silver lining to the economic black clouds that have gathered over Michigan.

Brew Jus Petite Eatery is the brainchild of Nick Schultz and David Ballew, two guys who struggled to figure out what to do with life after losing their jobs. The eatery, which opens this week, is the first restaurant to open in the Rust Belt Market, a a former Old Navy on Woodward near 9 Mile, where artists work on and sell their creations.

After being laid off from their jobs, thirtysomethings Ballew (of Royal Oak) and Schultz (Ferndale) discovered they had both culinary passion and talent. For Schultz it was sauces, for Ballew it was beer making. Both had backgrounds in the food industry, working in restaurants and food service. Schultz decided to go to culinary school and Ballew perfected brewing. They paired up on their first event in 2009, experimenting with the beer-food pairing concept. It caught on and by 2011 they had formed the Brew Jus brand.

“The dire times in Michigan during the recession forced us to look for something else to do,” says Schultz, the guy behind the blog, The Sauced Chef. We’re grateful that adversity allowed us to find our passions and offer something new to
foodies and beer lovers.”

“We are constantly redefining the relationship between food and beer,” Schultz says.

Brew Jus at Rust Belt Market will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to  7 p.m., selling "distinct sliders," including a vegan option with beer-based sauces. The beer ice cream will for sell as well.

Source: Nick Schultz, co-owner and co-founder Brew Jus
Writer: Kim North Shine

A longtime chef and caterer is selling his recipes from a Marathon gas station in Canton, an endeavor that's proving to be a winning example of entrepreneurship aided by a quick-moving city government.

Robert Grant's business plan to set up a restaurant in one corner of a gas station was unusual and, he was warned, could be problematic under city code.

"They were amazing," says Grant, who worked in food services at Metro Airport, for Pan Am Airlines and in catering on the campaigns of several Detroit and Michigan politicians. "

The K&L Marathon Deli featuring Fussy Gussie's Corned Beef is located at the corner of Lilley and Warren roads in Canton. It opened three months ago and is attracting nearby residents, office workers and walk-ins. The restaurant, a $1,200 investment, is basically two stainless steel tables as a front counter and prep space with a home refrigerator, hot plate and meat carver behind. In the back of the store, unseen, is the corned beef that so many people come for.

Grant, a culinary arts graduate, proudly displays his certificate of occupancy, food service license and a big poster with the first dollars he made here.

The restaurant name honors Grant's mother, who died in 2006. She left behind a winning corned beef recipe she learned from a Jewish woman she worked for. The ribs, green beans and Coneys "that are as good or better than Lafayette" are also on the menu, along with sandwiches, peach cobbler and other changing specials.

The name also recognizes the owners of the station, 42438 Warren. Owner Ken Merril urged Grant to bring some of his catering favorites into a retail setting. He's done it before in Detroit, but is still hoping to get a restaurant to stick. He's hoping to bring a food truck to Canton, something  he'll go see those previously helpful city officials about, and one day package the corned beef sandwiches.

"He guess he probably smelled the cooking on my clothes one day and he said you could open up something here," says Grant, who was reluctant initially. "I prayed about it and took a chance. I'm so thankful for him and for everyone at the city who made sure I could get my business up and going in 48 hours. Can you believe that? They've given me the opportunity of a lifetime."

Source: Robert Grant, caterer and owner of K&L Deli Featuring Fussy Gussie's Corned Beef
Writer: Kim North Shine

Several 1940s-era buildings located on the property of General Motors Corp in Warren are undergoing renovation and rebuilding that involve 3D modeling and other high-tech apps.

The project is part of a $325-million investment by GM to increase production at the plant that produces transmissions for some of GM's most popular vehicles.

About 500,000 square feet of the massive 2-million-square-foot facility will be renovated. Two administration buildings are being demolished and 14 existing work bays will be rebuilt as will roads and underground utilities.

A new mechanical room and electrical switchgear room will be added, and new concrete surfaces will be placed in production areas.

A new employee entrance, lobby, break area and work prep area are part of the project that is supposed to make GM more efficient, worker-friendly and up-to-date.

Canton-based LaSalle Group Inc. is part of the leadership team on the construction and is working with Giffels IBI Group out of Southfield and teams of subcontractors.

Source: Ryan Philbeck, LaSalle Group Inc.
Writer: Kim North Shine

Downtown Rochester's big dig of 2012 is turning up some finds that may dull the pain of the Main Street rebuild that has disrupted business.

Two discoveries that were unearthed when the street was ripped up are already bringing more people into downtown and could result in new points of interest for visitors to downtown.

One major find was the original brick road that ran through town, some 600,000 bricks, from two brick-makers. One was a stamped brick called Hocking Block, the other comes from a company Speedway because it built the International Speedway in Indianapolis,

The masonry motherlode were put up for sale at a special event that pulled hundreds of visitors into downtown last week. They also came to buy lamp posts, parking meters and other items that are being replaced during the road rebuild and streetscape makeover.

About 15,000 of the bricks will go back into the streetscape, into planters and other parts, Kristi Trevarrow, executive director of Rochester Downtown Development Authority.

More are available to the public, and thousands have already been sold.

"People can get a couple or thousands," she says. "People want to build fireplaces with them, do driveways with them. It's great.

Another "very exciting, very cool thing" was a collection of papers shoved into an underground coal bin. They turned out to be operation and instruction sheets from a Kroger that few knew was once located downtown, Trevarrow says. The selling tip sheets and other explainers from 1931-1933 store "are hysterical," she says. Pictures can be seen on the Downtown Rochester's Facebook page.

Kroger officials were so excited about the find, she says, they donated $2,500 to help Rochester's Historical Commission preserve and display the papers.

"This is the most exciting thing so far…This is the one that stood out as a piece of Rochester," Trevarrow says. This is a very stressful project for everyone. Our biggest thing for us was we wanted people to have access to our history."

Source: Kristi Trevarrow, executive director, Rochester Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine

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

The streets of downtown Plymouth take Daniela Kokalevski back to her homeland of Macedonia.

For Kokalevski, who has a background in banking and a love of fashion, it was those features that made her decide the downtown, known for its charm and foot traffic, was the perfect place to open a boutique.

Dazzling Daniela has a vintage bent and offers dresses, from casual to formal, most if not all the styles picked up on buying trips to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York.

Besides selling head-to-toe fashion, Kokalevski and her staff will fit all their customers.

"We're getting great word of mouth, and social media is bringing people in," says Daniela, whose shop had a ribbon cutting with the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce earlier this month.  "I love doing it in a place that makes me feel like I'm in Macedonia."

Source: Daniela Kokalevski, owner Dazzling Daniela
Writer: Kim North Shine

The growth and change happening for homegrown Valentine Vodka - its motto is "Surprisingly smooth vodka from a city  known for grit - is almost intoxicating for owner and founder Rifino Valentine.

From a new patio that now features a Bloody Mary Sunday Brunch to a product expansion that's taken Valentine vodka into establishments across the state, into Illinois and most recently to Tennessee, there are big plans to get bigger and better.

Big news for the craft vodka maker came this week when Tasting Panel, a respected industry publication, gave Valentine Vodka a 94 point rating. Grey Goose, by comparison, came in at 89. It follows a gold medal win at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in April.

"All this stuff it's tremendously exciting. I couldn't ask for things to go any better," says Valentine, who left Wall Street with the mission of helping an ailing Michigan economic climate. "It's validating. Our goal was to help change the economic structure of this state and the city."

He feels the three-and-a-half-year-old business is on the path to doing that, hiring three full-time employees plus himself and five part-timers and using ingredients from Michigan farmers and Michigan companies.
 
He says the accolades and the growth that has Valentine becoming a regular name on restaurant and bar menus bodes well for Michigan.

"The goal was to put out a product that can compete and beat the big fancy imported brands," says Rifino, whose distilling philosophy involves small batch production. The process can be seen at the tasting room/cocktail lounge that's inside a former billiards manufacturer at 161 Vester in Ferndale. The bar uses all natural ingredients in its cocktails, making some of them right the bar.

A new custom-made still arrived earlier this year from Germany, where it was made not only to help Valentine Vodka keep up with demand but to carry it into new products, including whiskey and gin, Valentine says.

The business, which has also received Best of honors from local publications such as Metro Times, has added its first flavored vodka to the lineup: elder flower. But there will be no rush to add more flavors.

"My whole philosophy is to do a few things and do them well."

The next big change that could come is a new or different location.

"We're busting at the seams,"  he says. "We'll have to evaluate our next move in about a year."

Source: Rifino Valentine, owner and founder, Valentine Vodka
Writer: Kim North Shine