Development News

Ann Arbor's 10,000 Villages expands downtown space

Concentrate Thursday, October 29, 2009

Ann Arbor's Ten Thousand Villages is racking up sales in the six figures as the downtown-based store continues to grow.

Excerpt:

One of the largest Ten Thousand Villages outlets in the U.S. is getting a little bigger now that the downtown Ann Arbor store is expanding its space.

Ten Thousand Villages opened up five years ago at 303 S Main St., the space that used to be Lucky Drugs. It has since expanded from its 1,500 square feet into the basement below, a space that's of nearly identical size. The basement is being used for storage for the time being to facilitate the store's growing sales.

Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor moves forward on East Stadium bridge replacement

Concentrate Thursday, October 29, 2009

Ann Arbor is working on another big bridge project near Michigan Stadium.

Excerpt:

The East Stadium Boulevard bridges near Michigan Stadium are about to undergo a transformation that will eventually lead to their replacement within the next couple of years.

The 92-year-old bridges have begun to fail, prompting city officials to remove and replace the structures that normally have a 75-year lifespan. The bridges span State Street and a railroad line. The City Council recently authorized the removal of five of the 16 concrete beams after one began failing earlier this year.

"This particular beam went from bad to worse in the last winter because of the freeze-thaw cycle," says Homayoon Pirooz, a project manager with the city of Ann Arbor. The city will begin removing the first four beams rather than just taking out beam No. 5, he adds.

Read the rest of the story here.

A3C installs solar panels on downtown Ann Arbor office

Concentrate Thursday, October 22, 2009

A3C is making the sun shine a bit brighter and work a bit harder in downtown Ann Arbor these days, thanks to its new solar panels.

Excerpt:

Just when you thought A3C Collaborative Architecture's downtown Ann Arbor headquarters couldn't get any greener, it did.

The Gold LEED certified structure on 210 Huron Avenue is putting the finishing touches on the installation of three new solar panels on its roof. Each solar panel will serve as an example of just what type of environmentally friendly options are available to A3C's customers.

"It demonstrates some of the great renewable energy systems out there," says Dan Jacobs, founding principal and director of sustainable design for A3C Collaborative Architecture.

Read the rest of the story here.

Washtenaw Talent Center focuses on Washtenaw Avenue

concentrate Thursday, October 15, 2009

Some smart people have big plans for turning one of Washtenaw County's dreariest corridors into one of its most dynamic.

Excerpt:

Washtenaw Avenue isn't the thoroughfare that's known for bringing smiles to faces, at least not like Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor or Cross Street in Depot Town, Ypsilanti.

The Washtenaw Talent Center wants to change it. A group of local stakeholders is working on a plan to turn the suburban-strip-mall-dominated byway into something much more urban and sustainable.

"We're investigating its redevelopment potential," says Anya Dale, a senior planner with Washtenaw County's Office of Strategic Planning.

Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor looks at creating one big river of recycling

Concentrate Thursday, October 15, 2009

Recycling continues to evolve in Ann Arbor, from a number of trickles into one big stream.

Excerpt:

The first lesson with recycling is the need to separate. Metal goes in this bin. Clear glass over there. Green glass right here. Plastics 1-2 in the big bin. Don't, repeat, don't mix and match.

Ann Arbor residents could be throwing that lesson out soon. The city is looking at switching to a single-stream, or fully commingled, recycling effort. That means residents would no longer have to put paper products in the paper bin and everything else in the other bin. It would all go in the same box on the curb each week.

Among the incentives for going single stream are making it easier for residents to use, meaning more is recycled, expansion of the recycling list, and reduced logistical costs. However, there are some downsides, such as increased sorting costs. Among the other cities that use single-stream recycling are Austin, Texas and Baltimore.

"The technology has improved significantly over the years as far as sorting materials," says Tom McMurtrie, recycling coordinator for the city of Ann Arbor.

Read the rest of the story here.

Northville DDA pushes for downtown walking path

metromode Thursday, October 08, 2009

Another nook and cranny is being planned for downtown Northville, now that city officials are planning to create a cut through.

A cut through is a pedestrian-only path, and in this case it would connect Main Street and the parking lot behind the Marquis Theatre. The $800,000 project would cut through one of the bays of the old Girly Daze building. Think something similar to Nickels Arcade in Ann Arbor, or a decorative walkway.

The idea is to make downtown more pedestrian friendly by giving foot traffic another option to get around. It would connect the vibrancy of Main Street to a 200-spot parking lot.

"That lot is the most utilized lot in the downtown primarily because of its central location," says Lori Ward, director of the Northville Downtown Development Authority.

The city has hired Ann Arbor-based Cooper Design to create the cut-through and is planning to nail down the design this winter and start construction next spring.

Source: Lori Ward, director of the Northville Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke

Moravian project resurfaces in Ann Arbor

Concentrate Thursday, October 08, 2009

Plans for the Madison are back as the Moravian in downtown Ann Arbor.

Excerpt:

Next in line for high-density development in downtown Ann Arbor � The Moravian.

The project proposed for the south side of the downtown area is coming before the city Planning Commission this month. This time it's dramatically different than the first time it came around (then called The Madison)... but at the same time, not really.

The most striking difference is the design. The Madison featured a sleek, contemporary design. The Moravian is designed to blend in much better with the surrounding century-old housing stock.

"We have gone to much more of a traditional look now," says Jeff Helminski, the developer of The Moravian. "It's much more similar to the residential properties to the north of us."

Read the rest of the story here.

City Place developer, neighbors restart negotiations

Concentrate Thursday, October 08, 2009

City Place is popping up again in downtown Ann Arbor.

Excerpt:

The developer behind the controversial City Place project and the neighbors it would affect are back to the table, negotiating what everyone hopes will be the long-awaited compromise.

The developer, Alex de Parry of Ann Arbor Builders, is scheduling a neighborhood meeting next week to talk about the project near the southern border of the central business district. The meeting is open to the public even though it's designed for neighbors of the development to give their input.

"We all want to try to work something out," de Parry says.

Read the rest of the story here.

Borders partners with Verizon for free Wi-Fi

metromode Thursday, October 01, 2009

Border is making all of its stores hotspots with the help of Verizon.

The Ann Arbor-based firm is contracting with the cell phone company to provide free Wi-Fi services at every Borders in the U.S. That's 500 more places that people will be able to pop open a lap top or boot up an iPhone and have easy access to the Internet.

"Anyone can come in and access the free Wi-Fi regardless of the provider," says Mary Davis, a spokeswoman for Borders.

Previously, Borders offered Wi-Fi through another wireless carrier where only subscribers to that carrier could access the Internet. Think of the frustrating AT&T-only wireless at Starbucks and you'll get the idea.

Borders expects to have the free Wi-Fi up by mid-October. This is expected to make the stores more engaging for customers and increase foot traffic.

Source: Mary Davis, a spokeswoman for Borders
Writer: Jon Zemke

U-M student co-ops move forward on renovations

Concentrate Thursday, October 01, 2009

Historic student living is becoming more comfortable and sustainable, thanks to the Inter Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan.

Excerpt:

The Inter Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan is one of the biggest holders of historic homes in Ann Arbor, and those homes are in the midst of some badly needed upgrades.

The 77-year-old 501c3 non-profit is working its way through a 10-year plan to maintain and upgrade its 19 homes (most of which are about 100 years old or so) in and around downtown. Those improvements include replacing heating and cooling systems, sealing up energy leaks, and freshening up their faces.

"We're constantly trying to update them for maintenance and energy efficiency improvements," says Eric Lipson, general manager of the Inter Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan.

Read the rest of the story here.

Mass transit ridership hits record levels in Metro Detroit

metromode Thursday, September 24, 2009

Mass transit ridership continues its climb in Metro Detroit, saving millions of gallons of gas and increasing demand for more effective transportation options.

Michigan transit usage jumped 6 percent from 2007 to 2008. All of those bus and train riders helped save 35.6 million gallons of gas, the amount consumed by 61,800 cars. That also equates to 4.4 billion fewer miles driven in 2008 than in the year before, a 5 percent drop, and 321,000 fewer tons of air pollution.

"People are voting with their feet by driving less and taking more public transportation," says Shelley Vinyard, a spokeswoman for Ann Arbor-based Environment Michigan.

These numbers come when Metro Detroit is pursuing plans to dramatically expand and improve its mass transit system, primarily by adding rail lines to the mix. Detroit and Ann Arbor are looking at adding streetcar lines, and there are plans to create commuter rail lines between Detroit and Ann Arbor and north from Ann Arbor to Howell.

However, there have also been attempts to cut transportation funding at the local and state levels. Environment Michigan and other groups/local politicians are calling for more funding to meet the growing demand for mass transit.

"We need more public transit funding so we can provide more choices for the increased demand across the state," Vinyard says.

Source: Shelley Vinyard, a spokeswoman for Ann Arbor-based Environment Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke

More Metro Detroit concert venues go smoke free

metromode Thursday, September 24, 2009

More and more venues across Metro Detroit are going smoke free.

Classy stalwarts like the Fox Theater in downtown Detroit and Hill Auditorium in downtown Ann Arbor have been on that list for a while. Joining them are smaller venues, like the Magic Bag in downtown Ferndale and now the Royal Oak Music Theatre.

"It's overdue," says Justin Miller, general manager of the Royal Oak Music Theatre. "It's obviously just the right thing to do with everything we know today about smoking."

A growing number of bars, coffee shops, eateries, and performance venues in Metro Detroit have been kicking out smokers in recent years. There are at least 5,889 licensed dining places in Michigan that prohibit smoking as of today.

Ontario has already outlawed smoking in public establishments. Michigan has been wrestling with similar legislation in recent years. It came close last year, when both the state House and Senate passed different smoking ban bills, but it died after the two legislative bodies couldn't reach a compromise.

"Sooner or later we're going to see this across the board," Miller says. "We're just trying to get ahead of the curve."

Source: Justin Miller, general manager of the Royal Oak Music Theatre and SmokeFreeMichigan.com
Writer: Jon Zemke

The politics of dirt in downtown Ann Arbor

Concentrate Thursday, September 24, 2009

Downtown Ann Arbor knows how to dig a big hole, but it hasn't figured out where it's going to put the dirt yet.

Excerpt:

Where to put the dirt? It's a question that's starting to vex downtown Ann Arbor officials as they prep to begin digging one big hole in the ground.

The hole is for the Library Lot underground parking deck next to the Ann Arbor District Library. The city has started on some of the work to build a 677-car parking garage underneath a surface parking lot on Fourth Street and to replace some of the surrounding infrastructure, such as sewer and water lines.

But the big hole for all of those cars is coming later this year. That means an acre of earth four stories deep has to go somewhere.

"We're talking about a mountain of dirt," says Susan Pollay, executive director of Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor City Council approves City Place plans

Concentrate Thursday, September 24, 2009

The long, strange, arduous journey of the City Place development continues to take another odd turn in downtown Ann Arbor.

Excerpt:

The City Place development got its approval from the Ann Arbor City Council Monday, clearing the path for the downtown development, or not.

The future of the project that has become the poster child of downtown development gone awry is about as clear as mud. Yes, the development now has the city's blessing, but it doesn't with the recently enacted demolition moratorium on the small neighborhood on the southern edge of downtown. The city is studying the idea of designating the newly named "Germantown" neighborhood a historic district.

Ann Arbor Builders wants to raze seven historic homes (including one of the city's oldest) along Fifth Avenue just north of Packard Road to create a dense housing development. Original plans called for 90 brownstone-style condos in a long 4.5-story building that is reminiscent of Beacon Hill. Several months of wrestling with neighbors and city officials created a number of different versions of the plans, but a consensus has proven elusive.

Read the rest of the story here.

Alt transportation answers WCC's parking problem

Concentrate Thursday, September 17, 2009

The conventional wisdom in Southeast Michigan is that more parking always solves the problem. That's not what they're thinking at Washtenaw Community College.

Excerpt:

Washtenaw Community College is dealing with its highest enrollment ever, which means the commuter campus is experiencing its greatest demand for parking (and lack of supply) ever.

Most other Midwest institutions would conclude they need to build more parking. Well, Washtenaw Community College is dealing with the acute parking shortage by asking its students to take the vehicle less traveled � alternative transportation.

"We still have a parking problem but we're redoubling efforts to alleviate the problem," says Janet Hawkins, director of public relations and marketing for Washtenaw Community College.

Read the rest of the story here.

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