Development News

Sanders to add 4 more stores in Metro Detroit

metromode Thursday, May 07, 2009

Back in the day it seemed like there was a Sanders on every neighborhood corner in Metro Detroit. The local institution provided a place for young and old alike to indulge in their sweet tooth. Those times fell by the wayside in the latter part of the 20th Century, but today they�re making a comeback.

The local icon has opened four shops in places like downtown Wyandotte, downtown Grosse Pointe, Laurel Park Place mall in Livonia, and even up north in Mackinaw. Over the next few months, there are also plans to open new stores in Rochester, 12 Oaks Mall in Novi, and at the company�s Clinton Township headquarters. The company also plans to open one more in a yet-to-be-announced location later this year.

"Fred Sanders had a great vision," says Brian Jefferson, chairman of Sanders. "He was ahead of his time. We're trying to recreate that vision."

The company is going for higher-quality ice cream and sweet treats as it opens new stores. Many of its ingredients are all natural and are used in recipes from the early 20th Century that stressed quality more than quantity. Sanders also plans to incorporate some newer recipes in the near future.

Source: Brian Jefferson, chairman of Sanders
Writer: Jon Zemke

Downtown Franklin highlights historic architecture with contest

metromode Thursday, May 07, 2009

The local leaders in Franklin have found a new way to make the historic aspect of their downtown work for them -- host an Architecture ID contest.

Franklin officials took 20 up-close-and-personal pictures of parts of downtown buildings on Franklin Road just south of 14 Mile Road. The idea is to let people figure out where they came from and what building they belong to.

"What it does is it gets people up and walking around downtown looking for these photos," says Eddie Delbridge, main street director for Franklin.

The contest is part of National Historic Preservation Month and Oakland County's Main Street Oakland County program's efforts to get more people to utilize the county's downtowns. Some of the other events include Ferndale Foot Frolic 10K on May 17 and the Rochester Heritage Festival over Memorial Day weekend.

"We're having a great time with this," Delbridge says. "The response we have been getting is incredible."

Franklin was one of the first communities in Michigan to establish a historic district. It was also the first community to take advantage of Michigan's historic district laws.

"They're very progressive," says Bob Donahue, program coordinator for Main Street Oakland County.

Source: Eddie Delbridge, Main Street director for Franklin and Bob Donahue, program coordinator for Main Street Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland U plans for major campus upgrades this summer

metromode Thursday, April 30, 2009

Oakland University is in line for a lot of upgrades and renovations this summer as the Rochester Hills-based school redoes everything from entrances to building interiors.

Ted Montgomery, director of media relations for Oakland University, described the work as deferred maintenance that has been a long time coming for the university. The projects will be done throughout the summer and will wrap up in time for the students' return this fall.

The university is revamping its two plazas, bringing in more inviting designs to greet its thousands of students. These plazas are between the North and South Foundation Halls leading to the Oakland Center and the plaza between the Oakland Center and O�Dowd Hall.

Oakland University is also going to repave the main entrance to the campus at Squirrel and University between mid-May and August. Culvert and road repairs will be done on Meadow Brook Road between Hamlin Hall and the University Student Apartments. This will complement sidewalk upgrades throughout campus.

The university also plans to renovate the second floor of O�Dowd Hall for the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. It will also replace floor tile on the first and second floors. Wilson Hall, Anibal House, Dodge Hall, Hamlin Hall, and a corridor in North Foundation Hall will also undergo renovations.

These projects don't have any big sustainable features, but Oakland University officials are looking at incorporating some in the future.

"We are developing sustainable projects, but they are a little ways off yet," Montgomery says.

Source: Ted Montgomery, director of media relations for Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Downtown Rochester's Millrace Lofts nearly full

metromode Thursday, April 16, 2009

The Millrace Lofts are quickly filling up now that the development has opened its options to include land contracts and leasing.

The downtown Rochester development features 16 loft units. Only five of those are still available. More than half of the development has been sold. All of the units are 1,650 square feet with two bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Each unit comes with an attached garage and a balcony. Each also has an open, loft-like floor plan and high ceilings.

The townhouse-style development at 98 Mill St. is at the edge of downtown, overlooking the Clinton River and adjacent to the Clinton River Creek Trail. The trail has turned into a major selling point for the development.

"The people enjoy being right next to the trail," says Laurie Hough, spokeswoman for Millrace Lofts. "A majority of the people who live here are young and like to take advantage of the trail."

For information, call (248) 765-0026.

Source: Laurie Hough, spokeswoman for Millrace Lofts
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland County downtowns receive $67 million in investment

metromode Thursday, April 09, 2009

Even though the real-estate market is down, investment in some of Oakland County's most vibrant downtowns is up significantly. New investment for 12 downtowns registered at $67 million in 2008 compared to $51 million the year before.

This investment came in downtowns that are part of the county's Main Street program. Those downtowns include Rochester, Walled Lake, Ferndale, Farmington, Keego Harbor, Pontiac, Lake Orion, Holly, Highland, Ortonville, Oxford and Franklin.

More than 590 full-time and 291 part-time jobs were created through this investment. Another 29 new businesses also set up shop in these downtowns. 200 buildings were renovated and over 166,280 square feet of new space was created.

Downtown Ferndale was a big winner of this investment. More than $19 million came into the inner-ring suburb, creating 220 new jobs and 75,352 square feet of new space. Some of its big-ticket projects include the Lofts on the 9 and new offices for Foley Mansfield.

The Main Street program started in 2000 and has helped usher in more than $518 million in total investment in those 12 downtowns.

Source: Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke

Rehab, urban redevelopment top list of real-estate trends

metromode Thursday, February 26, 2009

The Top-5 real-estate and development trends for 2009 all point toward urban, sustainable and new economy.

Giffels-Webster Engineers named infrastructure rehabilitation, urban redevelopment, energy generation, life sciences and healthcare expansion/renovation as the top development movements of 2009. The Rochester Hills-based civil engineering firm annually ranks the top five hottest growth areas.

Sustainability principles also play major roles in those five sectors, ranging from green building to developing alternative energy sources.

Infrastructure Rehabilitation was named because of the need to upgrade aging infrastructure and President Obama's push to use hundreds of billions of dollars to accomplish this very goal while helping to jump start the economy.

Urban Redevelopment made the cut because retail and residential re-development opportunities already exist in urban areas where the population and infrastructure foundation are in place. Reconfiguring these facilities will be cheaper to do, and coincide with the swing toward investment in urban areas.

Energy demand continues to grow as demand for just about every other commodity declines in the economy. The emphasis to develop renewable alternative energy sources is being pushed in the public sector, paving the way for energy generation to make the list.

Research-and-development facilities for the life sciences industry are also expected to expand as the Baby Boom generation enters its golden years. This will mean much greater investment in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics and the research space needed to further develop these sectors.

Also accompanying this trend is the expansion and renovation of healthcare facilities. The aging population and infrastructure means that hospitals and other medical care spaces will have to be renovated and expanded to keep up with demand.

Source: Giffels-Webster Engineers
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland County pushes new home buyer program

metromode Thursday, February 26, 2009

Oakland County officials are trying to help solve the foreclosure crisis and its ripple effects by getting people to buy into it.

The county is sponsoring a new homeownership program that will hold a workshop Saturday morning in Waterford. The idea is to get low- to moderate-income families to buy some of the vacant, foreclosed homes in the county. The program hopes to help mitigate housing and blight problems while preserving local tax base.

Oakland County officials see the low prices created by the crisis as an opportunity to create new homeowners from people who weren't able to afford their own place in a more successful economy.

The county plans to make this possible with no-interest loans for down payment assistance, closing costs, home improvements or other financing for home-buyers who pre-qualify for a fixed-rate mortgage. The loan can represent at least 51 percent of the purchase price while the county will finance up to the remaining 49 percent of the purchase and rehabilitation costs up to $100,000 as long as home-buyer puts down at least $2,000.

The money to make this possible is coming from the foreclosure money provided by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development�s Neighborhood Stabilization Program late last year. Other cities have focused this money on things like demolition while Oakland County is focusing on preserving its local building stock, a.k.a. tax base.

The workshop will be held at 9 a.m. in the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd., just west of Telegraph Road. Registration is not required. For information, click here or call 248-858-1529.

Source: Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland U exhibit explores foot traffic in urban areas

metromode Thursday, February 26, 2009

People who walk through cities experience them much more poignantly than those who simply drive through them. That idea is the thrust behind the Oakland University Art Gallery latest exhibit - CONTEMPORARY FL�NERIE: Reconfiguring Cities.

The exhibit focuses on the perspectives of people who walk about cities and how they confront them. This pedestrian mode of transit is often the choice for tourists and potential residents of those areas. The exhibit utilizes photography, video and computer-based art mediums. It challenges those encounter it to consider how they view their urban experiences.

The exhibit opens the evening of March 7 and runs through April 12 in Oakland University's Rochester Hills campus. An opening reception will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday and a curator�s talk will take place at 2 p.m. the following day. The events and exhibit are free and open to the public.

Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland U adds new caf� in Rochester campus

metromode Thursday, January 22, 2009

Oakland University's Kresge Library is in line to receive a $10,000 refresher course in student comfort.

The university's Student Congress is paying the first installment to build a caf� and renovate the lounge area in the library. Most of the money will go toward new furniture, work tables and vending machines in the building on the Rochester Hills campus.

The students and university officials are working to raise another $75,000 to finish funding for the rest of the project. For information on the project, contact Alysa Hunton at hunton@oakland.edu or (248) 364-6106.

Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland University branches out into downtown Rochester

metromode Thursday, January 08, 2009

Looks like Oakland University is seeing the advantages of urbanism after all.

The university is teaming up with the Royal Park Hotel in downtown Rochester, designating the hotel as the university's officials conference center and preferred destination for guests. University's officials called the hotel one of the area's "premier" hotels, a place that will significantly enhance the school's culture.

The partnership is expected to bring more foot traffic and business to Rochester, which has one of Metro Detroit's most vibrant city centers. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills and is the stereotypical suburban-style commuter campus.

The Royal Park Hotel is one of Metro Detroit's top downtown hotels, on par with The Townsend in downtown Birmingham and the Book Cadillac and Fort Shelby hotels in downtown Detroit. It's designed to look like old English manor.

The hotel is on the south side of University Drive, a few blocks east of Main Street. It overlooks the banks of the Paint Creek and the Paint Creek Trail.

Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland University considers SMART Bus service

metromode Thursday, January 08, 2009

Oakland University has long been known as a commuter school, but university officials are looking to broaden the local definition of commuting.

For years and years students have mainly gotten to and from the school via personal transportation (re: cars). University officials have begun talking with their counterparts from Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation about linking the school to a number of local institutions.

Now that the university has strengthened its ties with the Royal Park Hotel, school officials are looking for new ways to get students and staff to and from downtown Rochester, along with several other destinations like shopping malls.

Local education, municipal and business leaders have been talking about the idea and appear to support it. It is also popular with students, according to a recent survey conducted by the university.

The road block to all of this appears to be the cost, creating a route costs about $400,000 annually. Local officials are still trying to figure out where that money will come from.

Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Paint Creek Bridge nearly done in downtown Rochester

metromode Thursday, November 06, 2008

Workers are putting a fresh coat on the Paint Creek Bridge in downtown Rochester.

The renovation of the historic bridge is set to wrap up in early December. This will free up a major pedestrian artery for the downtown. The 100-plus-year-old bridge behind the Royal Park Hotel was originally built for the Penn Station Railroad, but has become a pedestrian bridge connecting downtown to the Paint Creek Trail.

The Rochester Downtown Development Authority is paying $425,000 to rehab the bridge. Workers have completed both structural and aesthetic improvements, adding another 20-25 years to its life-span.

The rehabilitation of the bridge is the last piece of the puzzle for Rochester's riverfront area. The city recently finished improving lighting along the river walk and in a nearby park.

Source: Gary Tressel, engineer with Hubble Roth & Clark
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland University set to build new $61 million building in Rochester

metromode Thursday, October 09, 2008

Oakland University is set to build a new Human Health Building in Rochester now that the state will pay for $40 million of the $61 million project.

The university's School of Health Sciences and the School of Nursing will occupy the 157,300-square-foot structure. The university plans to build the new space to facilitate the education of more medical professionals, thus helping address the looming shortages of health-care professionals.

The new building will provide state-of-the-art simulation labs, media center, distance learning classrooms and a public health clinic for pre-symptom treatments. The new Human Health Building will complement the new Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, which is set to open in 2010.

The push for new and improved medical education facilities is part of the Oakland Medical Initiative. The idea is to help cement Oakland County and Oakland University as centers for the rapidly growing health-care industry.

Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Main Street Oakland County welcomes new members

metromode Thursday, October 02, 2008

Main Street Oakland County already includes the county's big names in downtown development, such as Ferndale, Farmington and Rochester. Now it's welcoming some smaller names into the fold, namely Clawson, Clarkston, Hazel Park and Franklin.

The first three cities are joining Main Street Oakland County's Mentoring Program while Franklin becomes a member of the Downtown Development Program. Other members of Main Street Oakland County include Highland, Holly, Keego Harbor, Lake Orion, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac and Walled Lake.

Main Street Oakland County uses a four point approach to spur economic development and job creation in these city centers. Those include fine tuning organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring. These techniques have helped land $451 million in investment, create 2,782 new jobs and 344 new businesses since 2000.

Oakland County's 32 downtown include some of Michigan's most vibrant urban centers, including Royal Oak and Birmingham. Main Street Oakland County is the first county organization to work with the National Trust Main Street Center, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Source: Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland U wraps up summer projects, set to start Macomb expansion this fall

metromode Thursday, September 18, 2008

Just as Oakland University is swallowing up its construction projects this summer, the Rochester Hills-based college is preparing to bite off another big expansion eastward.

OU is opening up a satellite campus in Macomb County. The new Oakland-Macomb campus will offer classes in health care, education, international business, engineering and communications arts

While the new campus is based out of the headquarters that is still being determed, classes will be held throughout the county at various facilities at Macomb Community College, the Macomb University Center and the Macomb Intermediate School District. OU aims to have 2,000 students at the campus by 2010 and 5,000 by 2020.

OU also recently finished extensive work on a number of construction projects on the college's 1,500-acre campus. The $3 million in work ranged from upgrading 40-year-old labs and classrooms to repairing roofs, elevators and sidewalks.

Another $2 million in improvements is scheduled for this fall.

Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

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