Development News

A vacant building in Auburn Hills was another snapshot of Michigan's dark economy, but with the move-in of a global automotive supplier the picture is brightening.

The April 1 opening of the Teijin Composites Application Center (TCAC) also puts this metro Detroit operation in a position to globally market, develop and apply the latest uses for high volume, high-speed production of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite products, and to increase the use of carbon fiber in automobiles and other products.

The state has awarded $375,000 in tax incentives to open the $7.9 million development center, which will create 25 new jobs and could lead to more. The city of Auburn Hills is offering tax abatements as well.

Teijin, a Japanese conglomerate and leader in the carbon fiber composites industry, established its American division in 2011, the same year it struck a deal with General Motors Corp. to co-develop the advanced carbon fiber composite technologies needed for GM cars, trucks and crossovers.

Teijin's high volume, high speed process for producing the materials is considered an innovative breakthrough in the automotive industry.

The company is also receiving other tax credits and abatements from the state and the city as part of a program that seeks to simply business establishment in Michigan. In addition, Gov. Rick Snyder taking delegations to Asia with hopes of bringing business to Michigan.

“These new flexible incentives, paired with Michigan’s simplified and reduced business tax structure and initiatives to connect employers with talented workers, are creating one of the best business climates in the country,” Michigan Economic Development Corp. President and CEO Michael Finney says in a statement announcing the Teijin project - and others.

Source: Michael Shore, communications, Michigan Economic Development Corp.
Writer: Kim North  Shine

Woodward Avenue's connection to cruising, drive-ins and other 50s-era pastimes are memorialized in a piece of public artwork that presents the roadway's cultural history in a modern medium.

The Woodward Royal Oak Tribute, a 30-foot-tall, solar-powered, glass and concrete sculpture, was made by Royal Oak artist and resident Kyle Evans.

The rounded, illuminated piece of art meets history meets marketing will stand at Woodward and 13 Mile and be unveiled this summer. It will be the third of a series of Tribute sculptures to go up along Woodward. The others are in Ferndale (pictured) and Pontiac.

The work was commissioned by the Woodward Avenue Action Association, or WA3, as part of the federal America's Byways project. WA3, an economic and community development organization that works to improve the visual, functional and economic character of Woodward, a 27-mile long road with a distinct character.

WA3 works with the National Scenic Byway's program, which has ID'd 150 distinct American roadways as worthy of packaging that lets their stories be told to the world.

A Tribute costs $150,000, and $120,000 comes from an National Scenic Byway Grant. To receive that grant $30,000 must be raised locally as a match.  A fundraiser is planned for this April 19 at the grand opening  of the second location of Pizzeria Biga, this one in Royal Oak.

"The city of Royal Oak has a long and rich history with Woodward Avenue and as a community, we want to acknowledge that history in a permanent Tribute,” said Royal Oak Mayor Jim Ellison. “We are excited about the Tribute event which will allow us the opportunity to share our vision of the tribute with all who helped create and support it."

Source: Lori Ella Miller, Wooodward Avenue Action Association.
Writer: Kim North Shine

Holy Cannoli!

It would have been an appropriate expression, something said under pressure as the bakers at the newly opened Holy Cannoli's in downtown Rochester worked to keep up the demand for thousands of the little Italian pastries that were selling like hot cakes in the days leading up to Easter.

It was the debut holiday for Holy Cannoli's, a bambino of a family business that made the leap from farmers markets, festivals and private events to full-flown store at 415 S. Main St.

Holy Cannoli's "soft opening" over the Easter week - really a trial by fire - was preparation for the official grand opening still to be set. The family - wives, husbands, children, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends - were so busy making thousands of cannolis, which come in a variety of flavors, there was never time to have the new equipment delivered.

They improvised, turning out their orders without the new oven and other equipment.

Franey owns and runs the store with her sister, Christina Granger, mom, Cathy Schulte and grandmother Sharon Beheler, who also owns an antique store in Washington Township, about four miles outside downtown Rochester.

Franey left her full-time job last week to devote herself full-time to the business and its handmade, traditional cannolis made from a recipe that goes back five generations in the Pino family, which has bonded for decades while sitting around table, each person having their part in the making of the cream-filled, deep-friend sweet.

It was pretty much that scene in a downtown Rochester retail space that played out last week before Easter, Franey says. It's all been a whirlwind for the family that only turned the family tradition in to the beginnings of a business in January 2010.

"You do what you have to do," Franey says, laughing. "It was crazy, but we did it."

Source: Nicole Franey, co-owner, Holy Cannoli's
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

When Tijuana's Mexican restaurant opened on the border of Dearborn and Detroit 20 years ago all went smoothly, except for one thing: The printer and sign-maker got the name wrong. Instead of Tia Juana's (Aunt Juana's), the name came out Tijuana's, the Mexican border town.

"Back in the day we didn't have a lot of computers or ways to make this kind of thing easier. They spelled it and printed it wrong. It just stuck… I had everything already printed.

"I've never even been there," owner Marisa Garcia says, laughing. "But the customers seem to like it."

And how.

Garcia, a stay-at-home mom of two young children when she opened the misnamed establishment 20 years ago, is now up to three locations, including the re-opening last week in the original site at 18950 Ford Road, near Southfield and Evergreen.

Garcia closed the location six years ago and moved to Lincoln Park. She later opened an express takeout version in Southgate. "The customers that followed us kept asking us to come back," Garcia says.

In the meantime the old location and original home was taken over by a new tenant. The owner renovated. The space was bigger, the parking was better and finally Garcia could tell her customers that she was coming back.

With her would come the fresh made salsas, handmade tamales and tortillas and sauces. And room for more customers, 120-130. The restaurant also has a bar and a liquor license pending.

The new, old location opened April 26th and led to 10 full-time jobs, says Garcia, who runs the restaurants with her husband, son, daughter and son-in-law.

Source: Marisa Garcia, owner, Tijuana's Mexican restaurant.
Writer: Kim North Shine

A major reconstruction project that started this week is shutting down Main Street in downtown Rochester and generating enthusiasm and dread at the same time.

The short-term pain - about three months of a complete closure of Main Street if construction goes as planned - is expected to lead to long-term gains. That is attracting customers and businesses to a smooth road and a downtown with new amenities.

It's a mixed blessing for business owners who will have to wait out the inconvenience to their customers. The business owners are worried the road closure could keep customers away, but city planners are encouraging everyone to put the focus on the potential benefits.

There's the practical: a smooth road; exposed, aggregate sidewalks; a replaced 1890s era water main. And then there are the extras, potential draws for customers and businesses: bike racks; decorative planters fashioned from the bricks excavated during construction; trees and plantings; benches; decorative, energy conserving street lights; and more components that will make up an inviting new streetscape for downtown.

In addition, it is likely that artifacts will be uncovered in the construction process. Those artifacts, possibly gas pumps, streetcar tracks and underground cistern, will be preserved, and there are plans to build an observation window onto the cistern for passersby - if not history-seeking-tourists-to see, Kristi Trevarrow, executive director of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority, says.

The Main Street Makeover, as it's being called by the city's Downtown Development Authority, began April 2 and should be completed in September. The Main Street closure will finish sooner, in July, and during the closure all sidewalks and parking lots, except for the one on Main Street, will be open. Parking on side streets will be free until the work is done.

The entire length of the road reconstruction, which in large part was driven by demands of the Michigan Department of Transportation to improve the worn road with an available federal grant, goes from the Clinton River Bridge to the Paint Creek Bridge. The complete Main Street closure runs from north of Second Street to south of University Drive.

Source: Kristi Trevarrow, executive director Rochester Downtown Development Authority, and Nik Banda, economic development director and assistant city manager, city of Rochester
Writer: Kim North Shine

A $20-million health wing has opened on Oakland Community College's Southfield campus, and it goes into operation as the school experiences triple digit enrollment growth in health-related studies.

The new campus facility - along with building changes and improvements - is an attempt to keep up with increasing demand for skilled health care workers.

The Southfield campus is the smallest of OCC's five campuses, and it is the site of many of OCC's health and science programs, including health care administration, nuclear medicine, various medical therapies, nursing, surgical technology and other health and medical specialties.

Many of the courses are taught in tandem with courses at the Royal Oak campus. With 78,000 undergraduates enrolled on OCC's five campuses, it is Michigan's largest community college system.

 The Southfield campus was designed for a capacity of 2,500 students, but in the winter of 2012 there were 4,912 students attending. The new wing adds more than 69,000 square feet to the Southfield campus, or an increase of 75 percent.

Ground for the new health sciences wing was broken in 2009, and in that time enrollment soared college wide, most especially in health studies at Southfield and Royal Oak. In the area of allied health, there has been 131 percent increase in enrollment during the past 10 years.

“These are exciting yet challenging times for the college [as] we continue to keep our promise to provide learning for all who enter our doors.  We are committed to maintaining an institution that serves the future of the community and also aids the economic recovery of our region.  The Southfield Campus expansion is a large step in this direction,” OCC chancellor Timothy Meyer says in a statement announcing the opening.

The health wing, a $20 million project originally priced at more than $25 - was mostly paid for by a millage approved by Oakland County voters in 2010.

Aspects of the new wing include additional biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology labs, bringing the campus total to eight, a surgical technology lecture lab, where surgery is replicated. There are also new double classrooms, nursing labs and new rooms for studying as well as a new student activities center, physical education classes and workforce development workspaces where students can learn about internship, co-op ed programs and other workplace opportunities.

Source: Selvia Hines, administrative assistant, marketing and communications department, Oakland Community College
Writer: Kim North Shine

A grant of $25,000 will go toward bank restoration, public access improvements and environmental awareness projects for the Clinton River in Rochester Hills.

The grant, which was awarded to the city and its grant applicant partner, the Clinton River Watershed Council, was the result of a national online vote hosted by MillerCoors and the River Network. The Clinton River project won by five votes.

The company and non-profit interested in promoting clean water gave away a total of $80,000 to water improvement projects.

The grant will pay to restore damage to the watershed and support more but responsible recreation of the waterway. it will also educate the public about how to protect the watershed, which connects to smaller and larger waterways around the state and beyond.

“We are excited to partner with the city on such a great project, and we appreciate all the hard work and help from our stakeholders in getting the word out to vote,” Michele Arquette-Palermo, the Clinton River Watershed Council's education and stewardship director, says in a statement announcing the grant.

Kim Marotta, director of corporate social responsibility for MillerCoors, says the MillerCoors/River Network grant competition has had more than 50,000 votes from around the world cast since the contest launch four years ago.

"MillerCoors depends on water to brew beer, and by partnering with organizations like River Network we believe we can help improve local watersheds,” Marotta says.

"We are excited to further engage communities on water issues that affect everyone, everywhere," she says.

Todd Ambs, president of the River Network, says: “Healthy rivers are vital to the health and future of our communities. Through this partnership, MillerCoors is supporting the protection and restoration of waterways across the country that will produce long-term benefits for people, fish and wildlife, and future generations. ”

Source: Michele Arquette-Palermo, education and stewardship director, Clinton River Watershed Council
Writer: Kim North Shine

Federal transportation enhancement grants are helping cover improvements to biking and walking paths, and unattractive intersections in the cities of Rochester Hills and Flat Rock.

In Rochester Hills, paths for pedestrians and cyclists and non-motorized vehicles will be added to the intersection of Livernois and Avon roads. The $345,825 project will also pay for aesthetic improvements at the major intersection. The paths and other improvements coincide with installation of bridges for pedestrians and bicycles at the same area and over the Clinton River.

The bridge project by the Road Commission for Oakland County  prompted the city to direct its grant from the Federal Transportation Enhancement fund - $207,495 of the project price - to direct the dollars to the same intersection "and further enhance safety and connectivity," according to an announcement from the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The city of Rochester Hills is putting in $138,330 toward the project.

In Flat Rock, a multi-use path from Huron Park in Flat Rock to Oakwoods Metropark will be funded with a federal transportation enhancement grant of $342,150. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is matching that amount for a total investment of $684,300.

The path will be the final link in the Downriver Linked Greenways Initiative. It will finish the east-west route that connects Oakwoods Metropark to Lake Erie Metropark, providing residents, tourists, recreational and competitive riders, hikers and others with a continuous pathway through Metroparks and waterways.

The grant will pay for trail construction, signs and railroad crossing work.

Overall, the purpose of the grant is to boost interest in Michigan recreationally and economically, according to MDOT, which administers the federal dollars.

"Transportation Enhancement projects boost a community's appeal to residents and businesses," State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle says in a statement announcing the award of more than $1 million in grants to four counties. "Increasingly, new generations demand multi-modal communities, meaning those that offer access to bicycling and walking, which contributes to healthy, active lifestyles, and streetscape projects that improve safety, walkability, aesthetics and economic vitality."

Source: Jeff Cranson, spokesperson, Michigan Department of Transportation
Writer: Kim North Shine

The cities of Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills, and Rochester are looking to preserve residents' quality of life and enhance their business climates by sharing services. By doing so, the communities expect to save money by eliminating redundancies while also providing the services that each is best at.

The three cities formally agreed to regionalizing public works such as road and sidewalk repair, water and storm drain systems management, street lighting and more.

Shared services and consolidation is a move that more cities and counties are taking - a move encouraged by Gov. Rick Snyder - as a lagging economy has led to new thinking on how to preserve public services when there is less revenue to work with.

In a statement announcing the collaboration, which is an extension of earlier shared services (or interlocal) agreements, Auburn Hills director of public services Ron Melchert says: “Each community has specific areas of expertise, specialized skills, knowledge, equipment and tools that are difficult to obtain from other service providers to perform economically, properly and in a timely manner.”

A group of citizens, city staffers and elected officials from the three municipalities formed the Tri-City Sustainability Advisory Committee in 2011. The "overarching goal of the Sustainability Advisory Committee is to ensure an ongoing high quality of life for all residents and a strong business climate for commerce."

Source: Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce
Writer: Kim North Shine

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

Brick's of Northville is finding that the draw of live entertainment, a patio and stepped-up bar food is a good recipe for this restaurant business.

Bryan Regner, an investor in Brick's, says of the 50 or so employees on the payroll, several are full-time and more are being hired. In the last six months at least three part-time employees, including a manager and a chef, have been hired.

Brick's, with its 5,000 square feet of space, room for 260 customers inside, 50 seats on the patio and 42 at the bar, is in concept a sports entertainment bar, but is it the live music that has drawn the crowds - even with 10, 50-inch plasma TVs and two, 10-foot-tall, high-definition screens.

"There's really nothing else like this in Northville or Plymouth for that matter," Regner says. "And with the patio, there will be a dramatic change when there's nice weather. People will wait an hour so to eat outside."

Part of the attraction, he says, is the patio's choice view of downtown Northville's festivals and specials events on Main Street.

Source: Bryan Regner, owner/investor Brick's Northville
Writer: Kim North Shine

Some 200,000 metro Detroiters accumulated a total of $50 million in energy savings in 2011 by participating in DTE Energy's efficiency programs.

The $50 million savings came through programs such as home energy audits that show residents and business owners how to prevent energy waste or add energy efficient features to their homes. Programs such as appliance recycling, low income weatherization assistance and rebates and discounts on energy efficient lighting, thermostats and appliances, says DTE spokesman Alejandro Bodipo-Memba.

DTE Energy launched many of the programs in 2009 - as have all utilities - as the federal government enacted measures in 2008 to promote clean, affordable energy.

"Customer response to our energy efficiency programs continues to be overwhelmingly positive," Trevor Lauer, DTE Energy vice president, Marketing & Renewables, says in a statement announcing the savings. "More than 200,000 of our customers took control of their energy use through these programs and saved millions of dollars as a result."

The breakdown for DTE's metro Detroit power users who participated went something like this:
* More than 76,000 apartments made more energy efficient
* More than 23,000 appliances recycled
* More than 50,0000 home energy audits/consultations completed
* More than 4.5 million discounted Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and 22,000 energy efficiency kits distributed to customers.
* More than 7,000 businesses installed 6,000-plus thermostats, 600 boiler tune-ups and took other energy saving steps.

"We're very proud of the role our energy efficiency programs have played in helping customers save money," Lauer says.
Source: Alejandro Bodipo-Memba, spokesman, DTE Energy
Writer: Kim North Shine

A lack of child care, specifically quality child care that enables parents to thrive at work and children to do the same while mom or dad are away, is behind a project called the Michigan Children's Chamber of Commerce.

Run by Minnesota-based nonprofit First Children's Finance, the Detroit-based Michigan Children's Chamber of Commerce provides financial and business development assistance, mentoring and more to high-quality child care businesses serving low- to moderate-income families in Michigan. It can offer loans and licensing assistance and other services to start-ups and established businesses alike. To join the chamber or obtain more information, check out this site. The Chamber's focus cities at this point are Detroit, Pontiac and Inkster, but any Michigan resident, whether parent or current or prospective child care provider, can work with or get advice and guidance from the chamber.

Currently, small business clinics are being offered to child care businesses in those focus cities, where child care service needs are most dire. The goal is to offer service to 200 child care businesses by September 2012.

A $50,000 grant from PNC Financial's PNC Foundation helped establish the Michigan Children's Chamber of Commerce in September and the reason for the donation was to help reverse a trend that saw child care businesses closing, leading to a shortage of spaces for children.

“Child care businesses struggle to meet expenses while keeping tuition low enough for families to afford,” Monica Duncan, Michigan state director of First Children’s Finance, says in a statement announcing the donation. “The declining number of child care businesses is a significant problem for working families juggling employment obligations and child care responsibilities. ”

The shortage can put families in the position of relying on unaccredited or unlicensed child care situations, some of them unstimulating at best and unsafe at worst.

“Low-quality care in the first few years of life can have a long-lasting impact on a child's learning and behavior,” Skillman Foundation President & CEO Carol Goss says. “Quality care helps a child to develop a strong mind, body and spirit through a variety of experiences. Teacher education and specialized training, teacher wages, child-to-teacher ratios, teacher turnover and an administrator’s prior experience all contribute to the level of care a child receives. ”

Besides financial support and other guidance, Michigan Children’s Chamber members can participate in a variety of business mentoring activities based on their interests and expertise, such as accounting, business plan development, staff training, quality measurement, event planning, beautification projects and other aspects of business operations.

“The Detroit Regional Chamber has a clear focus on three priorities: regional collaboration, economic development and improving education, particularly in Detroit,” Detroit Regional Chamber President & CEO Sandy K. Baruah says in the statement about the establishing grant for the chamber.  “The Michigan Children’s Chamber promotes both economic development and education improvement.  We are pleased to support this effort. ”

Ric DeVore, PNC regional president for Detroit and Southeast Michigan, says the Michigan Children's Chamber of Commerce follows PNC's mission to early childhood education.

“A significant body of research over the past 40 years supports the critical importance of quality, early education – starting with preschool – to reduce dropout rates and poverty while improving the ability to succeed in a knowledge-based economy,” he says.

Source: Monica Duncan, Michigan State Director First Children's Finance
Writer: Kim North Shine

A taste of Baja California is coming to Ferndale via the Woodward Imperial, a soon-to-open bar and taco stand that will give Michigan a culinary connection to SoCal street culture.

"It's basically a local bar with a taco truck on the back," says managing partner, Jeff King.

With two, 10-foot glass garage doors that roll up on the front side of the restaurant and one 10-footer on the back it will be open air and the opposite of upscale ...and not Mexican cuisine.

"The one thing we don't want to be confused with is a Mexican restaurant," King says. "What you'll find here is authentic, street-style, California style tacos."

By that he means soft corn tortillas with grilled fillings such as chicken, two kinds of pork, steak. There will be no hard shells, build your own tacos with ground beef, cheese, lettuce, sour cream and such. No refried beans.

And while California style might bring to mind beach, the Woodward Imperial will sport no palm trees, bikinis, surf boards and other beauty kitsch in the interior.

"This isn't a beach bar…It's a street culture," says King. "We're not a Baja Fresh or a Bahama Breeze."

King, who has lived in California, and partner Perry Lavoisne, a former Michigander and current Californian,  "talked about brining something different to the Midwest."

The restaurant, which will seat 125 indoors and 175 when outdoor seating is open, is in the final weeks before opening day, undergoing final renovations and awaiting transfer of al liquor license, says King, one of the partners in Woodward Imperial, 22828 Woodward Avenue. He expects doors to open in early to mid-April, bringing the former Post Bar space back to life.

King's wife, Suzanne, and Lavoisne's wife, Sharon, are partners in Woodward Imperial, along with Amir Daiza, all friends for more than 20 years and bar, restaurant and nightclub business veterans.

The Woodward Imperial name is taken from the valley that is the last stretch of land between southern California and Mexico, King says. The restaurant would have  have gone by the name Imperial, no Woodward before it, but the State of Michigan said there were too many businesses already going by the name, King says.

King will be the full-time owner and manager and he's hired a full-time chef and has plans to hire approximately 18 other employees, some full time, some part time.

Source: Jeff King, managing partner, Woodward Imperial
Writer: Kim North Shine