Development News

Lawrence Tech creates new green building degree

metromode Thursday, February 18, 2010

If green building is part of the evolution of construction, then Lawrence Technological University is adapting its curriculum to flourish in this new habitat.

The Southfield-based university is now offering a five-year program that combines the bachelors and masters degrees of architectural engineering. The idea is to give the graduates a better understanding of both worlds so they can incorporate sustainable principles more easily in their work.

Graduates will be qualified to become licensed engineers. Architectural engineers are in high demand because they have the ability to analyze a site and take all of the factors into account to build the greenest building possible. Those factors include building orientation, heating design, and analyzing the most efficient water usage.

Students of the program will be able to take advantage of the sustainability movement in architecture by designing and building structures with minimal carbon footprint. It's widely believed that these architectural engineers will assume leadership roles in the sustainable building design sector.

Source: Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Eastern Market continues transformation, Shed 3 improvements wrap up

Model D Thursday, February 18, 2010

Detroit's Eastern Market continues its march towards self-improvement. The latest steps forward are upgrades to Shed 3.

Excerpt:

Eastern Market continues to improve, shed by shed and block by block. This winter, Shed 3's renovations were completed, save a few minor punch-list items. The 30,000-square-foot shed, which was built in 1923, received new doors, indoor restrooms, additional water and electrical hookups and, most prominently, windows. A grand re-dedication of the facility will take place this spring.

The $5.5 million project was funded by the City of Detroit, Bank of America, the Kresge, Kellogg, Hudson-Webber, and General Motors foundations and DTE Energy. The project architect was Kraemer Design Group, the firm that is now busy with construction drawings for the next big thing in store for Eastern Market: the restoration of Shed 5.

Read the rest of the story here.

Q&A: Stewart Beal on the future of Ypsilanti's Thompson Block

Concentrate Thursday, February 18, 2010

The developer of the Thompson Block in Ypsilanti is bound and determined to make his project work, and he explains why in a candid Q&A with Metromode's sister publication, Concentrate.

Excerpt:

The road to redevelopment for the Thompson Block has been both long and winding, to put it nicely. But its developer is willing to shed a little light on what's ahead and why it's worth the journey.

Stewart Beal wants to turn the historic building on the eastern edge of Ypsilanti's Depot Town into a combination of lofts and commercial space. He was well on his way to doing so before the financial crisis. Then a fire hit the development. But Beal remains unfazed, and continues working to make the project a reality.

He recently put forward plans to finish stabilizing the building and remove the supports from the sidewalk and street within the next year.

Read the rest of the story here.

FX Architecture renovates downtown Royal Oak building

metromode Thursday, February 11, 2010

Sometimes even the best-laid plans don't work out, and yet, sometimes they do. That's what happened with FX Architecture and its new office in downtown Royal Oak.

The boutique architecture firm run by Frank and Carol Ann Arvan had become very busy by 2007 and the principals started to make plans to hire a few people. The couple had worked out of their home office and would need to set up an independent site to do that.

That led to the purchase of 419 E 4th St, an old dentist office converted by a Wayne State University professor into a private mineral museum in 1984. The economy took a nose dive shortly after they bought it and started work, so FX Architecture remains a two-person operation, only with a new office. That doesn't mean the Arvans aren't making the most out of the situation.

"It allows us to have client meetings in a more professional setting," Frank Arvan says.

The mid-century modern brick building was originally built in 1954 and features long, skinny Roman-style bricks that have become a signature look in some Royal Oak buildings. Frank Arvan describes it as Mid-Century Moderne, heavy on the clean lines and light on the details.

"We have been looking at renovating this building for a while," Frank Arvan says. "It's a big improvement to the neighborhood."

The Arvans redesigned and upgraded its 900 square feet of interior space. It now sports a clean, minimalist, moderne architecture. It also has a number of green features, including lots of insulation, a high-efficiency heating system, and recycled materials.

Source: Frank Arvan, co-principal of FX Architecture
Writer: Jon Zemke

State Sen. Clarke pushes LEED tax incentive legislation

metromode Thursday, February 11, 2010

More greenbacks are about to be thrown at green building in Michigan now that legislation is making its way through Lansing to create incentives for LEED construction.

State Sen. Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit) introduced the bi-partisan legislation that will provide a tax abatement for LEED certified construction and renovation projects. Basic certification would garner a 20 percent abatement, silver would get 30 percent, gold 40 percent, and platinum 50 percent.

"Any way possible that we can reduce our energy consumption is going to be good for us in the long term," Clarke says.

He adds that such a bill could prove to be a boon for Metro Detroit because renovation is one of the easiest ways to garner LEED certification and southeast Michigan has a well-established building infrastructure.

Clarke expects the bill to get a hearing in the state Senate soon and believes it could move along quickly after that.

"We could see this happen soon," Clarke says.

Source: Hansen Clarke, state Senator representing Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke

SMART makes rider-centric upgrades to bus service

metromode Thursday, February 11, 2010

SMART is cashing in some federal stimulus checks now that it is installing some upgrades to its bus fleet.

"All of the improvements we are making will make things easier for our customers," says Beth Dryden, director of external affairs marketing and communications for SMART.

Among the improvements are:

$20.2 million of new fare boxes to be installed this month.
SMART will convert the rest of its buses to bio-diesel. That means all 275 fixed-route buses and 110 para-transit buses will run on bio-diesel, making them an average of 17 percent more fuel efficient, saving $250,000.
New shelters will be built throughout the SMART system
SMART's new Automatic Vehicle Location system will be updated within the next 18 months, which will help passengers to receive next bus arrival information on their smart phones.

Source: Beth Dryden, director of external affairs marketing and communications for SMART
Writer: Jon Zemke

GreenPath plans to build new HQ in Farmington Hills

metromode Thursday, February 04, 2010

GreenPath Debt Solutions is building a new headquarters in Farmington Hills not far from its existing headquarters on 12 Mile Road.

The non-profit that specializes in financial counseling (think dealing with bankruptcy or foreclosure) plans to build the new structure so it can house the company's 400 employees. That's enough room to accommodate the organization's expected growth for the foreseeable future.

The 4-story building will be 125,000 square feet and sit on a 10.5-acre plot just east of Halstead on the south side of 12 Mile Road. It will house both the non-profit's headquarters and call center, and will come complete with high ceilings to deaden noise and lots of natural light.

GreenPath plans to go for LEED certification. Among the green features is the preservation of a two-acre wetland on the property.

GreenPath has contracted Harley Ellis Devereaux to design the building and is in discussions with Steelcase to provide furnishings. Construction is set to begin in March and to take one year to complete.

Source: Andrew K Johnson, communications and public relations manager for GreenPath Debt Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke

Royal Oak's 400 Parent Avenue Lofts wins awards for innovation and reuse

metromode Thursday, February 04, 2010

The 400 Parent Avenue Lofts are garnering a little more excitement for Royal Oak, taking in two awards highlighting a creative and innovative reuse of an existing building.

The loft project is located in Royal Oak's Warehouse District, just south of downtown. The developer took an old lumber warehouse and turned it into eight residential lofts. Such adaptive reuse allowed the building, designed by Michael Poris and John Skok of Birmingham-based McIntosh Poris Associates, to be named "Best Loft Building" by Detroit Home magazine. It received a 2009 Honor Award from the Detroit Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The award notes that the developer took "a building that appears to have no redeeming value and gives it life with minimum of means."

"Giving new life to a building with a different use is exciting," Michael Poris said in a prepared statement. "This was a small lumber warehouse, built in the 1960s, set on the edge of a neighborhood. As Parent Avenue Lofts, it becomes part of the neighborhood, transitioning what was once an industrial outskirt into an extension of the community. We were able to take something that had outlived its purpose and make it useful."

The current 14,500-square-foot building features two-story units that come with many of the true loft amenities, such as exposed duct work, 21-foot-high ceilings, metal roof trusses, cement flooring on the ground level, and open, flexible spaces. They also have some sustainable features, like tankless water heaters and pyramidal skylights.

The developer also removed the original front of the building because it lacked windows and replaced it with private-entry doors and bay windows for each unit. It combined the building's industrial heritage with its current modern residential use. The interior also features other post-industrial/residential touches like custom concrete countertops and metal-and-wood staircases.

Source: Laura Grover, spokeswoman for 400 Parent Avenue Lofts
Writer: Jon Zemke

Tri-counties team up on Green Schools Initiative

metromode Thursday, February 04, 2010

Macomb, Wayne and Oakland counties are finding ways to not only be sustainable with the Green Schools Initiative but also to be more regional.

The three counties have formed the Southeast Michigan Green Schools Initiative, which works to implement more sustainable practices in Metro Detroit's schools. The new initiative also is adding more levels for schools to achieve beyond the regular green certification. They can also go for the high levels of emerald and evergreen.

"We know to really get local people involved with sustainability you need to get students involved in the process," says Paul Gieleghem, chair of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners. "This is a great way to connect your people with the direction we need to go to develop a green and sustainable economy for the 21st Century."

Part of that economy also appears to involve more regional cooperation. Instead of all three counties adopting their own separate standards, local officials decided to model one universal standard around what Macomb County has already implemented.

Source: Paul Gieleghem, chair of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners
Writer: Jon Zemke

Super green, mixed-use rehab underway at 71 E. Garfield

Model D Thursday, February 04, 2010

More and more projects based around green building and historic preservation are coming to fruition in Detroit's Midtown (Cass Corridor) neighborhood. Think turning the some of the worst blight into sparkling examples of why it makes sense to invest in the Motor City.

Excerpt:

A significant historic preservation project is nearing completion in Midtown's Sugar Hill district, which is bounded by E. Forest, John R, E. Garfield and Woodward. The building, at 71 E. Garfield, was once a hotel and was recently ravaged by fire. It is currently under construction and is poised to literally emerge from the ashes as a super-green mixed-use complex of 22 live/work spaces geared towards artists and eight art studio/retail spaces. The grand opening is slated for April 2010.

The building is on track for Energy Star rating and to accomplish energy reduction below 50% of current ASHRAE standards. Solar power will offset 20 percent of the building's energy load and a geothermal system will provide heating and cooling. All appliances and windows are Energy Star, it is highly insulated and employs a white roof, which has proven to aid efficiency more than darker flat roofs. A 3,000 gallon cistern will collect water on the roof, recycled materials were used for flooring and reclaimed doors were used when possible.

Read the rest of the story here and about more ultra-green historic restorations in Midtown here.

Oakland U renovates Meadow Brook Hall

metromode Thursday, January 28, 2010

A key component to the Meadow Brook Hall is about to get a major overhaul.

Oakland University is spending $700,000 to completely gut and replace many of the structural and mechanical systems in the hall's kitchen. Those repairs include changing the ventilation system, providing new kitchen equipment, refurbishing the counter tops, and replacing flooring, plumbing and lighting. The refrigeration system will also be upgraded to meet modern standards.

The kitchen was previously renovated in the 1970s and '80s. The hope is that modernizing it again will allow Meadow Brook Hall to put its best culinary foot forward for catered events.

"It's really just improving our business and staying true to the Meadow Brook Hall," says Shannon O'Berski, marketing manager for Meadow Brook Hall.

The Matilda R. Wilson Fund is financing the project, which should be done by April. The grant will also support a number of other smaller projects over this decade. Among those are the restoration of the dining room portraits of Matilda and Alfred Wilson, as well as ongoing preventative repair projects and ecological systems preservation.

Source: Shannon O'Berski, marketing manager for Meadow Brook Hall
Writer: Jon Zemke

Mass transit speeds up in Metro Detroit

metromode Thursday, January 28, 2010

Mass transit is gaining speed in Metro Detroit. This time it's about the possible expansion of SMART and the progress of the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments still expects to launch the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line by October. It has reached an agreement with the railroads that own the tracks on the proposed line and is working out further details for the project. It also has nailed down $3.5 million in federal funding and hopes to get more soon.

At the same time, the Oakland County suburb of Keego Harbor is considering joining the SMART transit system for the first time. A local group of residents is pushing for the municipality's inclusion so bus services can be expanded to the small town. Local officials are considering the proposal. Oakland County has an opt-out clause that allows communities that don't want to be involved in SMART to opt out.

"There is a chance for a community to join or leave," says Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United. Earlier this month, Farmington Hills toyed with the idea of leaving SMART but instead city officials decided to let voters make the decision in the election this August.

The mass transit advocate is also holding a Transit Action Conference between 1-6 p.m. Saturday at the Michigan State University Detroit Center, 3408 Woodward, south of Mack. The event will feature transit updates, TRU Board elections, and opportunities to get involved in making comprehensive transportation options a reality for Metro Detroit.

TRU is also looking for an organizer/assistant director. Potential candidates should have a passion for mass transit and motivation to help improve the transportation options in southeast Michigan. For information, click here.

Source: Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
Writer: Jon Zemke

Mellus one of nation's most endangered historic sites?

metromode Thursday, January 21, 2010

As city officials and local preservationists vie over the future of the endangered Mellus Newspaper Building, a historic landmark in downtown Lincoln Park, the question is: Is it one of the most endangered historic sites in the U.S.?

The Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance thinks so, nominating the longtime former home of the local newspaper for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's America's 11 Most Endangered List. The Mellus has been on the National Register of Historic Places for years.

The 1940s-era building at 1661 Fort St. served as the home to Lincoln Park's local newspaper, then owned by William Mellus, for generations. The Mellus still has its original porcelain enameled Moderne commercial building exterior, while the adjacent Pollak (named after Pollak Jewelers and also up for demolition) retains its terrazzo entrance sidewalk.

The buildings had been vacant for several years before the Lincoln Park DDA purchased them for $175,000 in 2005. Some city officials call them blight, but the Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance argues that their salvation is an important step toward preserving downtown Lincoln Park's heritage and encouraging business and job creation.

A Detroit-based business owner and developer made an offer to buy the two properties and another vacant adjacent structure to turn them into the new home for his healthcare business. The DDA turned him down, even though approving the deal would have meant bringing 20-30 new jobs to Lincoln Park and breathing new life into an otherwise dead block in a morbid downtown.

The city has signed a demolition contract for the buildings but has no future plans for the site. The demolition was scheduled for last December, but the state's Historic Preservation Office intervened. Now local preservationists and city staff are making their respective arguments for preserving or leveling the building to the state.

"To be demolished with no development plan makes no sense," says Karen Nager, executive director of Preservation Wayne. "In their (city officials') gut they want it down just because."

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, through its America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified more than 200 threatened one-of-a-kind historic treasures since 1988. The list highlights historic places across the country that are threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development, or insensitive public policy. Designation on the list normally helps raise public awareness, rally resources, and save endangered sites. In various situations, the attention has gathered public support to save a treasured landmark and has been the spark to save important pieces of our history.

Source: Karen Nager, executive director of Preservation Wayne and the Lincoln Park Preservation Alliance
Writer: Jon Zemke

Farmington Hills promotes green building incentives

metromode Thursday, January 21, 2010

Federal stimulus funds are making Farmington Hills a more sustainable community. The city is offering green building and sustainability incentives for local residents and businesses.

"We know we can't do it by ourselves," says Nate Geinzer, management assistant for the city of Farmington Hills.

The city's new Energy Efficiency Incentive Program is trying to reduce fossil fuel emissions and total energy use by creating more energy efficiency in the building, transportation, and other sectors.

The program is designed to empower residents and businesses to make informed decisions regarding energy efficiency improvements through a comprehensive energy audit. It will provide cash incentives to those interested in conducting the audits or installing eligible energy efficient or renewable energy products in existing buildings. Think Energy Star appliances, solar panels, insulation, and everything else that makes someone want to hug a tree.

It will also provide an extra incentive to individuals putting off needed improvements due to financial or other reasons, and expand the market for advanced energy efficiency and renewable energy technology.

For information on the program, call the Farmington Hills Green Efforts Committee or the Farmington Hills Building Division at 248-871-2450 or click here.

Source: Nate Geinzer, management assistant for the city of Farmington Hills
Writer: Jon Zemke

Lower Cass Corridor retail, restaurant scene poised to blossom

Model D Thursday, January 21, 2010

The last remnants of the old, infamous Cass Corridor are about to be swept away by Joel Landy, a longtime local developer with a vision.

Excerpt:

Cass Avenue south of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard is slowly gaining momentum as a commercial corridor ... and current businesses in the district -- including Canine to Five, Mantra, Showcase Collectibles and the Burton Theatre at the Burton School -- may very well be getting some neighbors if developer Joel Landy has anything to do with it. He has purchased the buildings that housed the Charlotte Lounge, Chung's, the Gold Dollar, and the Chinese On-Leong Assoc. and has plans to renovate them into viable structures and then lease them.

Landy, whose other projects in the area include the Addison Building and the Burton, is currently meeting with funders and potential tenants, including restaurateurs, for the buildings. "There is a tremendous interest in retail, and I'm willing to work with new business owners," he says, adding wryly, "I'm like a business incubator not funded by any government agency."

Read the rest of the story here.

Sustainability : Development News