Identity : Development News

Excerpt:

Back in the day, the Glazier Building helped define Ann Arbor's skyline. The century-old structure, at the corner of Main and Huron streets, was the landmark in the center of Tree Town's downtown.

Today it has reclaimed its proud heritage as the Key Bank Building, recently finishing a $2 million-plus renovation.

"That makes it the most prominent building in downtown Ann Arbor again," says Michael Quinn, principal architect for the renovation with Ann Arbor-based Quinn Evans/Architects.

Read the rest of the story here.

The proposal calls for rebuilding Grand River Avenue between Farmington Road and Warner Street. That stretch of road will receive the lion's share of upgrades, except for the boulevard set to be developed on Grove Street, between Grand River and Orchard Street.

"It will improve the flow and safety of traffic through downtown Farmington," says Vincent Pastue, Farmington's city manager. "It will also enhance the comfort and safety of pedestrians."

The project will expand the sidewalk area and add bump outs around parallel parking spaces, while installing new sidewalks, crosswalks, benches, bike racks, trash cans and decorative streetlights.

The idea is to make downtown, particularly Grand River Avenue, more efficient for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians as well as more aesthetically pleasing. Local leaders hope this will help encourage vibrancy and increased business investment in downtown.

Source: Vincent Pastue, city manager for Farmington
Writer: Jon Zemke

Chetcuti wants to install an artistically distinctive sign on the St. Clair Edison building for his Cloverleaf Fine Wine shop. The new business opened this week in the basement of the old historic structure on Main Street and the train tracks. Chetcuti plans to ask the city to approve it on Wednesday and hopefully put it up two weeks after that.

"The sign is definitely a fine-art sculpture," Chetcuti says. "We thought why put up a cheesy neon sign when we could create something that could be collectible one day."

Chetcuti recently moved the wine shop from Southfield to Royal Oak because he thought its downtown (and all of the foot traffic that comes with it) made for a better business environment. The shop fits nicely into the exposed brick basement of St. Clair Edison, giving it an authentic wine-cellar feel.

Chetcuti rehabbed the building on the downtown’s south side last year so he could move his cutting-edge automotive firm, Streetcar USA, there. The structure, 711 S Main St., is more than 100 years old and was originally used to house generators that powered streetcars on Woodward Avenue, before becoming a warehouse.

Its age made it obsolete but its historical character made it attractive as a new home for the specialty auto technology firm and the wine shop.

Source: Michael Chetcuti, owner of Cloverleaf Fine Wine
Writer: Jon Zemke

Construction workers have started the Redford Marquee project and are close to finishing the Rose Garden Park in the township's downtown district, in the area of Beech Daly and 5 Mile roads.

"We plan, plan, plan and when we're ready we expect them to go," says Michael Dennis, community development director for Redford Township.

The Redford Marquee is an ambitious project that will turn the old Redford Township Library into a public space complete with farmers market and amphitheater. The 1962 building has been vacant since 2004 when the library moved to a new home.

The plan is to take off the walls to create a shelter for an open-air farmers market. A small amphitheater that can seat a few hundred people will be built on the side of it. Both the market and amphitheater would be available for a variety of community events. Most of the demolition on the $4.5 million project is finished.

Rose Garden Park is a pocket park that replaces a vacant lot near Midland and Beech Daly. The concrete for the park is poured and landscaping work is well underway. An Amish Country gazebo will also be installed in time for the park's planned Memorial Day opening.

Both projects are expected to play significant roles in the township's efforts to turn the old business corridor into a vibrant downtown district that is inviting to non-motorized traffic.

Township officials are also working on plans for a large streetscape improvement plan for Beech Daly and an extensive bike trail network through and around the downtown. Those projects are expected to get going later this year.

Redford Township has been working for years to turn its downtown district into an urban, walkable area. It has taken several significant steps toward that in recent years, primarily with the Redford Township Medical Building redevelopment.

Township officials hope these efforts will help create a greater sense of community in the area by giving everyone a common place to congregate.

Source: Michael Dennis, community development director for Redford Township
Writer: Jon Zemke

New is the Dearborn Public Schools City Wide Art Show, starting on Tuesday. The show will feature a wide spectrum of art from young people living in the city.

The Padzieski Gallery, Dearborn’s free public art gallery, is heading up the event in Dearborn’s Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Avenue, near the intersection of Greenfield Road. During the opening of the exhibit on late Tuesday afternoon, several student artists will demonstrate their creative process in a variety of media. The works will be on display until May 27.

Old is the 28^th-Annual Statewide Preservation Conference of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, which runs next weekend, May 8 through May 10. A number of activities and discussions geared toward historic preservation will be held during the event.

For information on the art exhibit, call (313) 943-3095.

Source: City of Dearborn
Writer: Jon Zemke

Excerpt:

The folks at Zingerman's pride themselves on making the most of their little corner of Ann Arbor's Kerrytown district. Now they are looking at the possibility of doing the same thing in Ypsilanti.

Paul Saginaw, one of Zingerman's co-founders, is pursuing the idea of setting up an restaurant/cafe in either Depot Town or downtown Ypsilanti. The eatery would focus on local food and services as possible.

"Ypsilanti is very exciting to us," Saginaw says, adding Zingerman's has no interest in expanding outside of Washtenaw County. "There seems to be a lot of energy there in the downtown and Depot Town areas. We don't want to be the last ones down there."

Read the rest of the story here.

Excerpt:

An Ann Arbor institution is giving itself a bit more elbow room. Zingerman's, a longtime staple of local foodies, is looking to revamp and expand its current space at the corner of Detroit and Kingsley streets in Kerrytown.

"We do have some rough plans sketched out now," says Pete Sickman-Garner, marketing manager for Zingerman's. "Basically we're still trying to find out whether it's feasible."

Read the rest of the story here.

Excerpt:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  -- Margaret Mead

Just such a small group is trying to make changes in Ypsilanti's Depot Town. The Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse are within a few grants (and about $400,000) of changing the local icon from a vacant, decaying structure to a symbol of resurgence.

"It's the heart and soul of the community," says Bonnie Penet, co-chair of the Friends of the Ypsilanti Freighthouse. "It's the one place the community gathers on a regular basis. The farmers market is there and our arts and crafts shows [too]. We voted there."

Read the rest of the story here.

Meet the first development to fit all three criteria: 735 Forest.

"We were ahead of the curve," says John Kelly, a partner with the developer Mosher, Dolan, Cataldo & Kelly. "This building is emblematic of what they want to do with the area."

The 35,000 square foot mixed-use structure is best broken down by floor. The first is set aside for the Forest Avenue Bistro, a 65-seat restaurant that will be run by Brian Polcyn who also owns the Five Lakes Grill in Milford. The second story is dedicated as office space for the Birmingham-based developer and tenants who are currently negotiating their leases. The third floor will become 11 rental lofts, averaging 1,100 square feet each.

The cherry on top is that the building is going for LEED certification.

The building replaces three old single-family homes that had been converted to businesses. The developer razed them to make room for the project. The streets surrounding the new building will also be redeveloped in a downtown style that emphasizes walkability and openness.

735 Forest Avenue is one block east of Woodward Avenue, next to the new AAA building, in the middle of the city's Triangle District.

The area bounded by Woodward Avenue, Adams Road and Maple Road (just east of downtown) has been experiencing development pressure yet lacked a clear vision and framework for growth until recently when the City Commission approved the Triangle District plan. The new master plan is helping spur development on surface parking lots and underutilized parcels that will create a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly and mixed-use district.

Source: John Kelly, a partner with the developer Mosher, Dolan, Cataldo & Kelly and Kristin Holder, founder of Holder Media Group Writer: Jon Zemke

For years The Loving Touch was one of Ferndale’s most infamous establishments, a massage parlor that was the scourge of downtown until it closed in the early 1990s. In 2008 the name will be revived into a pool hall adjacent to one of downtown’s best brand names, Woodward Avenue Brewers.

"Our goal is to make it a positive thing for Ferndale," says Chris Johnston, co-owner of the Woodward Avenue Brewers (commonly known as the WAB) and a partner in The Loving Touch. "I told the city of Ferndale and other people in politics in Ferndale and they just rolled their eyes."

The pool balls are set to start rolling at The Loving Touch this summer. The pool hall will take the place of the old Paperbacks Unlimited storefront next to the WAB facing Woodward. The 5,000-square-foot space will have eight or nine pool tables and an atrium in the back. On the side of it all will be two walls "alive with plants," according to Johnston.

Johnston and his partners at the WAB (his wife Krista, his brother Grant and his friend Brian Reedy) are currently renovating the building. The pool hall will share the liquor license with the WAB but the two will not be connected to customers.

"It’s going to be more so a bar with pools than a traditional pool hall," Johnston says, adding putting it together hasn’t been the easiest task in the 15 months the project has taken so far. "It’s just something that takes time. We’re trying to do it right the first time which always takes longer."

But the group hopes turning the name of the new business into something Ferndalites can be proud of won’t take too long. They even have a few of the original The Loving Touch signs in the WAB’s basement in case it really takes off this summer.

"We’re getting closer all of the time and it’s looking like we will finish soon," Johnston says.

Source: Chris Johnston, co-owner of Woodward Avenue Brewers and The Loving Touch
Writer: Jon Zemke

The 13 pieces include the "Rou A Lou" sculpture by Mark di Suvero that city officials approved for the small portion of green space where Woodward and Old Woodward avenues intersect. They are all part of Birmingham’s Cityscapes program.

"This will probably be the biggest year for the Cityscape sculptures," says Joe Valentine, the city's liaison to the Birmingham Public Arts Board. "In the past few years we have had four or so. This year we’re looking at 13."

The public art is set to arrive this spring and all be installed by the end of May when a reception and silent auction will be held to celebrate their arrival. City leaders expect the art will help enhance the quality of life and property values in the city, along with improving its reputation as a cosmopolitan hot spot.

"Rou A Lou" is the largest and most notable of the 13 works. di Suvero is foremost considered an American abstract expressionist sculptor and his distinctive, large bold pieces can be found all over the world.

His focus on I-beams and heavy gauge metal make him popular in this medium. Many of his pieces contain sections that are allowed to swing and rotate to give the overall form a considerable degree of motion. "Rou A Lou" incorporates a large tripod I-beam frame with three balls suspended 10 feet in the air.

Organized by the Birmingham Public Arts Board and the Cultural Council of Birmingham Bloomfield, the Cityscapes Art on Loan program provides a continuing installation of temporary sculptures at designated locations in Birmingham on a schedule of every two years.

Source: Joe Valentine, the city's liaison to the Birmingham Public Arts Board
Writer: Jon Zemke

Downtown Royal Oak's newest landmark, and one of its tallest buildings, has been steadily filling up with residents since construction largely wrapped up late last year. Although it is a mainly for-sale development, the developers have found a side market by renting some of the units out in the face of a harsh real-estate market, credit crunch and lousy economy.

Despite all of these outside detractors... err… influences, the 18-story development is still attracting quite a number of walk-ins for both buyers and renters. Hanna is encouraged enough to start selling some of the pricey penthouses (one has moved in) and he expects all 78 units in the building to be occupied by the end of the year.

"We believe in downtown Royal Oak," Hanna says. "There isn't a better place anywhere else."

The residential tower's units are some of the most luxurious high-rise living spaces in Metro Detroit with views that sweep across southeast Michigan. They start at the seventh floor and continue to the 18th floor. All of the homes feature amenities, such as floor-to-ceiling windows and inset balconies. The condos vary between one, two and three rooms and are priced between $278,900 to more than $1 million for penthouses.

The second through sixth floors are dedicated to parking. Each unit comes with a heated, indoor parking space. The ground floor features a grand lobby for the condos and 4,300 square feet of retail space (still available) facing Washington that has deed restriction against restaurants and bars.

The project is being spearheaded by Michigan developer John and Jack Hanna of Chrysos Development & Management Co. For information, call (248) 591-5432.

Source: John Hanna, co-developer of The Fifth in Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke

A new general manager, Semo Post, has been hired to oversee the extensive renovations to the historic marina. Boasting more than 800 boat slips on 53 acres, the marina is just north of Grosse Pointe Shores.

Among the planned projects are new decks, refurbished facilities, new fuel tanks and a repaved parking lot. The owners hope it will make the marina a top destination, drawing crowds to the line of shops, restaurants and marinas between 9 and 10 mile roads.

The Jefferson Beach Marina, 24400 Jefferson Ave., originally opened as the Jefferson Beach Amusement Park in the early 20^th Century. It became a marina in 1959.

Source: Jefferson Beach Marina
Writer: Jon Zemke