Royal Oak :
Development News
Oakland County is trying to make starting a business or taking it to the next level easier for entrepreneurs by offering free, walk-in business counseling.
The
One Stop Shop Business Center at the Oakland County Executive Office building, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, in Waterford will open May 9 and offer regular walk-in hours after that. The hours for May 9 are 9:30-noon and 1:30-4:30. The business center is on the first floor of Building 41W.
“We usually operate on an appointment-only basis but many entrepreneurs walk into our One Stop Shop with questions on how to get started with their business idea,” says Greg Doyle, supervisor of the One Stop Shop Business Center. “By designating special walk-in days, we hope to reach more entrepreneurs and help them understand their next steps as well as present the resources we can make available to them. Our aim is to get them started quickly in a way that makes the most sense to their unique situation.”
Counselors at the business center can answer specific questions, suggest planning tools and give direction on where to go to solve problems or achieve goals. All sessions are confidential. The counselors have expertise in business development, community planning, financing and market research.
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Greg Doyle, supervisor, One Stop Shop Business Center
The menu at a new restaurant in Royal Oak is striving to show that what it serves can come from close to home and not from a box.
Local 212 -- the 212 comes from its address on Fifth Avenue in downtown Royal Oak -- opened just over a week ago and the reception to the shrimp from Okemos (there's a farm there), the Northern Michigan boar, Michigan chestnuts on a baby spinach salad and grilled cheese on Detroit Avalon bread has been hearty.
When the Royal Oak Farmers Market opens veggies will come from there and other farmers. All the sausage and bacon is made in house at Local 212 and the slider patties are ground in the kitchen too.
The meats served at Local 212 come from local farmers through Sparrow's Market in Ann Arbor. Local 212 also serves beer and wine, many made locally and around the state, as well as from places around the world.
While there are plenty of ingredients not from Michigan, none are processed.
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Jenna Goudrea, general manager, Local 212
A plan to turn a busy 27-mile, automobile-loving stretch of Woodward Avenue into a road that's safe and welcoming for all forms of transportation is rolling along with a series of public planning events to begin soon.
The changes -- part of the
Complete Streets approach that's happening in cities around Michigan and across the country -- would move Woodward away from a wide-swath of auto-centered roadway to one that's inviting and safe for bicyclists, pedestrians, disabled users, bus riders -- and, if it comes to pass, light rail passengers.
The
Woodward Avenue Action Association, WA3, is heading up the effort in partnership with Parsons Brinckerhoff. Working with them are reps and policy makers from 11 Wayne and Oakland county municipalities that have Woodward running through them. The Michigan Department of Transportation, M1 Rail, and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments are also part of the project that's been in the works since August 2011 and has $752,000 in federal funding to work with.
The next step is to host five interactive public events, a design charrette, in several of the Woodward-connected communities. From those meetings could come a master plan that will determine what changes and updates are needed to accommodate public transit, pedestrians, bicyclists and, ideally, economic development.
“We want to create a street that truly works for everyone. Imagine a corridor that accommodates people of all ages and abilities, including pedestrians, bicyclists, seniors, mobility-challenged individuals, transit riders and motorists,” says Jason Fowler, WA3 and Woodward Complete Streets program manager. “By engaging the residents and businesses along the corridor, as well as industry experts in this visioning process, we can develop a wide variety of innovative solutions and create a successful master plan.”
The first meetings, a three-day event, will focus on north Woodward in Detroit from McNichols to 8 Mile and Ferndale and be held at St. James Catholic Church, 241 Pearson Street in Ferndale, April 17-19.
During the meetings in Ferndale, Dan Burden, a walkability expert from the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, will present a walking audit of Woodward and explain what lies ahead for a re-design he says "could be the single largest Complete Streets planning effort ever undertaken in North America.”
Other meetings will be held in Birmingham/Bloomfield Hills, May 20-22; in Bloomfield Township/Pontiac, June 3-5; Pleasant Ridge through Berkley, June 10-12; and in downtown Detroit/Highland Park, June 17-19.
Click on
www.transformwoodward.com for exact locations, times and topics to be discussed.
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Lori Ella Miller, spokesperson, Woodward Avenue Action Association
The owners of
Bastone Brewery and its offshoot restaurants and bars at the corner of Fifth and Main Streets in Royal Oak are changing up, opening a new restaurant, adding a patio and reworking the nightclub -- all part of focusing on their success with Euro-inspired eats and Belgian craft beer.
The first to change will be Cafe Habana, a 40-seat Cuban spot connected to Bastone. It will become Monk: A Belgian Beer Abbey. The club, Commune, downstairs will be reworked into Craft and focus on fresh-made, home-spun spirits.
Bastone, the mostly Belgian-flavored restaurant with favorites such as mussels and frites washed down with house-made Belgian suds, will grow in size, adding a space with high top tables and TVs. It will be more of a true bar space, with spots for a quick meal and a waiting area for tables. A lounge, extra tables and a private room will be added above the bar and an extra seating area will be added to the first floor. Outside on the sidewalk along Fifth Street, 36 seats will be added.
Vinotecca, the intimate wine bar also connected to Bastone, will remain the same.
"With a concept like ours where we have moveable parts, we can keep it fresh, change it up," says David Ritchie, operating partner. "People have asked if sales were good. They don't believe sales were good if we're closing Cafe Habana. For us, this suits us so we streamline and focus on our core business, the European aspect of what we do. And we have a beer guy right here who's won many awards."
The changes will happen in phases, but quickly, and lead to at least five new full-time jobs, Ritchie says. All parts of the latest iteration are expected to be complete by mid-May and open slowly and completely by June 1 so that kinks can be worked out, he says.
Café Habana has already closed and is under construction. As Monk, it will have about five more tables and open by about April 15, Ritchie says.
It'll be almost nine years to the day since Union Brewery LLC, which operates all the establishments, opened, he says.
Next will come Bastone, and the transition from Commune to Craft will start after that and be complete by the middle to the end of May. The club first opened nine years ago as Cinq. With nightclubs, it's probably wise to change it up at least every five years, he says.
"We want to move away from the mass market drinks and serve craft cocktails," Ritchie says. We'll use fresh ingredients, make our own infusions and syrups. It flows right into the craft beer."
Craft will have a retro look, decorated with big stereo speakers and other details that "give you the feeling you're hanging out in your friend's basement."
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: David Ritchie, operating partner, Union Brewery LLC
Thursday, January 31, 2013
State transportation officials see record Amtrak ridership in Michigan as a sign that the public is more aware of train service and seeing the future of commuter train travel in a more positive light.
In 2012, 792,769 passengers boarded Michigan's three
Amtrak routes -- the Wolverine between Pontiac and Detroit/Chicago), the Blue Water between Port Huron and East Lansing/Chicago), and the Pere Marquette between Grand Rapids and Chicago. In 2011, that number was 780,655.
The record ridership also led to record revenue of $27.8 million in 2012, a year that had Amtrak adding extra trains to supplement the regular service.
It comes as plans to bring light rail in to Woodward Avenue downtown Detroit move toward implementation and a move to bring a regional commuter train system to metro Detroit and to Michigan and nearby states moves from a limp to a steady walk. Both are aided by federal funds from a program that endorses mass transit development as an economic stimulant. But with Michigan being a stronghold for auto travel, it's been a tough sell in some parts.
At the same time, Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation have been updating trains and making changes to allow for faster travel speeds and fewer route interruptions that will in turn make train travel more appealing.
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Janet Foran, spokesperson, Michigan Department of Transportation
Thursday, December 13, 2012
A former auto parts store in downtown Royal Oak has taken on a new role, multiple roles really, as eclectic wine and craft beer store, a take-out restaurant and cafe and a place for cheese and cigar afficianados to bond with their loves.
Franklin Fine Wine & Cafe opened last week in the 7,500 square foot spot at 511 N. Main St. and also offers a cigar humidor, a wine cellar and a full kitchen.
There will be a cheese club, a beer club, a wine club.
A chef is on staff so are sommeliers and a cheesemonger will select, cut and package speciality cheeses. The menu of takeout and eat-in will include gourmet pizzas, fish, beef and daily specials and the business will be a mix of store and late-night restaurant as it is open 'til midnight.
There are also plans to open an walk-up, outdoor coffee bar come summer
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Mike Larranaga, manager, Franklin Fine Wine & Cafe
Thursday, December 06, 2012
As regional transit authority legislation moves through Lansing, plans are going forward to bring rapid transit to the 27-mile stretch of the Woodward Avenue Corridor from Jefferson Avenue in Detroit to downtown Pontiac.
Several meetings will be hosted by the Woodward Avenue Action Association, the Michigan Suburbs Alliance and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and are part of an "alternative analysis, the first step in the process of developing a transit system," says Richard Murphy, programs director Michigan Suburbs Alliance.
The meetings, especially the comments from attendees, will be folded in with technical data, cost and other considerations, he says, as decisions about the exact route, the technology to be used, the station locations as well as connections to the M-1 Rail Streetcar project, high speed rail service and Complete Streets are wrapped into an overall plan.
"We’ll be talking about the purpose and need for the project…What is it that we need transit to do on Woodward and laying out the roadmap for the rest of the work. Over the course of 2013, we’ll have
additional meetings around major steps in the process," Murphy says.
Upcoming meetings are:
Thursday, December 6, 5-7 p.m., Baldwin Public Library, 300 West Merrill Street, Birmingham.
Tuesday, December 11, 4-6 p.m., Detroit Palmer Park Police Station, 12th Precinct, 1441 W. Seven Mile Road.
Wednesday, December 12, 6-8 p.m., Ferndale Public Library, 222 E. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale
Saturday, December 15, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Bowen Senior Center, 52 Bagley Street, Pontiac.
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Richard Murphy, programs director, Michigan Suburbs Alliance
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Royal Oak's restaurant scene has been Greek'ed up with the arrival of KouZina, where the pita bread is baked fresh all day, the Greek yogurt is double strained daily and the short and sweet menu serves up Greek food the way Greeks know it should be done.
It's what owner Bobby Laskaris calls Greek street food, and as the son of the man behind two Greektown Detroit restaurant establishments and as a metro Detroiter who has grown tired of restaurants "butchering" gyros and other Greek favorites he decided to do things the right way. Thus KouZina, which opened Oct. 15 at 121 N. Main St. near 11 Mile Road and across from two nearby movie theaters.
Laskaris and partner George Seros brought their family's knowledge of the disappearing art of Greek cooking to their menu. Laskaris's father, 73-year-old Pete Panagiots, has been the owner and executive chef of Detroit's Athens Cuisine and Olympian Cafe for decades.
"Everything is fresh. We have no freezers, no microwaves in the place. We serve pork gyros like you find in Athens. We make everything ourselves," Laskaris says.
KouZina is located in the space formerly occupied by Zumba Mexican grill. After months of renovations and hiring of about 50 employees, 10 full time, Laskaris says the downtown crowds are eating up the casual Greek fare - real, authentic "like you would find in Athens," he says. The menu, a one-sided, easy digest list, consists of gyros, a gyro bowl, a Greek salad, two sauces and a handful of extras such as spinach pie "that we can't make enough of."
Laskaris didn't expect to follow in the tired steps of his father into restaurant ownership. "I saw how many hours he worked. It's hard, tiring work," he says. Instead he went the route of providing Greek food to sports and entertainment venues. But after one too many bad gyros "I had to do something," he says. "I thought it's time to change this."
The plan, he says, was for the first week of business to be a soft opening, to work out the kinks, but the public didn't give them time. At 10:45, 15 minutes before opening time, "the parking lot was packed and there was a line at the door."
"It hasn't stopped. We can hardly keep up," he says. "It's amazing."
Buzz about KouZina, including a 2012 win for Best Entree at Arts, Beats & Eats, helped build the anticipation. It's why the intimate 20-seat establishment is seeing sales volume on a large scale. He has people asking if he wants to open a second location, if they can invest. Regular orders for meetings at nearby offices are coming in.
Staying true to the cuisine of his culture is just one accomplishment that's exceeding his expectations. He also wanted KouZina to be a Royal Oaker's place. The majority of his staff are locals and each month a local artists' work will decorate the walls.
Source: Bobby Laskaris
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Brooke Wilson joined the so-called Michigan Brain Drain that had so many local college graduates uprooting for careers in other states.
But the 25-year-old owner of the three-week old
Love & Buttercream bakery in Royal Oak is also part of the migration home, a return to the state to do good.
After graduating with a business marketing degree from Michigan State University, Wilson moved to Chicago, worked in the restaurant industry and eventually discovered it was baking and pastries that ruled her career aspirations.
She went on to the French Pastry School in Chicago and after graduating decided, "I wanted to come home and give Michigan some love."
She started a special order business about a year ago and took the leap Oct. 2 to retail bakery at 3202 Crooks Road. It's a bakery that makes everything from scratch, concocting classic bake goods with a twist.
It's her full-time job, her career, as well as that of two full-time employees and one-part-timer.
"It's only our third week of business…and it has been really really great We've been really surprised at the turnout," Wilson says. "We're getting a lot of locals, people coming from the downtown area, from Berkley, Clawson."
The love of her home state goes into Mitten Mades, which are a combo of potato chips, pretzels, toffee and other Michigan made products.
The name Love & Buttercream came to her suddenly one morning after thinking about it for weeks.
"It's kind of cheesy cliche, but I had been trying to come up with a name for weeks and then I woke up and said, I know what it is. It really speaks to what our products are all about. We make everything from scratch. We put a lot of love into what goes out the door."
Source: Brooke Wilson, owner, Love & Buttercream bakery
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, October 11, 2012
A mother of four turned entrepreneur is getting her dress-up-the-kids fix through her new store,
Spoil 'Em Rotten in downtown Royal Oak.
Shay Van opened the children's clothing boutique at 630 E. 11 Mile on Oct. 1, and the traffic has been great, she says.
Her business model is to offer every day clothing that can't be found just anywhere and to sell dressier clothing "that won't break your pocketbook."
"I have the the things you wouldn't always see at the mall, things for special occasions that aren't the usual … And I believe it should be affordable."
The opening of the 2,200-square-foot shop, which was previously a jewelry store, brings business back to a spot that's been empty for five years.
It's also one mom's new full-time career.
"I was a stay-at-home mom of four children," Van says. "That's what made me really get into this. It's really fun. It's like shopping for everyone's kids."
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Shay Van, owner, Spoil 'Em Rotten boutique, Royal Oak
Thursday, October 11, 2012
The goal of the Woodward Sustainability 5 partnership is to brainstorm and plan for development and economic prosperity while being mindful of how to achieve those things with limited resources and without detrimental impacts on the environment and future generations.
The "5" refers to Berkley, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak and Huntington Woods, all cities with Woodward as a common thoroughfare, and is an initiative of the Oakland County Planning & Economic Development department. The partnership is hosting public meetings, one tonight, Oct. 11, from 6-8 p.m. at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center.
It is one of several meetings that will culminate in a plan that will outline ways the communities can "work together and leverage resources for a sustainable future," Steve Huber, marketing and communications officer for the department of economic development and community affairs, says in a statement announcing the meeting.
A description of the initiative says, "the partnership seeks to engage a diverse cross-section of the community, including environmental, business, social services, health, and educational institutions. The goal of the group is to develop a plan which will help the communities work together and leverage shared resources for a sustainable future."
The final plan, which is being paid for with a $25,000 of in-kind services from the county and a $50,000 grand from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, should be completed by March 2013.
Writer: Kim North Shine
Source: Steve Huber, marketing and communications officer for Oakland County's Department of Economic Development and Community Affairs.
Thursday, October 04, 2012
The owners of Burn Rubber, a unique Royal Oak sneaker boutique known for unique styles that can fetch top dollar, have taken their concept for originality into men's clothing.
two/eighteen By Burn Rubber opened nearly two weeks ago at 108 E. Fourth Street. Burn Rubber sells its sneakers down the street at 202 W. Fourth.
"Two/eighteen is similar to the philosophy of Burn Rubber where you wouldn't find what we sell anywhere else in Michigan," says co-owner and co-founder Rick Williams.
One of the lines being promoted currently is out of Atlanta, Strivers Row.
The name two/eighteen is the numerical-alphabetical equivalent of B and R - for Burn Rubber. The new store, a total of 2,500 square feet front and back, is owned and run by Rick Williams and his partners Ro Coit, Fred Walker and Tawny Thieu, who are celebrating "a next tier of the business."
Williams says downtown Royal Oak has been the launching point for a solid business and customer base that are growing along with the company.
"Royal Oak is where we've made our home," he says. "This is basically a step up from Burn Rubber, something for the more mature customers."
Source: Rick Williams, co-owner and co-founder two/eighteen By Burn Rubber
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Royal Oak gains a new art appreciation outlet with the opening of 822 Gallery this Saturday.
Besides being a place to find "sophisticated and refined works" in mixed media by local and national artists, 822 Gallery wants to bring together the arts and fashion community, says Laura Deljanin, an artist and a fashion and art curator for the gallery, which is located at 822 11 Mile Road.
"We want to be inclusive and supportive," she says, ticking off names of other local artists and galleries. "It's for the success of all of us. We're so much stronger together."
She is helping organize this Saturday's grand opening, which starts with a Royal Oak galleries crawl from 5-8pm and ends with an afterglow at 822 Gallery, where the first of what is expected to be monthly events will be hosted. The fall-themed grand opening will feature a fashion show and art exhibit of many kinds of work and music by Royal Oak band, Michigan Basement Trio. A live art painting will be auctioned as well.
"This will be a chance to enjoy the beautiful autumnal shades of Michigan and catch a great event supporting local artists," she says. "The gallery’s focus is to contribute to the enhancement of art awareness for the community."
822 Gallery is owned by partners Roger Mason, an artist with a contemporary and whimsical style, and Dr. Douglas Nyquist. Mason, who will run the gallery, has a studio in South Haven and the vision is to showcase only original art and to promote art in general
Mason and Del will decide which works go on display, and eventually the gallery, which will be opened Tuesday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., will have studio spaces, Deljanin says.
"Both of us being artists we have a very acute eye of what we're looking for. We want refined and sophisticated art," she says. We're not just accepting anything. it has to be special….We want to try and get people excited about art and fashion.
Source: Laura Deljanin, curator, 822 Gallery
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Metro Detroit's car culture is driving the creation of the Woodward Warehouse in Royal Oak, a place for car enthusiasts and their cars to come together and more.
Woodward Warehouse, at 4260 Edgeland in Royal Oak near Coolidge and Normandy, is the brainchild of Joe and Blenda Polito, husband and wife car lovers turned entrepreneurs.
Their concept of offering car storage in "museum quality, heated, air conditioned, climate controlled" storage facility along with car care services and a social club is a local take on similar clubs on the east and west coasts, says Polito, a retired attorney who owns at least 11 classic cars.
The Warehouse, named after Woodward Avenue, a national historic scenic byway that's taken over annually each August by classic cars, opened June 23, "It's taken a lot of effort, time and money...we're starting to get some traction," he says.
Besides having 11,000 square feet of storage space for 45-55 vehicles to be stored under nearly 20 security cameras, Woodward Warehouse offers club membership that includes a 3,000-square-foot clubroom with a game room with regulation pool table and vintage pinball machine, a large screen TV, a kitchen, a an patio with grills, game a cigar smoking room, meeting rooms and conference rooms that can be rented. They are considering setting up a model train room.
Polito also has found reputable contractors to provide services such as detailing.
One thing that makes Woodward Warehouse different is getting access to cars anytime.
"It's a great place to spend time with like-minded people," he says, "people who love and know cars."
Source: Joe Polito, owner, Woodward Warehouse
Writer: Kim North Shine
The artists behind the tribute sculptures planned for points along Woodward Avenue are putting the intricate finishing touches on the first two in the project: The Royal Oak Tribute and the Highland Park Tribute.
The 30-foot-tall lighted solar-powered glass and concrete interpretive sculptures, a project of the
Woodward Avenue Action Association and the
National Scenic Byways, will tell different stories at each location and honor the heritage of Woodward Avenue, which has been federally-designated as an All-American Road.
In Royal Oak, where organizers had hoped to unveil the sculpture in time for the
Woodward Dream Cruise Aug. 16 - 18, the Royal Oak Tribute will honor the link to car cruising, drive-in theaters and such.
In Highland Park, says Lori Ella Miller, spokesperson for the Woodward Avenue Action Association, the tie-in will be Henry Ford and automobile innovation.
The Royal Oak sculpture will stand in the median at Woodward and 13 Mile and Highland Park's will be at the corner of Gerald and Woodward, but neither will be ready until mid-August, "more like late August," Miller says.
"You just want to be sure they're done right," she says.
"Iluminatinon events" will be held to unveil the sculptures.
"Our ultimate goal is to have eight to ten of these along Woodward," Miller says. "We hope to start working on a Detroit Tribute next."
The artists, Kyle Evans and his Royal Oak Tribute and Julie Jankowski and her Highland Park Tribute, are completing the concepts that link the past to the present. The $150,000 sculptures are paid for with federal grants and matching donations from supporters such as businesses and nonprofits, and more contributions are needed, Miller says.
Source: Lori Ella Miller, Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Kim North Shine
Kristin Lusn has left the nest of a major law firm and started her own private practice in downtown Royal Oak.
Kristin Lusn, Attorney & Counselor, is located at 612 East 4th St. and is a change in direction for the 32-year-old Michigan State grad who worked at Giamarco, Mullins & Horton from 2009-2012 and was named as a Rising Sar in Super Lawyers and as a dBusiness Top Lawyer in 2012.
"I wanted to be centrally located and since I want to service large and small businesses I wanted to be in an accessible location," says Lusn, whose specialties include workers compensation, labor and employment, general corporate issues and immigration and tax.
She also knew that now in her early 30s, with no children, was a good time to take the chance on starting her own business.
Her decision to lease downtown space rather than move into a major office building keeps with her desire to serve small business as well as her corporate clients. "I didn't want to be in a big office and turn away mom and pop shops," she says.
Lusn loves Detroit and metro Detroit and wants to make it work here, instead of leaving. She is working on sharing an office in downtown Detroit with an attorney, who like her, has gone solo. "I really want to have a Detroit presence," she says.
She expects to hire a full-time assistant in Royal Oak by the end of the year.
"It's going great," she says. I'm very excited about the future."
Source: Kristin Lusn, attorney
Writer: Kim North Shine
A group of investors and developers are floating plans to turn the closed Fresard car dealership at 400 N. Main St. in Royal Oak into a boutique hotel, apartment building, and restaurant complex.
A preliminary proposal to redevelop the prominent downtown spot went before the
Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority last week.
The property owners, who closed on the building and plot of land surrounding it about two weeks ago, are asking if the DDA would commit to some level of financial support at some point.
Dennis Griffin, who represents the investors on behalf of commercial real estate company
CBRE, and Jason Krieger, a DDA board member and architect who drew up renderings of the plan, told DDA members that it needed to gauge the board's interest in order to approach the
Michigan Economic Development Corporation about financing opportunities and development incentives.
"Obviously there's a whole bunch of details that have to be worked out," Tim Thwing, the city's director of planning, says. The tentative plans call for a 100-room, eight- to nine-floor boutique hotel with restaurant, bar and meeting rooms on the first two floors along with a 5-6 floor apartment building and a parking structure. Investors are interested in an operator such as
Hotel Indigo, Krieger says.
The former Buick-Pontiac-GMC showroom would be renovated into a restaurant, bar and banquet facility, Krieger told the DDA board May 16. The investors, and Hotel Indigo - if it signs on - would want local business owners to operate them.
"They really want to get entrenched in the community," Krieger said at the DDA meeting. "They want it to be a Royal Oak place with their branding."
At the request of the DDA board, which did express interest in supporting the project financially, the owners and operators will eventually return to the DDA with a timeline and more details, possibly within weeks.
The Fresard dealership closed six years ago, and it is also the site of a failed Kroger grocery store proposal that was rejected by residents.
Source: Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine
It's hard to know if it's the rooftop and the good weather or the soccer games aired from around the world, but the customers are flocking to the month-old
Red Fox English Pub in downtown Royal Oak.
The pub, which was mostly in soft open mode since April 17, is located above at 11 Mile and Main, where the once popular Memphis Smoke used to serve up barbecue and music. It's probably the best seat on downtown Royal Oak, and the rooftop bar and patio offers a view onto what's happening below.
Red Fox, which is owned by Ryan Kramer and Kevin Downey, serves mostly British fare. Bangers & Mash, Fish & Chips, Shepherd's Pie and a British classic side dish, Mushy Peas. Kramer is also an proprietor of Rosie O'Grady's and Cantina Diablo.
"Once word got out about the awesome patio and with the weather and everybody wanting to get out," people were flocking to us," says general manager Jennette Breault.
Before that - and no doubt in the future - it was and will be the soccer fans who come for the big screens tuned to their version of football.
"We have a soccer package with all the MLS teams and all the European and other teams," she says. "We get not only American soccer fans, but the Brits are flocking to us as well."
The pub's opening led to the hiring of 40 employees, about half of them full-time, Breault says.
Source: Jennette Breault, general manager, Red Fox English Pub
Writer: Kim North Shine
Future plans for city streets, sidewalks and passageways in Royal Oak will be fine-tuned to both promote walking and biking and pedestrian and cyclist safety.
As the city revisits its master plan, a guiding document for growth and development, it is incorporating a non-motorized transportation plan.
It will take into a account how to build roads that are safer for pedestrians and cyclists, what amenities to add, such as bike racks, so that biking around town is easier. It will also further educate the public about alternative forms of transportation and how the interests of auto users, cyclists, and pedestrians can co-exit.
The city has hired Chicago consultant Active Transportation Alliance to come up with recommendations to be included in the master plan.
Cities are more often making accommodations for other forms of transportation part of their road construction planning process. The road to getting more consideration for cyclists and pedestrians in the
planning has been long.
One nonprofit promoting the new way of planning is
Michigan Complete Streets Coalition, and it is urging cities - and residents - to prepare for changes that will have Baby Boomers walking more often, more employees wanting to live where they work and therefore walking or biking to work, and also to take into consideration a growing interest in public transportation that could mean more walking and biking stops and stations.
Source: City of Royal Oak
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
A company that's been designing and furnishing workspaces for 36 years has taken on a project very close to its heart - its own headquarters.
iscg Workplace Design & Furnishings moved its 18 employees into the new space last week.
The new HQ opened in the renovated - and recognizable Royal Radio building on North Main near 11 Mile Road. The former office on Woodward near Catalpa was on two floors. This one is spread out on one visible floor.
"They were generally looking to get all of their people on one level so they'd have a more collaborative environment," says Stacy Butts of the Identity marketing and public relations firm in Bingham Farms.
Besides being an office, the building will be a showroom for iscg's designs and Haworth furnishings. "They are kind of their own case study," Butts says. "It's really an amazing thing to see."
Visitors can tour work stations and workplace arrangements designed by the company that's won awards for its work. Their designs take into account workflow needs, company culture, ease of use, functionality, and aesthetics.
"They really get to understand the client and the workflow and what needs to happen with employees and visitors when they design a space," Butts says.
She says the company will be hiring several full-time employees this year.
Source: Stacy Butts, Identity PR.
Writer: Kim North Shine
DMC Children's Hospital of Michigan is proposing a $50 million health care facility in Royal Oak that would bring it closer to many of its suburban patients, who in turn, could bring business to downtown Royal Oak businesses.
The DMC Royal Oak Center for Children and Adults would be built on one of metro Detroit's most prominent vacant plots of land - a parcel on the north side of I-696, across from the Detroit Zoo, between Woodward Avenue and Main Street.
The proposed center would offer higher level pediatric specialty care such as neurology, as well as a 24-hour emergency room geared toward children but for open to all ages. About 25 percent of the center would be dedicated to adult specialists, says Luanne Thomas Ewald, vice president of business development at Children's Hospital of Michigan.
The new center, nearly 100,000 square feet, would be built on land that's basically Royal Oak's most major entry point.
"In our development of what the design would be we kept in mind this would be the gateway to Royal Oak," Thomas Ewald says. "So it has to look like Royal Oak, not be something all modern…It has to be representative of Royal Oak."
The success of a similar center, one about half the size and in Clinton Township, prompted the decision to look into further suburban expansion, Thomas Ewald says.
There are still many issues to be resolved before construction can begin, including reaching an agreement on the price to purchase the land from the city. DMC and the city are obtaining their own appraisals and will discuss the value over the next few weeks. The target construction date is late fall 2012, and if all goes as planned, construction would last 12 to 18 months for an opening in 2014, Thomas Ewald says.
About 155 full-time jobs - doctors, nurses, x-ray techs, security personnel, etc. - would be created, she says.
"Obviously we're looking at where our current patients are coming from and trying to put our sites where the majority of our population lives," Thomas Ewald says. "And the economic benefit is an extra."
Source: Luanne Thomas Ewald, vice president of business development, Children's Hospital of Michigan
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, February 09, 2012
An effort to further study and coordinate mass transit options for the Woodward Avenue corridor from Detroit to Birmingham has expanded to include all of Woodward from the Detroit River to Pontiac.
Originally, the four-month-old group effort that includes the Oakland County Woodward-area suburbs of Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, Royal Oak, Berkley and Birmingham focused on extending a mass transit line that would end at Woodward and 8 Mile to Birmingham. But a $2 million federal transportation grant, a change in design of the Woodward light rail line in Detroit, as well as a push by state and federal officials to create a truly regional rapid mass transit system for southeast Michigan broadened the focus area to include the entire 27-mile stretch of Woodward.
The
Michigan Suburbs Alliance, the
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and the
Woodward Avenue Action Association are working with the original steering committee and inviting all other communities along the route to join in. There will also be opportunity for public input as the planning process moves along.
The grant comes from the Federal Transportation Administration and pays for what's known as an Alternative Analysis, a required part of any mass transit development. It comes after the state legislature passed a bill to create an RTA, a Regional Transportation Authority that would cover Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, and Washtenaw counties and coordinate local bus systems and oversee creation of a rapid transit network. SEMCOG will manage the grant and work to ensure that any plans to come out of the broader effort coordinate with all other work underway in the region.
The larger focus comes as mass transit planners and proponents in Detroit have changed plans for a Woodward light rail line to a downtown circulator system.
Heather Carmona, executive director of the Woodward Avenue Action Association, says the effort goes beyond transit. “We’re working with the cities to make Woodward work for everyone who travels along it, and at connecting all transportation modes to economic development opportunities.”
Richard Murphy, transportation director at the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, says in a statement announcing the new, broader approach: “Detroit and the Oakland County suburbs recognize that better transit on Woodward will spur economic development both north and south of Eight Mile—but they need a regional transit authority to build and run the system. Governor (Rick) Snyder has proposed that the RTA work towards a rapid transit network including Woodward Avenue, and this alternatives analysis will let them move quickly towards that goal."
Source: Carmine Palombo, director of transportation planning, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and Lori Elia Miller, marketing and communications manager, Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, February 02, 2012
The
Jolly Pumpkin, maker of its own beer, wine, liquor and non-alcoholic drinks and known for exceptionally fresh and creative foods, is expanding to Royal Oak.
After getting approval from the city commission last week, Jolly Pumpkin's operators, collectively known as the Northern United Brewing Co., plans to take over a vacant bank and surrounding lot on Main Street between 2nd and 3rd. The bank has been vacant for six years.
Jolly Pumpkin started in Dexter, a location that is now primarily a distillery and manufacturing site, and expanded to Ann Arbor and Traverse City, where it has carved out a well-known brand and following.
Its Royal Oak site will have two indoor and two outdoor seating areas with room for 349 when all seating areas are opened, and 249 when outdoor areas are closed. There will tables and bars, including one around a pizza oven and grill. One outdoor area will be open-air along Main while the other will be behind the restaurant and surrounded by walls for an outdoor urban garden.
The restaurant and distillery will expand beyond the bank's 3,888-square-foot footprint by 4,300 square feet, bringing its size to 8,188 square feet. The cost for the property is $950,000, with renovations adding another $1 million, according to the city.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served using, whenever possible, locally grown and organic foods in menu items such as corn pizza, praline-pecan bread pudding and creamy buckwheat pasta with wild mushrooms.
Part of the restaurant will house the distillery that makes drinks on site.
"It's a substantial facility, and it's a unique concept," says Timothy Thwing, director of planning for the city of Royal Oak.
Thwing says the project still must undergo reviews and approvals by the city, all part of the process that comes after obtaining the licenses for small winemaker, beermaker, and distiller last week.
Opening day could come by fall.
Source: Timothy Thwing, director of planning, city of Royal Oak and Royal Oak City Commission
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Five southern Oakland County communities that share Woodward Avenue as their connector are partnering on a project to research how they might work together as one to save money, share services and care for the environment, among other goals.
Berkley, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak and Huntington Woods are participating in the collaboration with Oakland County called the South Oakland Multi-Community Sustainability Partnership.
"I applaud these Woodward 5 communities for undertaking this partnership," Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson says in a statement. "With limited economic resources at our disposal, it is more important than ever that communities find innovative ways to collaborate."
Community groups, environmental groups, businesses, social service providers, health and educational institutions will be involved in the partnership as members work to identify meaningful changes to be made by the cities as a whole.
The goal is to devise a plan to work together and leverage shared resources for a sustainable future. Sustainability refers to the ability of communities to thrive without diminishing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Oakland County Planning & Economic Development Services will provide $25,000 of in-kind services to match a $50,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
This is the second collaboration of its kind for the county, says Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County.
The cities of Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, and Rochester make up the Tri-City Sustainability Partnership, which formed in January 2011 and may influence the latest partnership.
It has already identified potential changes, Rasegan says, and is working on designing ways to measure success. He says the five-city partnership became a part of the program because of its history of collaboration.
Source: Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor, Oakland County
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Regional mass transit champions, especially of train and light rail, received several pieces of good news in 2011 as Amtrak operators and bus service providers saw ridership hit record numbers. Funding added up, new stations opened and Woodward Avenue light rail moved as close as ever to leaving the station.
Metro Detroit suburbs liked what they saw and threw money and manpower behind studies and possible land acquisition into linking their main corridors, namely Woodward Avenue and possibly 8 Mile, to light rail or other regional mass transit system.
Of course, the Woodward Avenue Rail project has been put on hold in favor of a rapid bus transit plan... but the conversation deepens and most assuredly continues.
Note: The record numbers and the funding have been a "trend" since at least 2008, but 2012 might show us if this thing that has brought so much economic stimulus to other towns can happen in metro Detroit. It's why we posed this in 2011: If Dallas can do it, why not Detroit?
As train and bus ridership gorw, $47 million is committed to new transit options
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/1020masstransit0229.aspx
Transform Woodward ponders light rail beyond Detroit
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0804woodlightrail0219.aspx
Woodward Avenue as linear city
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0609woodave0212.aspx
If Dallas Can Do It, Why Can't Detroit?
http://www.metromodemedia.com/features/dallasdetroitlightrail0218.aspx
Case for Detroit light rail grows with $25M federal grant, 23 percent growth in Amtrak ridership
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/lightrailplans0195.aspx
Nearly $200M federal grant accelerates high speed rail in Metro Detroit
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0512highspeedrail0209.aspx
Next stop: Dearborn. New new train station pulling in
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0721dearborntrain0217.aspx
New transit center in Pontiac welcomes bus, train commuters
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0811pontiactransit0220.aspx
By Kim North Shine
Thursday, November 17, 2011
A new pet salon has come to downtown Royal Oak, bringing with it a mod space that's a far cry from Lassie's groomer.
Bingo Pet Salon, which opened last month on Fourth Street just off Main, brought with it a business plan to serve Royal Oak's downtown dwellers and commuters.
"That's kind of the nice thing about it... being able to come downtown, drop off your dog, see a movie, shop, run an errand," says Kate Burton, Bingo's general manager.
The other part of the business vision was to design an eye-catching spot that fit into downtown. The interior of the salon has an industrial lofty feel with high ceilings and lots of glass. At the front of the salon, a glass room that looks out on Fourth Street holds just coifed small dogs.
"People walking by can see them. They're our little models," Burton says. "It's definitely a more modern feel overall," she says. "Being downtown that's what we were going for."
Bingo, which is owned by Royal Oak resident Jon Beasley, opened last month and had a grand opening event with specialty dog treats and other pet goodies last week.
"This is his first time in this business," she says, "but he's been thinking about doing it for sometime, especially living downtown, knowing how many people hang out downtown with their dogs. This is a dog-friendly city in general."
Bingo Pet Salon is also connecting with the community by featuring works of local artists on its walls. Currently photographer Marco Mancinelli's pics of people and their pets are on display. And the salon is working with the Royal Oak animal shelter and New Beginnings, an animal rescue group, to foster and adopt homeless animals.
Already, she says, "more and more people are discovering us. We're getting busier and busier."
Source: Kate Burton, general manager, Bingo Pet Salon
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, November 10, 2011
After 15 years of looking for ways to make Royal Oak more useful and safe for cyclists and pedestrians, the city has an official plan that could achieve that goal and more.
The
Royal Oak Non-Motorized Transportation Plan lays out a beginning-to-end process for not only making downtown Royal Oak more walkable and rideable, but also for connecting Royal Oak by pathways to neighborhoods and other communities.
Chicago-based consultant
Active Transportation Alliance worked with the city on devising this latest, likely final, plan, a process many cities statewide and nationwide are going through as advocates for pedestrian-friendly communities organize and cities and businesses see the economic and lifestyle advantage of designing transportation plans not completely centered around the automobile.
The plan calls for adding designated routes and bike lanes and connections to important places and corridors such as Woodward Avenue, Beaumont Hospital, downtown and regional trails. There will also be amenities and changes to increase safety and convenience for pedestrians and cyclists.
Implementation of the city's plan, which has passed the zoning and city commissions and is now going to neighboring communities for feedback, will take years and will "position the community for a brighter, healthier and more active future," says Douglas Hedges, city planner for Royal Oak.
Hedges says the method of funding for the projects to come out of the plan has yet to be decided, but it will most likely involve a combination of grants and Act 51 revenues, a state of Michigan transportation fund that is derived from fuel taxes on automobiles and spent on transportation enhancement.
"The main benefit of the plan," he says, "would be to improve Royal Oak's pedestrian-friendly environment and enhance the quality of life for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as motorists."
Source: Douglas Hedges, city planner, city of Royal Oak and Royal Oak Non-Motorized Transportation Plan
Writer: Kim North Shine
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Southern Oakland County communities are contributing to a study that will look into what it will take to embark on transit-oriented development along Woodward Avenue.
The major thoroughfare ties the communities together and would be an obvious extension of a light rail line that is expected to be constructed along Woodward from downtown Detroit to 8 Mile Road.
The study was commissioned by the Transform Woodward group convened by the nonprofit
Woodward Avenue Action Association, or WA3, and will identify land use and zoning and master plan changes needed to support transit oriented development along the South Oakland County portion of Woodward.
Royal Oak based
LSL Planning Inc. will complete the study.
The Transform Woodward Task Force is made up of elected officials, employers and institutional partners from Berkley, Birmingham, Ferndale, Huntington Woods and Royal Oak.
In announcing the plans to initiate a "transit-oriented development framework," WA3 says the creation of "improved public transit that includes a rapid transit service along the Woodward corridor, including governance, and funding through a regional transit authority, is a significant step toward a larger system that will support the development of jobs and business investments throughout the region, linking Oakland County."
Jana Ecker, chair of the task force and city of Birmingham planning director, says in a statement announcing the consultant's hiring, "We look forward to working with them as we complete the initial data gathering phases and begin to broaden our engagement with the communities along this historic All-American Road."
The task force and LSL Planning will outline existing conditions, transportation patterns, and needs and goals of each community as well as the Southern Oakland County region while building broad support and attempting to ensure that each city's unique character is preserved.
Source: Lori Ella Miller, spokesperson, Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Kim North Shine
Woodward Avenue in Berkley and Royal Oak is in the process of changes that should make one heavy pedestrian spot a less challenging one to walk safely.
The Michigan Department of Transportation is spending $400,000 to improve Woodward Avenue and 12 Mile Road. While safety is MDOT's main concern, the changes could also make the intersection even more inviting to pedestrians who frequent the dozens of businesses along the stretch.
The construction, which will primarily affect the median and Michigan left turn lanes, started this week and could finish in time for the Woodward Dream Cruise, which runs Aug. 17-22, and attracts thousands of collector car owners and spectators to this part of Woodward. If incomplete by then, it should be done by Labor Day, says MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi.
Some of the conditions at the pedestrian-heavy area along this wide swath of road traveled by speeding cars, "raised red flags," Morosi says.
The existing median will be widened so there's a safe place to wait while crossing the wide road. Left turn lanes will be shortened so cars can't go so fast next to the median. Stamped concrete at the crossings will make crossing locations clearer to pedestrians and drivers, and new crossing signals will have the added feature of a countdown clock to make it clear if there's enough time to make it across the road. Additionally, sidewalk ramps will be improved.
Source: Rob Morosi, spokesman Michigan Department of Transportation
Writer: Kim North Shine
The concept of making Woodward Avenue in south Oakland County a thoroughfare traveled by multiple forms of transportation that move through one unified, "linear" community is taking shape with the award of a $15,000 grant.
The Urban Land Institute's Community Action Grant will fund the latest phase in the Transform Woodward: Woodward Avenue Linear City concept, which aims to identify ways land use can be changed to support transit-oriented development.
The Woodward Avenue Action Association, or WA3, an economic and community development organization with the mission of improving the visual, economic, functional and historic character of the 27-mile All-American Road and national scenic byway, is the driving force behind a five-city consortium working to change the the way the corridor is used and traveled.
Berkley, Birmingham, Ferndale, Huntington Woods and Royal Oak are part of the task force using the grant money to identify the changes that might move the corridor away from its dominance by the almighty automobile. SMART, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, Beaumont Hospital, and the Detroit Zoo are also on the task force.
"These are five separate communities but collectively we're all one community when it comes to Woodward," says Heather Carmona, executive director of WA3.
The cities got together in October 2010 to evaluate how south Oakland County figured into plans to bring mass transit to metro Detroit. One project, light rail on Woodward through Detroit, will end at 8 Mile, leaving south Oakland County out.
"We came together due to a lack of consensus on a public transit plan," says Carmona. "We needed to start thinking about what that next link will be."
"But what's happening now is less about transit and more about land use."
The grant from the Urban Land Institute will pay to research land use strategies, conduct policy and education and support promotional activities to roll out plans. The information will assist task force cities to identity land use and zoning and master plan changes needed to support transit-oriented development.
"It's really a progressive group of folks that's thinking big picture," Carmona says. "These are elected officials that have the ability to change affect policy and make decisions."
Carmona says the goal is to have "working drawings and visionary plans" completed by year's end.
"This is a great shot in the arm to get the group moving," Carmona says.
Source: Heather Carmona, executive director, Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Kim North Shine
An entertainment complex that takes movies and bowling up a few notches - leather, club seating instead of hard, fiberglass chairs; real dishes instead of styrofoam and paper; restaurant wait service; and high tech bells and whistles - opened Monday in Royal Oak.
The Emagine Theater and Star Lanes in Royal Oak is Emagine's sixth theater in Michigan and the first in a downtown Main Street location (Main St. and 11 Mile, near the Main Art Theatre). it's also their most ambitious.
Inside 71,000 square feet of space are 10 movie screens and 16 bowling lanes, and a bar and restaurant that serves lunch and dinner at its own tables, or to bowlers and movie-goers.
The latest in technology will operate on the lanes and in the theaters, including Smartphone movie tickets and more. There are also four electric car charging stations and solar power panels on the top of the buildings, which is LEED certified, says Ruth Daniels, senior vice president of marketing for Emagine Entertainment and Star Lanes.
"It's the greenest entertainment venue in town," Daniels says.
The $19-million project was christened with three charity preview parties last weekend. At least $200,000 was raised and benefited the Judson Center and Gleaners Community Food Banks, she says. Separately, the business created 100 jobs.
"It's not your typical bowling alley," Daniels says.
In fact, the company doesn't call them bowling alleys. They're bowling lanes. And banish any thoughts of stale, throwback bowling joints. The Royal Oak location follows a nationwide trend to step up bowling and movies in competition for the consumers discretionary entertainment dollar.
Daniels says the downtown location was sought after, and she sees the company pursuing other downtown locations, possibly for a theater or bowling lanes on their own or together.
Royal Oak is an ideal location…."It's a great place to hang out," she says. "If we can get the right space we need we would definitely look for another downtown area."
Emagine's other theaters are in Woodhaven, Canton, Novi, Rochester Hills, and Birch Run.
Source: Ruth Daniels, senior vice president of marketing, Emagine Entertainment, Star Lanes
Writer: Kim North Shine
As enrollment hits record levels at
Oakland Community College, it is investing in improvements to campus facilities.
The latest project, $1.3 million, will pay for improvements at the Orchard Ridge campus in Farmington Hills and the Royal Oak campus.
In Farmington Hills, exterior sealant and glazing on bricks will be replaced while the other project will replace lintels and brick masonry supports above doors at three buildings.
In Royal Oak, a shower is being converted into a science lab and multipurpose classroom and one of two parking structures on the edge of downtown will receive a new payment system on the first floor.
"We have in excess of 29,000 students enrolled, the highest we've ever registered," says George Cartsonis, director of communications for OCC.
Oakland Community College has five campuses and is the largest community college in Michigan -- 25th largest in the U.S., Cartsonis adds.
Source: George Cartsonis, director of communications, Oakland Community College
Writer: Kim North Shine
In a city sometimes defined by its shopping, bars, restaurants, and nightlife, it is down-on-the farm goodness that's squeezing onto the scene.
The
Royal Oak Community Farm, soon to see its second harvest of herbs and vegetables, is expecting to turn a profit in its second year of business, says David Baldwin, founder of
Royal Oak Forward, a community development nonprofit that runs the farm.
The money made this year will go to the
Royal Oak Foundation for Public Education. The Royal Oak school district leases the land for the garden.
The garden is located on 11 Mile Road east of Campbell and is run by a farmer/horticulturalist who oversees the produce that goes into
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares sold to about 30 residents from Royal Oak as well as nearby cities such as Ferndale and Birmingham. About 30 CSA shares were sold last year to about 60 people, Baldwin says. Other food grown in the garden is sold to local restaurants, Baldwin says. More orders of both types are expected this year, he says.
"We're expecting an increase in orders this year," he says.
Goods from the garden will also be sold starting in mid-May at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, which is open year-round.
While not through the long process of being certified organic, the garden is grown using organic and natural practices, Baldwin says.
Source: David Baldwin, founder of Royal Oak ForwardWriter: Kim North Shine
Installation of high-tech electric meters that will change the way
DTE Energy receives power usage information and increase customers' control over energy use has begun in Oakland County.
Over the next several months about 350,000 meters will be placed at homes and businesses in 25 communities: Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Clawson, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Franklin, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Lathrup Village, Madison Heights, Northville, Novi, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Royal Oak Township, Southfield, Southfield Township, Troy, Walled Lake, and Wixom.
This portion of the installation of the "smart" meters come at a cost of about $168 million, half of it from a
Smart Grid Investment Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The meters will form what DTE Energy is calling "the backbone" of its
SmartCurrents program. DTE's matching $84 million grant helps achieve a nationwide effort to update the country's electrical grid.
The meters will provide detailed information about energy usage directly to DTE, recognize power outages without customer input, and allow DTE to quickly locate and repair outages and other service problems. The meters will nearly eliminate estimated billing and allow for service to be remotely connected or disconnected rather than requiring appointments with technicians.
In addition, technology will be wired into the meters to allow customers to better manage their energy usage and bills. The SmartCurrents technology can be tied to similarly "smart" appliances, thermostats, and such. The DOE funding will allow DTE Energy to offer an in-home display product and special thermostats to nearly 1,500 customers. Check out
smartcurrents.com for more information.
DTE has installed about 250,000 meters so far in Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Commerce Township, Grosse Ile, Harsen's Island, and West Bloomfield Township. By early 2012 a total of about 600,000 meters will have been installed.
Source: Scott Simons, spokesman, DTE Energy
Writer: Kim North Shine
The Michigan Complete Streets Coalition is cruising down a path of success as it spreads its campaign of "Building roadways that move people not just automobiles" around the state.
Not only did the organization win Campaign of the Year from the Alliance for Biking and Walking at a national summit last week, each week more and more municipalities are signing on to the Complete Streets approach, which means road construction and improvements will take into account non-motorized uses.
A total of 32 Michigan communities have passed ordinances or resolutions in support of Michigan Complete Streets. That's the most in the nation, says John Lindenmayer, co-chair of the
Michigan Complete Streets Coalition. The coalition is made up of the League of Michigan Bicyclists, the
Michigan Environmental Council and AARP.
Earlier this month Allen Park became the fourth Wayne County community to pass a resolution. Ann Arbor also signed on last week and Detroit, Ferndale and Royal Oak are among cities working to include all forms of transportation in their road planning.
"There's been an incredible amount of momentum in this last year," says
Lindenmayer, "and it's picked up since August when legislation was adopted
that makes communities with Complete Streets policies more eligible for
non-motorized funding from the Michigan Department of Transportation."
Lindenmayer believes an approach like this not only keeps people safer but makes places more livable. And, he believes communities that make themselves more accessible to walkers and bicyclists will be more attractive and successful.
"You look at all the young talent that's leaving Michigan. They're going to communities where they can walk, ride their bikes, that are more livable," he says. "We're really moving in the right direction -- especially to be known as the auto state, to be leading in this, really says a lot."
Source: John Lindenmayer, co-chair Michigan Complete Streets Coalition
Writer: Kim North Shine
More than 18 months of regional planning and state-local cooperation culminates this week with the installation of federal All American Road signs along a 27-mile stretch of Woodward Avenue.
A total of 50 signs worth $45,000 will be installed as part of the 2009 All American Road project, a
U.S. Dept of Transportation program that awards funding for roadways deemed worthy of distinction and therefore dollars that make the roadways more appealing, useful, recognizable and memorable. Many such roadways around the country have been deemed scenic parkways, historic routes and such. The majority of Woodward signs will be installed this week by the
Michigan Dept of Transportation (MDOT) with a few not coming until spring.
Royal Oak-based WA3, the
Woodward Avenue Action Association, is the local administrator of the program and worked with MDOT, all cities along the route, and
DTE on the best placement and process for the sign installation
"The intent is to really bring awareness that this is an exclusive and important designation so that when visitors are here they say, 'Wow I've seen that in other parts of America,' and they understand this is an important part of history," says Heather Carmona, executive director of WA3.
"They're very different signs, not your typical MDOT road sign...It was a long process, 18-20 months. It was very challenging to get these different signs, but MDOT was very accommodating," Carmona says. "We were able to do something that was outside of the box and get something that was eye catching and appealing and safe."
A prototype sign is located at McDonald's on Woodward near 13 Mile.
Of the 50 signs, 23 will be installed in Detroit. The remainder run north through Oakland County communities.
Source: Heather Carmona, executive director of the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Kim North Shine
A system of regional mass transit in southeast Michigan has moved further down the track thanks to a $25 million federal grant and an Amtrak ridership survey that shows the number of train commuters continues to increase.
"I believe that southeast Michigan is as close as it has ever been to implementing higher levels of transit," says Carmine Palombo, transportation director for SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
He says SEMCOG and the Michigan Department of Transportation "continue moving forward on the commuter rail project from Ann Arbor to Detroit. Amtrak ridership on the Pontiac to Chicago line is up significantly. These are all positive signs that could lead to enhanced transit being in our future in the not too distant future."
The positive prognosis comes after the award of a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the building of the Detroit Light Rail Line. The grant comes from the Transportation Investment Generating Recovery - TIGER, a program of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
The first phase is the construction of a light rail line that runs 3.4 miles along Woodward and has 12 stations connecting downtown Detroit to Grand Blvd in the New Center area. The second phase would extend the light rail line 5.9 miles from Grand Blvd to 8 Mile Road near the Michigan State fairgrounds.
Separately, according to a report from the Michigan Dept of Transportation (MDOT), Amtrak ridership and ticket revenue increased again.
From October to December, 130,683 passengers took trains on the Pontiac/Detroit-Chicago corridor -- or Wolverine line -- for an increase of 22.7 percent from a year ago. Ticket revenue increased 26 percent to $4,949,889, according to MDOT. Ridership and revenue also increased on the Blue Water train that goes between Port Huron and East Lansing and the Pere Marquette line between Grand Rapids and Chicago.
Janet Foran, a spokesperson for MDOT, which helps fund the Pere Marquette and Blue Water lines, says "certainly there is a lot more effort in southeast Michigan to get new projects off to a start, one being the Woodward light rail line…Clearly there is much more defined interest train travel."
Palombo and Foran say, as always, funding will have to follow the interest.
Source: Carmine Palombo, director of transportation for SEMCOG and Janet Foran, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Transportation
Writer: Kim North Shine
An experiment with a new kind of parking meter is in progress in downtown Royal Oak, where 30 solar-powered meters are up and running.
The meters not only come with technological bells and whistles that provide the city with up-to-the minute information about broken meters, how they are being used, etc, but also give visitors to downtown another way to pay.
In addition to accepting coins, the meters take credit cards, ideally making downtown parking more inviting and convenient.
Greg Rassel, Royal Oak's director of recreation and public service, says the meters are "getting positive response so far."
The meters are located on Washington Street between Sixth and Seventh streets and at the parking lot on Center Street between Fifth and Sixth. They were installed in mid-December, and in late February or early March the data generated will be evaluated by city officials who will determine if the meters stay, go, or grow to more places in the city.
Ann Arbor started installing solar parking meters about a year and half ago. More than half it's downtown has been converted to the new system.
Even in the thick of winter, the solar powered machines are working, pulling energy from batteries that store several days' worth of power.
"So far we have about 10 percent of people using cards," says Rassel. "During the evening hours that number goes up to 15 percent."
Source: Greg Rassel, director of recreation and public service, City of Royal Oak
Writer: Kim North Shine
Window replacements, new weather stripping, new heating systems, and heating and cooling system management are all energy efficient improvements that Oakland County plans to make in its buildings.
And with those improvements, savings are estimated at $627,000 a year on utility bills for those buildings, according to a recent audit.
Art Holdsworth, director of facilities management for the county, says that although the audit turned up significant potential savings and improvements, it also determined that the county was already doing a lot of things right. "The audit was very complementary to the campus and what we've been doing here. We've gone a long way toward green activities and energy conservation."
The $200,000 audit, done a few months ago, was paid for by a $4.8 million Energy Efficiency and Conversation Block Grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. More than $3.5 million worth of energy retrofit projects were identified, of which at least $2.5 million will be covered by the grant.
Some examples of pending projects include tightening building envelopes through new weather stripping, new windows, and additional insulation; replacing inefficient heating and cooling systems; replacing light bulbs; and improving energy monitoring systems, such as controlling on and off times for heating and cooling.
Holdsworth says the Dept. of Energy likes to have EECBG recipients using half their funds by the end of June, so over the next few months, the county will issue requests for proposal for the projects.
"Clearly the energy savings is very important because the county and local governments are seeing their revenues plummet, property devaluation, and so on," he says. "At the same time, if we can be environmentally friendly on top of the energy savings, and pursue them both hand in hand, then that's a real win-win."
With other energy management technology, Oakland County has already saved about $4 million in utility bills over the last few years. These energy savings are part of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson's OakGreen Program and Challenge announced in May to encourage local governments, businesses and residents to reduce their energy consumption 10 percent by the end of 2012. For more information on the OakGreen Program and Challenge, click here.
Source: Art Holdsworth, Director of Facilities Management, Oakland County
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
When it comes to public transportation on Woodward north of Eight Mile, the communities are coming together to make sure everyone is on board.
The Woodward Avenue Action Association has formed a task force of officials from Berkley, Birmingham, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, and Royal Oak, to work together on transit vision. At this point, their goal is to get the communities around the table to discuss what they and the others would like to see, says Heather Carmona, WA3's executive director.
The task force, she explains, is the WA3's response to the community members who were concerned about the lack of consensus about what transit should be north of Eight Mile Road. With the latest news about the Woodward Light Rail receiving funding, there had never really been much discussion about what was needed or wanted north of Detroit, in Oakland County, specifically in the communities along Woodward.
"Our goal was, how can we bring these elected officials to the table?" Carmona poses. "What shape should transit take on Woodward in south Oakland County?"
Melanie Piana, a Ferndale city councilmember and the associate director of Michigan Suburbs Alliance, which is also represented on the task force, says that among her goals after she joined the council in January was building relationships with the other Woodward communities. "I think it's a good thing any time our cities can collaborate on achieving something together," she says. "Since we all share the same corridor, it makes sense for us to strengthen our relationships and share ideas for goals and visions, and how we would like to see our communities grow."
The members are looking at what the communities share along Woodward, what the cities are planning, and how to better connect them. They're trying to stay away from discussing type of transportation and where the stops would be, taking more of a macro view.
They do agree, though, that whatever transit option is put in place won't just end at Eight Mile. "I think it is a natural progression of the hard work our Detroit counterparts have been doing over the last couple of years, and now we can do our hard work to make sure we can connect together," Piana says.
The task force hopes to have a resolution for all the communities to support before the holidays, and then work on a list of goals and objectives.
Sources: Heather Carmona, executive director of the Woodward Avenue Action Association; Melanie Piana, Ferndale city council member
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Seven years ago, Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson saw a headline proclaiming that 200,000 jobs had left Michigan. He turned his director of economic development onto a research project: look into what new sectors of business were being developed.
By the next year, they had a program - Emerging Sectors, dedicated to growing new economy jobs.
Now, six years after that program took effect, the county is reaping awards in addition to the jobs now in place -- Emerging Sectors was among the reasons the county's AAA bond rating was reaffirmed on the $3 million Bloomfield Township Combined Sewer Overflow Drainage District bonds and $1.2 million Highland Township Well Water Supply System bonds.
What this means for the taxpayer is millions of dollars in savings. With a higher rating, there's less interest on the bonds, and taxpayers end up paying less. "It's a reflection of the confidence by Wall Street of how Oakland County is managing in these tough times," Patterson says.
And, "It gives me as an elected official bragging rights," he jokes.
Through Emerging Sectors, the county focused on growing the health care sector and worked to diversify the county's job base. "When we're done, we won't be recession proof, but we will be recession resistant because we have diversified our economy among many sectors," he says. "Wall Street saw that."
"It's proof that we can and we will manage our way through these very tough times," he says.
The sale of bonds was approved earlier this year for inspection and rehabilitation of the Bloomfield Township system; the Highland Township system will see 6,500 feet of new water main to connect two well water systems.
Source: L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County executive
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Cyclists want to ride from downtown to downtown, and crossing Woodward can be, well, a real bear.
That's some of the feedback that arose from an open house for a non-motorized transit plan for Royal Oak, which drew close to 100 people last month. Royal Oak resident and avid cyclist Todd Scott says the meeting included breaking into groups and sharing where cyclists wanted to ride -- the nearby downtowns being a popular destination. They also discussed barriers, including Woodward Avenue, both in riding its length and trying to cross it, and I-696 south of Royal Oak.
"The planners took that information home to be able to work on a non-motorized plan," he says. "They'll present the initial draft and have more public input about that."
Scott was pleased to see people from many circles and types of cycling in attendance. "I think it was very optimistic," he says. "It seems like we really drew from all the groups."
The Active Transportation Alliance is working with the city of Royal Oak to develop the non-motorized plan; contact Marissa Dolin at marissa@activetrans.org or (312) 427-3325, ext. 292 for more information.
Source: Todd Scott, Royal Oak resident and cyclist
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
The Woodward Avenue Action Association has $40,000 to give away in mini-grants for benches, signage, crosswalks, or other projects that will improve the region's M-1 corridor.
The 2010 Woodward Avenue Action Association Streetscape Grant Program funds, provided through the Federal Highway National Scenic Byway program, will be awarded in amounts of $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the project. Different this year is that funding can be used for implementation of the plans, a request WA3 had heard from applicants previously, says WA3 outreach and promotions coordinator Nicole Brown.
The projects could include everything from a welcome sign to a particular neighborhood, or adding benches and trash cans to a downtown. "It's the small things that really enhance a community's image and make it more livable," Brown says.
The deadline is Nov. 15, and groups who plan on applying do have to meet with the association. Eligible applicants include the cities, townships, and counties along Woodward Avenue, nonprofit venues, district organizations, and chambers of commerce.
"We are excited to see what these groups are eager to have funded," Brown says. "And, we're really excited to see the final impact this project will have on the community, particularly because it takes it from being just a design element to actual implementation, so members of the community can see their dollars at work."
Applications are available here or by calling (248) 288-2004.
Source: Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator, Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
OK, let's get the obvious pun out of the way -- a new bar in downtown Royal Oak promises to be the "coolest" place in town.
But seriously -- Luigi Cutraro, owner of the new Fire and Ice bar, inside the Sky Club above Sangria restaurant, says he wanted to do something "trendy and cool" by opening a bar completely made of ice. It's the first one in Michigan, and only one of a handful in the country.
Fire and Ice officially opened last Friday, after a soft opening over Labor Day weekend during Royal Oaks' Arts, Beats and Eats festival. "The first thing that comes out of their mouths is 'Wow,' " Cutraro says of visitors to the bar.
Cutraro started thinking about an ice bar, popular in Europe and colder climes, after seeing one at the winter Olympics in Vancouver this year. It's not a money-making venture, and in fact it was a nightmare setting up the refrigeration system, he says, as the bar is pretty much a 600-square-foot freezer, kept at 16-22 degrees. "It was worth it, but it was a lot of work," he says. "We plan on keeping it. We've found this thing is perfect for private parties."
He says he's found many bars are offering the same old thing, and he wanted to do something different. "That's what we're missing in our area," he says. "We all do the same thing, especially the night life. You don't have to be in Chicago, New York or Los Angeles."
The bar, designed by Fenton-based Icon Ice, can accommodate up to 25 guests, who can wear provided parkas and gloves if they choose. Cutraro says the furniture, and even the glassware, is made out of ice as well.
"There are not many places where you can drink your drink, and then eat it," he jokes.
Source: Luigi Cutraro, owner of Fire and Ice
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Royal Oak residents want to hear from you about how you think it could be easier to bike around the city.
An open house is planned for 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Royal Oak Farmer's Market, 316 E. 11 Mile Road. Bicycle boulevards, road diets, and bike lanes are all up for discussion. Specifically, the planners want to know where people bike and walk, where they wish they could bike and walk, and what can be done to improve the transit experience in the city.
Todd Scott, a Royal Oak resident and bike activist who says he's been pushing for a non-motorized plan for some time, says he hopes the end product of the meeting is to have a plan that guides the city on what residents want as far as making roads bike-friendly and walkable.
"How do we encourage people to bike more?" he says. "We don't want to build bike lanes and not have them filled with cyclists. This will be a plan to get that done."
Scott says he often hears from people who know about cycling paths in Metro Parks, for example, but don't want to load up the car just to go for a bike ride. "They want to see more in the urban areas," he says. "It's pretty exciting. There's lot of opportunity and potential in Royal Oak."
The Active Transportation Alliance is working with the city of Royal Oak to help develop the non-motorized plan; contact Marissa Dolin at marissa@activetrans.org or (312) 427-3325, ext. 292 for more information.
Source: Todd Scott, Royal Oak resident and cyclist
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
The landmark Detroit Zoo water tower got a facelift just in time for fall.
The colorful tower, at Woodward Avenue and 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak, had the existing graphic steamed off. The tower was then power washed and scraped, and then given a new design. The design hews to the original theme of animals and humans walking across a plain at dusk, but this time the elephant was replaced with a rhino. (Detroit's elephants have since retired to a sanctuary.) The $200,000 makeover was finished Aug. 24.
"The water tower -- one of the most visible landmarks in the region -- was in desperate need of work, both structurally and aesthetically, for some time," Patricia Mills Janeway, the zoo's communication director, writes in an e-mail. It had been 12 years since the tower was last wrapped.
The work took a little longer than expected due to inclement weather, but the end result was worth it: "We are very happy with the way it turned out," she adds. "Many of our visitors, members, donors and neighbors have told us that they are happy we kept the 'critter parade' design."
The tower no longer stores water; its only purpose is a giant billboard. Janeway estimates the advertising value of the tower at more than $100,000.
Source: Patricia Mills Janeway, communications director for the Detroit Zoo
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Exterior improvements are wrapping up at Oakland Community College's Royal Oak campus.
The four exterior entrance ways couldn't all be done at the same time, since the building was continuously used for classes; hence the project's November-to-present timeline. Work on the fourth entrance at the corner of Lincoln and Washington is almost done and should be completely wrapped up by this November, says OCC spokesman George Cartsonis.
The $1.5 million project also includes outdoor lighting and landscaping, and was funded through the college's property tax millage, earmarked for building restorations, technology upgrades, scholarships and development of new academic programs. "It has dressed up the entrances, and makes the campus even more welcoming than it was before," Cartsonis says.
Source: George Cartsonis, spokesman for Oakland Community College
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Shovels went into the ground Tuesday for Royal Oak's new movie theater, shortly after Emagine Entertainment closed on the land.
"Everything's on track and we're ready to go," says Paul Glantz, Emagine's founder and chairman. "This baby's been gestating for a long time. It's time for it to be born."
The $14 million entertainment center will offer more than a first-run theater: Food, liquor, and bowling are also in the plans. It's expected to create 100 full-time jobs in the kitchen, at the ticket counter, and in the food-service area.
The 10-screen complex, 73,000 square feet spread over two stories, will be located on the parking lot on 11 Mile Road just east of Main Street, behind the Main Art Theatre. The project will house 1,680 seats and 16 bowling lanes. There will also be a private party area/meeting room on a second-floor mezzanine level over the main entrance.
The Michigan Economic Development Corp. is offering up a $1.25 million brownfield tax credit towards the project.
Plans are for the theater to be up and running by April, to get all the kinks worked out before next summer's blockbuster season starts. "We're hoping to build it very promptly so it can open next spring," he says. "I'm ecstatic we're moving forward."
Source: Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Pushed back from a spring opening, Lockhart's BBQ in downtown Royal Oak is due to open its doors early next week.
The owners of the
Royal Oak Brewery and
Detroit Beer Company have been working on opening a barbecue restaurant in downtown Royal Oak.
Lockhart's BBQ will specialize in traditional southern barbecue that is smoked and made to order on site. Partner Drew Ciora is a native of Texas.
The restaurant is on the ground floor of the old Consumers Gas building at 202 E Third St., kitty corner from the Royal Oak Brewery. The 1920s-era building was recently renovated. The eatery will occupy 5,000 square feet on the ground floor, which equates to enough room to seat 147 people, including the outside patio. An estimated $700,000 was spent on the project.
Source: Lockhart's BBQWriter: Kristin Lukowski
The founder of what will be Royal Oak's new movie theater hopes to break ground by the end of this month or early next on the entertainment complex.
Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Plymouth-based
Emagine Entertainment, says the process has been challenging, yet exciting to bring a first-run theater complex offering food, alcohol, and bowling to the city. Yet, "I think this venue is going to be very successful," he says. "And I think it's going to be successful not just for our benefit, but for downtown Royal Oak."
He expects that not only will the theater bring in new visitors to the downtown area, but they'll stay and visit the existing restaurants, coffee shops, and stores. It's expected to create 100 full-time jobs in the kitchen, at the ticket counter, and in the food-service area.
"It's going to be a pretty substantial economic engine," he says.
At this time Glantz is reviewing contractor bids before breaking ground this summer. Helping to fund the project is a $1.25 million Brownfield Tax Credit from the
Michigan Economic Development Corp, which helped garner support from Royal Oak's Downtown Development Authority, and what Glantz calls a "substantial economic boost."
"We are really in the home stretch in terms of starting construction," he says. "It's very exciting. You pour a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into bringing one of these projects to fruition."
He still hopes to have the theater up and running by April, to get all the kinks worked out before next summer's blockbuster season starts.
The 10-screen complex, 73,000 square feet spread over two stories, will be located on the parking lot on 11 Mile Road just east of Main Street, behind the Main Art Theatre. The $14 million project will house 1,680 seats and 16 lanes of bowling. There will also be a private party area/meeting room on a second-floor mezzanine level over the main entrance.
Source: Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine EntertainmentWriter: Kristin Lukowski
The animals will continue marching around the Detroit Zoo water
tower, but with a new graphic and a new coat of paint on the tower.
The colorful tower at Woodward Avenue and 10 Mile Road in Royal
Oak will have the existing graphic steamed off and then be power
washed, scraped, and hand-painted, says Patricia Mills Janeway, communications director for the Detroit Zoo. The graphic is starting to look a
little ragged, with the decal coming off in places. "(Passers-by) will
definitely notice that it's more spruced up," she adds.
The hand-painting will reduce any overspray that can float down on cars and
other things below, she explains. A new graphic, 40 feet by 270 feet
and made of adhesive vinyl, will then be applied to the tower. The "critter parade" logo of animals and humans walking
across a plain at dusk is nearly the same as the original, except the elephant will be replaced with a
rhino. (Detroit's elephants have since retired to an elephant
sanctuary.)
"People are used to seeing that critter parade," she says. "They recognize it and love it, and we love it."
The
$200,000 makeover is expected to be complete by mid-July, weather
permitting.
And here's some Detroit Zoo water tower trivia: It
was built in 1928, but only supplied water until 1984. Now its sole
purpose is to be a giant, round zoological billboard.
Source:
Patricia Mills Janeway, communications director for the Detroit Zoo
Writer:
Kristin Lukowski
The exterior is "all but finalized" on Royal Oak's Flute House, says architect Keith Phillips, and the interior is now beginning to take shape.
Phillips, co-founder of Brighton-based The Think Shop Architects and the designer of the building, said work continues at the downtown high-end flute store. "Currently we are installing the digitally fabricated black Polyurea exterior cladding where the exterior vapor barrier is showing on the entry cube as well as the residence above," he says in an e-mail. "We are continuing to fit out the interior of the structure, with every day getting us a bit closer to our goal, yet we are still a ways off."
The two-story red-and-off-white building on South Main Street next to B&B Collision will serve as a high-end flute store and the residence of Ervin Monroe, the retired principal flutist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The retail portion will be on the ground floor, while Monroe's home will be on the second.
The building started out as home to Alegra Print & Imaging in the mid-20th century, and has since played host to a body shop and brick emporium. It will house a 5,000-square-foot retail shop on the ground floor. The residential space above measures out to 2,100 square feet.
Source: Keith Phillips, co-founder of The Think Shop Architects
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
You don't have to travel down Woodward Avenue to experience Michigan's Main Street anymore, now that the Woodward Avenue Action Association has released WAVE.
The Woodward Avenue Virtual Experience offers a 3D virtual tour of the M-1, accessible from a web browser. The virtual experience (think Google Earth) offers not only a similar tour to what one might experience walking up Woodward, but also offers information on destinations, available properties, businesses, and development opportunities.
"We wanted to think of something that was really different but everybody could use, too," says Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association, a non-profit advocacy organization for the communities along Woodward. "This isn't just for tourists. This is also for people who want to start a business here."
Users should expect to be able to find out what properties are for sale or lease along Woodward, their zoning or land-use regulations and economic development, and historic preservation tax incentives. There will also be a bevy of information about events, attractions, dining, sporting events, entertainment, and tours on Woodward.
"This is one of the things that will keep growing as we develop the funding for it," Brown says.
WAVE is designed and maintained by Luna Tech Designs, which used Google Earth technology to create it. The Sterling Heights-based firm has made similar virtual experiences for other local communities, including downtown Plymouth and Detroit. A $15,000 Michigan Centers for Regional Excellence grant paid for WAVE.
Source: Nicole Woodward, outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
Western Michigan University is extending its presence into Metro Detroit by opening an office in Royal Oak. The university is also looking at partnering to open a campus in Royal Oak and possibly an office in downtown Detroit.
WMU choose Royal Oak because many of its competitor institutions of higher learning have offices in the likes of Troy, Auburn Hills, and Livonia. That left a big void in the heart of Oakland County that needed filling.
"A lot of the signs pointed toward Royal Oak," says Keith Hearit, vice provost for enrollment management at Western Michigan University. "It's also an area that is hip and young-people oriented."
WMU will occupy a suite of offices located at 32820 Woodward Ave., just south of 14 Mile Road. It will become the university's base of operations for student recruitment and alumni outreach. It will also offer coursework beginning this fall.
Hearit and other Western Michigan officials see the potential of partnering with the likes of Oakland Community College to open a joint campus in the city's center.
Source: Keith Hearit, vice provost for enrollment management at Western Michigan University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Preserving and improving existing building stock will be a central theme to this year's Oak Street Fair in Hazel Park. The event will focus on helping Oakland County's urban stakeholders revitalize their neighborhoods through sustainable rehabilitation and playing to the area's strengths, such as its local character.
The free event will be held in Scout Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Ron Campbell, a principal planner/preservation architect for Oakland County Planning & Economic Development, is helping organize the event and Oakland County's Oak Street program. He agreed to answer a few questions over email about the event and preservation of the region's housing stock.
In a sentence or two, could you sum up what people attending the Oak Street Fair could come away with in regards to improving their home and their neighborhood?
Oak Street and the Oak Street House is a generic term that we are applying to any house built before 1960. We want these home owners to realize that their homes are unique. The issue of keeping and maintaining a house built in 1890 is going to be different than it will be for a house built in 1930, which will be different than for a house built in 1950. Homeowners should come away understanding that maintenance and repair can be very cost effective and there are resources available from experts who understand and have worked with older homes, which is far different than new construction. We want to build a resource bank of knowledgeable and skilled people to share with homeowners.
Metro Detroit's urban housing stock is aging and in many cases crossing the century mark, but many of its building and housing policies, practices, and even conventional wisdom are geared toward new housing. Could you name one policy or idea that either already is or could help bring more of a focus on making the most of the building stock that we have?
A good example that comes to mind is Oakland County's Oak Street program. The primary purpose of Oak Street is to make homeowners and local officials more aware of the economic and social value embodied in established neighborhoods. Also, there are many existing programs/movements focusing on the existing housing stock. The Community Development Block Grant Funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has also provided focus to the importance of existing neighborhoods and homes. But by far the best-known one is the green movement or sustainable design. If it makes sense to recycle soda cans and bottles, how much more sense does it make to recycle our buildings. The greenest house in America today is one that you don't have to build –because it already exists. Building green is more than using Energy Star appliances and bamboo flooring. It is far more environmentally friendly to repair than replace. Fairgoers will find exhibitors to show how you can be green, save money, and have curbside appeal for your home.
Historic preservation is a term that everyone in Metro Detroit seems to easily identify with but is not the best at when it comes to practicing its ideas. The state also recently passed enhanced historical preservation incentives. How much of an impact could these incentives have on making local stakeholders more preservation inclined?
There are various incentives for historic homes, including tax credits, which are effective for those stakeholders, but those incentives apply only to a very small percentage of the existing housing stock. While historic preservation is a component and tool within the Oak Street program, Oak Street is more of a smart rehab program than a historic preservation program. We would certainly advise homeowners to the principals of historic preservation when they repair and remodel their homes; but it would be more with an eye to the economic and environmental sense it makes. The more we can help people realize the extent of the investment our neighborhoods represent and the benefit that we all receive when that investment and unique character that distinguishes their house or neighborhood from others is protected, then the more new and innovative programs will be available to help this larger population.
Name an idea, policy, or mindset from elsewhere that you would like to see this region adopt?
We don't have to go too far to find examples of strong and vibrant neighborhoods. They are sprinkled throughout this region. What helps neighborhoods stand out comes from the housing stock being maintained and the intrinsic character of the houses and neighborhood being preserved. Recognizing what the important features and character are is difficult to put a finger on, but it includes everything from architectural style to walkability. Oak Street is envisioned to help homeowners and neighborhoods discover theirs and provide the means to protect it.
Source: Ron Campbell, principal planner/preservation architect for Oakland County Planning & Economic Development
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland and Macomb counties are pushing toward a more sustainable government with a recent spate of announcements for environmentally friendly programs. Those programs include a website dedicated to information activities on sustainability, cutting energy costs through efficiency improvements, and challenging local residents and businesses to cut energy use by 10 percent within the next two years.
That last one is called the OakGreen Challenge and was issued by Oakland County Executive L Brooks Patterson just before the county's second annual Green Summit in mid-May.
The program is similar to Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje's Green Energy Challenge. That initiative, announced in 2005, calls for Ann Arbor to use 20 percent green energy by 2010 for municipal operations and by 2015 for the whole city. The city is now on a path to reach 30 percent green energy usage by the end of the year.
Not to be left out of the energy efficiency fun is Macomb County, which recently announced that it has saved taxpayers $44,400 in energy costs through implementing energy efficient improvements. Those savings took place in the first two months of contracting electrical power from First Energy for nine buildings that draw power from its main powerhouse, plus the Administration Building. The savings are projected to hit $600,000 over the next two years.
Macomb County also recently launched Green Macomb, a website dedicated to green initiatives and information. Think of the efforts being undertaken to create everything from energy efficiencies to clean water initiatives.
Source: Oakland and Macomb counties
Writer: Jon Zemke
The ribbon is cut and the workers are moved in at Saab Cars North America's new headquarters in Royal Oak.
The Swedish automaker took over the former home of Ronnisch Construction Group on the north side of the inner-ring suburb. The construction firm had taken an old industrial building by the railroad tracks between 14 Mile and Normandy Roads and turned it into edgy office space.
The 13,300-square-foot building now has all of the modern, contemporary amenities that people normally find in downtown Royal Oak or Metro Detroit's other vibrant city centers. Saab has invested another $2.4 million to move 60 jobs from its marketing, sales, and product evaluation arms into that office.
The Michigan Economic Development Corp approved a $1.2 million tax break over five years to make the deal happen.
Source: Saab Cars North America
Writer: Jon Zemke
Emagine Entertainment is lining all of its financial ducks in neat rows as it gets funding to build a new movie theater in downtown Royal Oak.
Right now the Plymouth-based firm is planning to begin construction this summer. It's also making design tweaks for LEED certification and incorporating big green features like solar panels.
"We're going to build a very green entertainment complex," says Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment. "I think it will be well received in the marketplace. Folks will value that in Royal Oak."
Emagine is also putting the final touches on an application for brownfield tax credits from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Glantz plans to pair that with a Small Business Administration loan and some traditional financing to make the deal work.
Glantz expects the tax credits, which the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority supports, to be approved within the next few weeks. He hopes to have the construction cash in hand shortly afterward so he can break ground in June or July. That's key so he can kick construction into full gear before the extra costs of winter construction come into play.
"We're trying to get the building closed before the weather hits," Glantz says.
Emagine Entertainment plans to build a 10-screen movie theater complete with food, alcohol, and bowling options. The new complex will go on the parking lot on 11 Mile Road just east of Main Street behind the Main Art Theatre.
The plans call for a two-story, 73,000-square-foot brick and limestone clad building that will resemble its theaters in Novi and Canton. It will show first-run movies and is not expected to provide direct competition with an indie-and-foreign movie house like the Main Art Theatre.
The new cinema's entrance will face the back of the Main Art Theatre, while the section facing 11 Mile will have windows similar to a traditional storefront but will otherwise be an inactive space. Traffic will be routed off of 11 Mile around the theater and then out onto Troy Street.
The $14 million project will house 1,680 seats and 16 lanes of bowling. There will also be a private party area/meeting room on a second-floor mezzanine level over the main entrance. The theater is expected to create 40 new full-time jobs and another 60 part-time positions.
Source: Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment
Writer: Jon Zemke
It's not easy being green, even more so in a hospital. But Beaumont Hospitals has found a way to do just that in its new Women's Urology Center in Royal Oak.
The $1.6 million project capitalized on as many sustainability
opportunities as possible in the 4,200-square-foot building. That's not necessarily as simple as regular construction because of all of the regulations and nuances that must be followed in medical buildings.
Among the green features are cork flooring (which also helps with sound absorption), cabinetry made from recycled products, low VOC paints, and recycling options throughout the building. Even urinary sample containers will be sterilized and recycled so they don't end up in a landfill.
"It doesn't sound like a lot, but it's a lot as far as hospitals go because we use a lot of resources," says Donna Carrico, a nurse practitioner and clinical director of the Women's Urology Center.
This is the first center in the Midwest dedicated and designed exclusively for women's urological care and sexual health. It evaluates and treat maladies associated with urinary frequency or urgency, urinary incontinence, interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome, unexplained pelvic pain, vulvar pain, sexual problems or pain associated with sex, and post-cancer treatment for vaginal discomfort or dryness.
A $5 million gift from Susan E. Cooper of Birmingham, a long-time member of the Boards of Directors of Beaumont Hospitals and the Beaumont Foundation, made construction of this center possible.
Source: Donna Carrico, a nurse practitioner and clinical director of the Women's Urology Center
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Rock on Third is about to become literally that, thanks to an expansion project set to begin next week.
The downtown Royal Oak bar and restaurant plans to add 30 outdoor seats in front of its building on 112 E Third St. and on a new patio on the side of it. That will add to the eatery's interior capacity of 137 people.
"The concept is for the owner to be more competitive in the summer time," says Jason Krieger, owner of downtown Royal Oak-based Krieger Associates Architects, which designed the addition. "There isn't much room on the sidewalk in front of the building."
The restaurant plans to rent two automobile and one motorcycle parking space on the side of the building from the city. It will put its seasonal patio there, along with a row of tables in front of the building on the sidewalk.
Renting parking spaces to expand restaurant serving areas in the summer time isn't new. Downtown Birmingham has already allowed a couple of its restaurants to rent parking spaces, expanding their outdoor seating.
The Rock on Third expects to open its new outdoor seating, a $25,000 investment, by mid-April.
Source: Jason Krieger, owner of Krieger Associates Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
What was once the shell of a commercial building in downtown Royal Oak is now the city center's newest renovation and home to a posh local retailer – Pink Pumps.
Roger and Sergio Basmajian basically clawed out the entire inside of 309 S. Main St. last year, leaving only two walls and a roof. The brothers then replaced the entire interior, creating 2,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and 2,500 square feet of office space on the second floor. It was the only option, Sergio Basmajian says, for a 70-year-old unmaintained building in a downtown that has received lots of TLC.
"We feel downtown Royal Oak is a vibrant, prosperous community," Sergio Basmajian says.
Pink Pump, a women's shoe store, occupies the ground floor. The Basmajian brothers are still looking for a tenant for the office space.
"I'm still getting calls from ad agencies and IT start-ups," Roger Basmajian says.
Source: Sergio and Roger Basmajian
Writer: Jon Zemke
Roger and Sergio Basmajian believe in urban development, and it's why they're focusing the efforts of their company, Basco of Michigan, on it.
"We're looking in the urban neighborhoods and walkable communities and seeing what's possible," Roger Basmajian says. "That's where we see the future, especially with young people."
The latest project for the company is the redevelopment of a two-story building in downtown Ferndale. The brothers are renovating the interior for retail and breathing some more life into the façade of 320 W 9 Mile Road. That work will include repairing the brick and redoing the metal awning.
"It's very art deco-ish," Roger Basmajian says.
They plan to get started on the 7,800-square-foot building by the end of this month. Work should be done within two months. They hope to have a restaurant in the ground floor space by the end of the year.
Basco of Michigan has redeveloped a handful of properties in the Ferndale and Royal Oak area. It's a partnership between the Basmajian brothers and their father George Basmajian, who is a silent partner.
Source: Roger Basmajian, co-owner of Basco of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
The home of Streetcar USA is about to become a space for a new restaurant in downtown Royal Oak.
The specialty auto-technology firm is moving to new office space in Southfield so the owner, Michael Chetcuti, who is also principal of Streetcar USA, can open the space up to a full-service bistro within the next 6-8 months.
"The dramatic proportions of the space lends itself to a restaurant or entertainment venue," Chetcuti says. "We have rented it out so many times to bridal showers and parties over the last three years."
That's how long ago Chetcuti saved what was often considered an obsolete building. He put his automotive firm on the main floor and his wine shop in the basement. Before that it had been a vacant structure on Main Street just south of the railroad tracks.
The 4,000-square-foot St. Clair Edison building, 711 S. Main St, is 104 years old, making it one of Royal Oak's oldest. It originally served as a power generating plant for streetcars, and later as a warehouse.
Source: Michael Chetcuti, principal of Streetcar USA
Writer: Jon Zemke
For those who think of sprawlville development in Sticks Township when Oakland County comes is mentioned, keep the county's main street program in mind.
Main Street Oakland County recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with some impressive numbers in its 11 downtowns.
- $540 million of investment
- More than 4,000 jobs created
- 407 new business established
- Over 2.7 million square feet of floor space (primarily retail) constructed
- $6 million-plus in cash sponsorships for events and programs
- More than 129,000 volunteer hours
And those downtowns don't include two of the county's most vibrant – Birmingham and Royal Oak. Main Street Oakland County includes downtowns in Farmington, Ferndale, Franklin, Highland, Holly, Lake Orion, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester and Walled Lake.
It's all part of Oakland County Executive L Brooks Patterson's vision of diversifying the economy so it can become more resistant to economic downturns.
"In his (Patterson's) mind he calls it balance," says Bob Donohue, program director for Main Street Oakland County. "In my mind it's called the right focus."
He adds that developing and redeveloping property and businesses in the county's urban centers is a "key part" of its overall economic policy. Accomplishing this includes creating a sustainable environment that emphasizes making the most of a downtown's assets through practices like historic preservation.
For instance, Main Street Oakland County communities generated $19 million in new investment and attracted 19 businesses that created more than 300 jobs last year. Although the construction of 11 new buildings played a part, the renovation of 237 others proved to be the main driver of that economic opportunity.
Source: Bob Donohue, program director for Main Street Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Last fall, i3 Detroit opened its doors in downtown Royal Oak with an eye on creating a communal space for makers, inventors and entrepreneurs. Today the demand has grown so much the small business incubator is looking for a bigger and better home.
"Things are going really well," says Nick Britsky, director at large for i3 Detroit. "We have outgrown our space and are looking for a bigger space."
The Russell Industrial Center-style cooperative opened in a 1,500-square-foot room at 322 E Fourth St. The room is large enough for heavy tools, electronics and a studio/lounge. It's all open, communal space.
Organizers are now working to move by the end of the month. Possibilities include Ferndale, Troy, and Warren. The Ferndale space measures out to be about 8,000 square feet, which is five times bigger than the current site.
That should be more than enough room for i3 Detroit's 20 paid members. It also hosts a number of classes such as crafting, electronics, woodworking and metalworking.
i3 is an national non-profit that got its start in New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. It encompasses a wide range of interests and professions, such as machinists, programmers, artists and electrical engineers. It also hosts public classes and workshops on woodworking, Linux, amateur radio, telecom architecture, computer programming and automobile repair.
Source: Nick Britsky, director at large for i3 Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke
Work is wrapping up on the new LA Fitness facility in downtown Royal Oak.
The developer, Schostak Brothers, expects to finish the building within the next week or two. Stephen Duczynski, vice president of the Development Division for Schostak Brothers, says the job is about 95 percent complete. "There is still some site work that needs to be done."
The new 2-story building at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Washington Street measures out at 45,000 square feet. It is built on stilts so vehicles can park on the ground floor. The gym will be housed on the second floor.
The Woodward lot is the consolation prize for the Livonia-based company. It first proposed putting the facility in the Gateway Plaza parcel at the corner of Main Street and I-696. Think a suburban-style, single-story building surrounded by surface parking. The type of development that made the progressive urbanists of downtown Royal Oak cringe.
City officials convinced Schostak to trade the Gateway Plaza for the Woodward parcel. The idea is to save the Gateway Plaza parcel for a dense, urban, multi-use development on the former car dealership space.
Source: Stephen Duczynski, vice president of Schostak Brothers
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Flute House has assumed a striking shape in downtown Royal Oak now that work on its exterior is wrapping up.
The red-and-off-white building on South Main Street next to B&B Collision is cruising toward a June finish as work moves indoors.
"We're basically fabricating the interior right now," says Keith Phillips, co-founder of Brighton-based The Think Shop Architects and the designer of the building.
The Flute House at 913 S Main St. will serve as a high-end flute store and the residence of Ervin Monroe, the retired principal flutist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The retail portion will be on the ground floor of the two-story building, while Monroe's home will be on the second.
The building started out as home to Alegra Print & Imaging in the mid-20th Century, and has since played host to a body shop and brick emporium. The original building will house a 5,000-square-foot retail shop on the ground floor. The residential space above measures out to 2,100 square feet.
Source: Keith Phillips, co-founder of The Think Shop Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Woodward Avenue Action Association normally engages in maintaining the reputation and brand of Woodward Avenue. However, now it is taking a more active part in the physical appearance of Michigan's Main Street.
The non-profit has created the Woodward Maintenance Fund. The fund will help local municipalities deal with the extra costs of major events and other infrastructure improvements to make it prettier for people who use the corridor all the time.
"It will make Woodward as beautiful as possible and as appealing to everyone as possible," says Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association.
Some of the projects the fund will support include tree planting, fixing public lighting, and installing public art. It will also supply extra maintenance service during special events.
The initial funding ($10,000) for the project came from monies raised during the 2009 Community Foundation Arts & Culture Challenge. The Woodward Avenue Action Association expects to raise even more money from local foundations and philanthropists.
Source: Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County Parks and Recreation has its hands on 186 acres of new parkland near Clarkston, but it has its eyes on more opportunities in both the northern and southern sections of the county.
The county department recently bought 186 acres for $2.8 million, with $945,000 of that coming from the state. The land is adjacent to Independence Oaks County Park. The expansion will bring the park to 1,274 acres, making it the largest park in a county that already has 13 parks with 6,686 acres under its control.
The land includes 31-acre Upper Bushman Lake and a number of trails and camping areas. The idea is that expanding this portion will bring nature to more children in Metro Detroit. The space should be ready for use by late this year or early 2011.
"Our goal is to get more young people outdoors," says Dan Stencil, executive officer for Oakland County Parks and Recreation.
The department is also looking at opportunities to expand its park offerings in both the northern section of the county (where most of the parkland is located) and in the denser, urban areas to the south. One of the projects it is eyeing is the proposed rail trail from downtown Royal Oak to Birmingham.
Source: Dan Stencil, executive officer for Oakland County Parks and Recreation
Writer: Jon Zemke
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
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
The nightlife in downtown Royal Oak is about to get a little more flavorful now that a new restaurant is getting ready to open.
Drew Ciora, owner of the Royal Oak Brewery and Detroit Beer Company, plans to open a barbeque restaurant in downtown Royal Oak. Lockhart's BBQ will specialize in traditional southern barbeque that is smoked and made to order on site.
"It's something I have always had a passion for and this is something I have always wanted to open," says Ciora, a Texas native who moved to Metro Detroit in 1995.
The restaurant will go in the ground floor of the old Consumers Gas building at 202 E Third St., kitty corner from the Royal Oak Brewery. The 1920s-era building was recently renovated by Wold Architects and Engineers, which occupies the second floor.
Lockhart's BBQ will occupy 5,000 square feet on the ground floor, which equates to enough room to seat 147 people if you include the planned outside patio. The $700,000 project is expected to start this week and wrap up before Memorial Day. Stephen Auger + Associates Architects is designing the interior of the restaurant.
Source: Drew Ciora, owner of Lockhart's BBQ and Chris Aller, principal of Stephen Auger + Associates
Writer: Jon Zemke
Another road between Royal Oak and Birmingham is about to surface, but the problem is that this one is less traveled.
Jim Rasor and his fellow city commissioners in Royal Oak are trying to change that. The legislative body is now formally pushing to turn a lightly used road for railroad maintenance vehicles adjacent to the tracks into a rail trail for everyone.
"This is a rail with trail, not a rail to trail," Rasor says.
The trail would go from downtown Royal Oak north to the Birmingham border. Rasor hopes it could go even farther north if the other local municipalities pick up the cause. The space is already used illegally by pedestrians and bicyclists who routinely travel its length.
The railroad corridor, which is owned by Canadian National Railway, has two sets of tracks and a maintenance road running alongside it. Rasor and other backers of the plan want to build a barrier of fencing and shrubs between the tracks and road so the road can be opened up to everyone.
"There is a lot of space there," Rasor says. "All of the bridges are wide enough for the road. The rail was designed for four tracks but only two were installed."
He admits that local municipalities like Royal Oak are too cash-strapped to tackle such a project, but thinks the Oakland County Parks system could do so. He points out that most of the parks in that system are on the outskirts of the county because the urbanized southeast section was already built out when parkland was being acquired.
Rasor also likes to make the point that this will enhance the quality of life for young people and help attract young families. He compares Metro Detroit unfavorably to other vibrant urban areas that our brain drain funnels to that have well-established, non-motorized transportation options, like Chicago and Toronto. In Metro Detroit commuters are mostly chained to their cars.
"There are a great many groups that would like to see this happen," Rasor says.
Source: Jim Rasor, city commissioner with Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
The light is green and plans to build a first-run movie theater in downtown Royal Oak are speeding forward. Shovels are expected to break into the ground in March for a November opening.
Emagine Entertainment plans to build a 10-screen movie theater complete with food, alcohol, and bowling options. The new complex will go on the parking lot on 11 Mile Road just east of Main Street behind the Main Art Theatre.
"Royal Oak is a wonderful market," says Ruth Daniels, vice president of sales and marketing for Emagine Entertainment. "It has a wonderful downtown area. I don't know anyone who doesn't like going to downtown Royal Oak."
The plans call for a two-story, 73,000-square-foot brick and limestone clad building that will resemble Emagine Entertainment's theaters in Novi and Canton. It will show first-run movies and is not expected to provide direct competition with an indie-and-foreign movie house like the Main Art Theatre.
The new cinema's entrance will face the back of the Main Art Theatre while the section facing 11 Mile will have windows similar to a traditional storefront but will otherwise be an inactive space. Traffic will be routed off of 11 Mile around the theater and then out onto Troy Street.
The $14 million project will house 1,680 seats and 16 lanes of bowling (with access to food and a bar) that are meant to complement the movie-going experience. There will also be a private party area/meeting room on a second-floor mezzanine area over the main entrance. The theater is expected to create 40 new full-time jobs and another 60 part-time positions.
Source: Ruth Daniels, vice president of sales and marketing for Emagine Entertainment
Writer: Jon Zemke
Urbane Apartments has formed a partnership with The Night Move as the latest innovative offering for renters in Metro Detroit.
The Royal Oak-based firm owns 14 apartment buildings in Royal Oak, Ferndale, Troy, Clawson, and Birmingham. These units are made with a moderne look and are marketed to younger professionals who want to live close to downtowns. This new partnership helps facilitate that.
The Night Move is a bus service that makes stops between downtowns along the Woodward corridor during weekends. The idea is to give people a safe ride while they enjoy the nightlife. The bus will now make stops at eight of Urbane Apartments' buildings in Ferndale, Royal Oak and Berkley, which house about 400 people.
"It came from two entrepreneurs sitting down and figuring out how we can add value to our customer bases," says Eric Brown, CEO of Urbane Apartments.
The bus will provide another perk for Urbane Apartments residents and put its logo on a bus that drives all over southeast Oakland County. The deal also allows The Night Move to add another bus to its fleet that it can use for corporate and private events.
Not to be outdone, Farmington Hills-based Village Green is offering a mobile application to facilitate more rentals. The longtime apartment management firm has launched mobile wireless access to apartments that enables prospective renters to choose a community, tour, and rent an apartment from their smart phones.
Source: Urbane Apartments and Village Green
Writer: Jon Zemke
--This article originally appeared on June 25, 2009
The Night Move is no longer singular. The popular weekend express shuttle between some of Metro Detroit's most vibrant downtowns now has a companion shuttle called The Loop.
The Night Move goes between downtown Royal Oak, Ferndale and Detroit on Fridays and Saturdays. The Loop will focus on moving between hot spots in Detroit's downtown and Midtown neighborhoods on Friday and Saturday nights.
The Loop will stop at the Town Pump Tavern/Centaur, Bookies Bar and Grill, Greektown, Wayne State, Traffic Jam and Snug and MGM Grand between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m. It costs $5 for an all-night pass.
"We'd like to eventually run this bus for free," says Jennifer Harlan, marketing director for The Night Move, adding that accomplishing that requires more sponsorships from area establishments. "That's the end goal."
The Night Move runs on biodiesel and is owned by Chris Ramos.
Source: Jennifer Harlan, marketing director for The Night Move
Writer: Jon Zemke
--This article originally appeared on September 3, 2009
Which comes first, a mature community's rebirth or the artists? Rick Manore believes it's the artists, and he thinks they will serve a big part in breathing new life into downtown River Rouge.
It's why he is opening the Red River Artist Center in the downriver suburb this month. The center is based on the same idea as the Russell Industrial Center, which is to provide space with maximum freedom at a minimum price. Manore thinks it will also serve as the spark that will turn downtown River Rouge into Metro Detroit's newest Bohemia.
"It's not just an arts incubator," Manore says. "It's the first step in revitalizing the community."
Manore should know. He started the C Pop art gallery in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood in the 1990s and watched the area blossom into a haven for the creatively inclined. Midtown is now Detroit's premier neighborhood for investment and attracting young creatives.
Manore says River Rouge reminds him of an early Midtown, and also when downtown Royal Oak started to come into its own in the 1970s. He thinks River Rouge's central location, historic area, and cheap, established housing stock makes it ripe to follow in those footsteps.
The Red River Artist Center is in the former home of U.S. Steel Information Systems. The 1960s building was vacant for a decade before the city offered to work with Manore and cut him a deal that would make the center work.
"They understand the proposal," Manore says. "When it comes to urban transformation you need artists."
Some have already taken up residence in the 2-story building's 25,000 square feet, including two photographers. The office section of the building includes more than a dozen 15-by-15-feet spaces that Manore plans to rent out at $155 a pop, including free utilities and Wi-Fi.
"This is a great place for two guys who have a business to go to and not have to take a customer to their rec room," Manore says.
The Red River Artist Center plans to hold an open house next weekend. The center is located at 10750 W Jefferson Ave.
Source: Rick Manore, coordinator and founder of Red River Artist Center
Writer: Jon Zemke
Plans for a movie theater in downtown Royal Oak are moving forward after the city's Planning Commission recommended approving the project Tuesday night. The plans are expected to go before the Royal Oak City Commission later this fall.
"I have no question that a well-run, first-class movie theater has a place in downtown Royal Oak," says Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment.
The plans to build a 2-story, 10-screen theater in the vacant lot on 11 Mile Road behind the Main Art Theatre have been refined. The 73,000-square-foot building will look like Emagine Entertainment's theaters in Novi and Canton, clad in brick and limestone. It will show first-run movies and is not expected to provide direct competition with an indie-and-foreign movie house like the Main Art Theatre.
The new cinema's entrance will face the back of the Main Art Theatre while the section facing 11 Mile will have windows similar to a traditional storefront but will otherwise be an inactive space. Traffic will be routed off of 11 Mile around the theater and then out onto Troy Street.
The $14 million project will house 1,680 seats and a 16-lane bowling alley and bar that are meant to complement the movie-going experience. There will also be a private party area/meeting room on a second-floor mezzanine area over the main entrance. The developer will reconfigure the parking lot between the Main Art Theatre and the new cinema to accommodate a few more cars along with landscaping and traffic islands.
The theater is expected to create 40 new full-time jobs and another 60 part-time positions. Although smaller than the industry standard for a multiplex of 18 screens, it is not expected to ever reach full capacity. A study of comparable theaters show they only reached above 70 percent capacity five nights a year, mainly on the weekends. The highest daily average attendance is about 40 percent on Friday evenings and a little over 50 percent on Saturday evenings.
Source: Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of the Emagine Entertainment and city of Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
Woodward Avenue has always been known as Michigan's Main Street, so it should be a no-brainer that it's now an All-American Road. That's the conclusion the U.S. Dept. of Transportation came to this week.
Woodward is now one of 37 byways in the U.S. that is designated as an All-American Road, part of the U.S. Dept of Transportation's National Scenic Byways Program. Staff at the Woodward Avenue Action Association expect the new designation to bump up tourism and investment dollars along the corridor.
"It raises the profile of Woodward Avenue not only in America but around the world," says Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator with the Woodward Avenue Action Association.
What sets Woodward apart is its heritage as the home to the U.S. automotive industry. Historic places like the Ford Piquette Plant (where the first Model Ts were made) in Highland Park show the area's importance in the story of the United States. New signage describing this history and the new designation are expected to be erected along Woodward next summer.
"It's always the story the road tells that can't be duplicated anywhere else that sets it apart," Brown says.
Source: Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator with the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
Saab is looking at moving its North American headquarters to a small industrial-turned-chic-office building on the north side of Royal Oak.
The Swedish automaker is in negotiations to move into the home of Ronnisch Construction Group, 4327 Delemere Court between 14 Mile and Normandy Roads. It is trying to negotiate a tax credit for the move and the lease for the 13,300-square-foot building.
This building wasn't always in such demand. It was a dumpy, single-story industrial structure with a beautiful view of railroad tracks before Ronnisch took it over three years ago.
"It's a unique building in that it was an abandoned industrial building," says Janet Gekiere, business development and marketing manager for Ronnisch Construction Group. "It was a mess, to say the least."
Ronnisch rehabbed it into an edgy, modern office building to show its clients the possibilities. Impressed Saab officials from Sweden,
seeing the same potential that Ronnisch saw years ago in what most
people consider a tear down, requested to move in.Similar industrial-to-office conversion projects are being done by other developers near downtown Royal Oak and in Ferndale.
"Some people can't see beyond what they see," Gekiere says. "They can't see the structure."
Ronnisch plans to move its 15 employees into a new space in the Royal Oak area once the deal is struck.
Source: Janet Gekiere, business development and marketing manager for Ronnisch Construction Group
Writer: Jon Zemke
i3 Detroit, a new space for creatively inclined people, is about to open in downtown Royal Oak.
The cooperative is a communal space for makers, inventors, and entrepreneurs. The 1,500-square-foot location at 322 E Fourth St. has room for heavy tools, electronics, and a studio/lounge. It's comparable to Detroit's Russell Industrial Center, but members don't have individual work areas.
"We're more like a locker, less like a small office," says Nick Britsky, director at large for i3 Detroit.
Right now, i3 Detroit has 13 paid members and a five-member executive board. It needs 24 members to break even. Additional members would allow the cooperative to buy bigger and better equipment, maybe even a bigger space. Britsky and his partners chose downtown Royal Oak for its central location in southeast Oakland County. They plan to hold an open house on Oct. 3.
i3 is an national non-profit that got its start in New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. It encompasses a wide range of interests and professions, such as machinists, programmers, artists, and electrical engineers. It also hosts public classes and workshops on woodworking, Linux, amateur radio, telecom architecture, computer programming, and automobile repair.
Source: Nick Britsky, director at large for i3 Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke
More improvements are coming to Oakland Community College after its Board of Trustees approved $5.19 million in renovations to its Auburn Hills, Orchard Ridge, and Royal Oak campuses.
The Auburn Hills campus is getting the lion's share of improvements, including replacing $4.8 million worth of 40-year-old boilers and other equipment. It will also spend almost $170,000 to repair the roof of Building A and make Building F compatible with the Americans with the Disabilities Act.
"We're dealing with 30-40-year-old systems that were built in a different era," says George Cartsonis, director of college communications for Oakland Community College. "They have reached the end of their lifetimes."
The Orchard Ridge Campus will spend $185,000 to catch up on deferred maintenance and repairing its sanitary sewer. The Royal Oak campus will get $91,000 in upgrades to its Lila Jones Johnson Theater.
Oakland County voters in 2001 approved a 0.8-mill property tax to pay for these projects.
Source: George Cartsonis, director of college communications for Oakland Community College
Writer: Jon Zemke
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 proposal to build a new movie theater in downtown Royal Oak took a big step forward earlier this week when the City Commission passed a resolution committing the city to approving the project's liquor license application.
That means plans to build a 10-screen theater in the parking lot behind the Main Art Theater can go forward. The developer behind the Main North building and Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment, want to build a combination first-run movie theater complex, bowling alley, and bar. The theater would be similar to the Emagine theaters in Novi, Canton, Birch Run, and Woodhaven.
The theater would show first-run movies and offer 16 bowling lanes. In contrast, the Main Art shows independent and foreign film house-style movies.
""We don't think we'll be competing with the Main Art in any way, shape, or form," Glantz says. "In fact we think we'll help because it brings more movie goers to the area."
The $14 million entertainment complex is proposed for the large empty lot at Troy Street and 11 Mile Road. It will feature 1,700 seats, with theaters holding from 86 to 395 viewers. There will be some bowling lanes set aside for the general public, and a private party room with four bowling lanes on the mezzanine level.
The bowling alleys will be more drop-in bowlers, as opposed to leagues. The complex will give a free pair of socks to bowlers who rent shoes and wipes to clean bowling balls.
"It will be all about people who come out and to socialize and have fun," Glantz says.
Preliminary designs call for a one-story building, similar to modern-day cinemas and in contrast to the multi-story theaters in downtown Birmingham. As of yet, nothing is planned to be built above the screens.
Source: Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment
Writer: Jon Zemke
The first resident moved into Urbane on Adams, the newest offering from Urbane Apartments.
The Royal Oak-based property manager recently turned what was once a foreclosed old folks home into a 42-unit apartment building geared toward young professionals. Urbane Apartments specializes in turning old apartment properties in vibrant downtown areas into luxury dwellings for young people.
"We're staying at a pretty high occupancy," says Eric Brown, co-founder of Urbane Apartments.
He does concede that his 14 properties are feeling the effects of the economy and people losing their jobs. However, Urbane Apartments is also seeing an influx of people temporarily moving into Metro Detroit for jobs. The company offers a freedom lease that lets tenants sign a month-to-month lease with a refundable fee, which is a key factor in attracting this business.
Urbane on Adams is on Adams Street, just north of Birmingham's Rail District. It will consist of 42 luxury one-bedroom rentals and a 2,000-square-foot club house-turned-office space. Brown plans to create a co-working space in the club house, which should be available later this fall.
Source: Eric Brown, co-founder of Urbane Apartments
Writer: Jon Zemke
Catching a movie in downtown Royal Oak could become a one-stop fun shop in the near future.
The developer behind the Main North building wants to build a combination 10-screen movie theater complex, bowling alley, and bar. He will go before the city's liquor commission tonight to make his case.
"You could get a drink and go see a movie or order something from the bar," says Tim Thwing, director of planning for Royal Oak.
The entertainment complex, to be similar to the Emagine Theaters in Novi and Canton, is proposed for the large empty lot at Troy Street and 11 Mile Road. It will feature 1,700 seats, with theaters holding from 86 to 395 viewers.
Preliminary designs call for a one-story building, similar to modern-day cinemas and in contrast to the multi-story theaters in downtown Birmingham. As of yet, nothing is planned to be built above the screens.
Source: Tim Thwing, director of planning for Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
The second of two industrial-into-office-space rehabs has begun on the south side of downtown Royal Oak.
Now that work is wrapping up on 120 E Hudson, the developer behind that innovative renovation, Jim Johnson, is turning his attention to 200 E Hudson.
"They have dug the foundation and the steel contractor has been out to measure the steel supports for the roof," says Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schneider + Smith Architects, which designed the project.
The buildings used to be one large, single-story industrial site. The machine shop dated back to the dawn of the 20th Century automotive boom, adding more and more space as the industry grew. It became obsolete as the industry contracted, and is now a prime candidate for edgy, loft-style office space in the center of town. Johnson split the building in half to make it more office friendly, creating 120 and 200 E Hudson.
Several other similar structures on the edge of downtown between B&B Collision and the railroad tracks have gone through similar transformations. 120 E Hudson went from a 7,000-square-foot down-and-dirty industrial building to chic, ultra-modern office space clad in brick, concrete, aluminum and glass for about 25 advertising office workers.
200 E Hudson is set to undergo a similar transformation. However, a tenant hasn't been found yet, so construction will probably take a little longer.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Schnieder+Smith Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
The last of three workshops aimed at the revitalization of downtowns in Oakland County is set to go down on Friday, August 14.
The "Lead Your Downtown from Brown to Green" workshop will focus on tackling sustainability issues, such as historic preservation and eco-friendly development.
"As the title says, we're trying to take downtowns from brown to green by letting them (local stakeholders) know what they can do in this economy," says Bob Donahue, executive director of Main Street Oakland County.
A number of topics, including how to make best use of brownfield sites, effective historic preservation, and how to incorporate green-building practices, such as LEED standards, will be covered. Other subjects will include tapping into farmers markets, the cost-effectiveness of LED lights, and how best to employ urban forestry.
Main Street Oakland County is encouraging local architects, planners, preservationists, developers, city officials, and community activists to attend. The cost is $75 per person. The workshop will be held between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph, in Waterford.
Source: Bob Donahue, executive director of Main Street Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Solar panels are about to start following school kids in Taylor now that the Taylor School District's Board of Education has embraced the Adopt-A-Watt program.
The school district will install 50 solar school bus stop lights, utilizing the Adopt-A-Watt program. The idea is that the self-sufficient warning lights will help slow down traffic around bus stops, preventing accidents.
Sponsorships are expected to pay for the installation of the lights, which is expected to cost about the same as the annual expenditure on a highway billboard. Any extra money raised will be evenly divided between the city and the school district.
Adopt-A-Watt is a Royal Oak-based company that recruits corporate sponsors to pay for solar panels or solar lights. The panels or lights are erected in a city and a sign is posted with the name of each sponsor.
Source: Taylor School District
Writer: Jon Zemke
Pedestrians walking along Main Street in downtown Royal Oak might notice the historic storefront with the hole in it. A big hole in it. A hole so big there are only walls and a roof. Meet 309 Main St.
Work began on the 2-story storefront a few weeks ago. It has since grown into a tear-out of the interior, and the builder has started fresh with a couple of walls and a roof.
"Once they got into it, they might have underestimated the repairs they needed to make." says Joseph Murphy, a city planner with Royal Oak.
One of the partners in the development is Sergio Easmjian, owner of downtown-based Metals in Time. An attempt to reach him about the project was unsuccessful.
The circa 1907 building has 9,800 square feet evenly divided between two floors. Its ground floor has served as a retail space, with office space upstairs. The city has given its blessing for the project to basically re-create that design.
"It will be brand new this time," Murphy says.
Source: Joseph Murphy, a city planner with Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Detroit Zoo is upgrading its fleet of golf carts, getting rid of the traditional gas powered vehicles and replacing them with solar-elecric hybrids.
The golf carts, 40 in all, are used by staff for everything from maintenance to landscaping to park safety at the 125-acre Zoo just west of downtown Royal Oak. Making the switch is expected to save 450 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The solar-electric hybrid golf carts use a regenerative braking system that recycles power in the cart each time someone hits the brakes, and are equipped with solar panels for battery charging.
Source: Detroit Zoo
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County is beginning to publish its stock of foreclosed buildings electronically to prepare them for auction. However, at least one Oakland County official would like to see this process changed -- with a land bank.
Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner sees a number of things wrong with the auction process. It's why he is pushing for Oakland County to form a land bank, as many other Michigan communities have done, to handle its problem properties.
"There are some perils with the auction approach," Meisner says.
For instance, speculators are scooping up large batches of these homes and, at best, turning them into rentals. More than people like to admit end up falling further into blight and becoming eyesores, weakening what were once otherwise strong neighborhoods. Meisner says this sort of speculation is the junk food of the real estate market, supplying short-term profits at the expense of long-term investment.
"We're rolling up our sleeves and trying to get families in those houses," Meisner says.
He adds that a land bank gives local officials the power to package parcels and sell them to a developer or even ensure that individual buildings end up in the hands of local residents. Right now he is trying to build up awareness about the idea, and hopes to begin a legislative push for one later this year.
Source: Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner
Writer: Jon Zemke
Getting to and from Oakland County's vibrant downtowns is getting a little easier this summer. Pleasant Ridge, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Berkley, and Huntington Woods are using a trolley-bus program to ferry people between the five downtowns.
The trolley will run to coincide with important events in the respective cities so nightlife revelers can travel between each downtown destination.
"We think it's going to bring more people to Ferndale," says Bob Bruner, city manager for Ferndale. "For us it was a no-brainer."
The next trolley-buses will on Friday, July 30 and Thursday, August 20 between 6 p.m. and midnight. They will stop at places like Boogie Fever in Ferndale and 24 Seconds Bar and Grill in Berkley.
Source: Bob Bruner, city manager for Ferndale
Writer: Jon Zemke
Most people would look at 120 E Hudson St. and think it doesn't have a future in downtown Royal Oak, but Jim Schneider and Jim Johnson are prognosticators of better times.
The building is one of a set of unremarkable industrial structures bookended by B&B Collision and the railroad tracks on the south side of downtown. Think plain-jane brick and cinder block edifices that have been rebuilt and expanded time and time again since their first incarnations as machine shops in the early 20th Century. These are not the buildings people want to hug.
That hasn't stopped Schneider and Johnson from giving 120 E Hudson a new lease on life. They are at the tail end of transforming a "down-and-dirty industrial building," according to Schneider, to trendy loft-style office space, adding some much needed foot traffic and renewal to a sleepy side of downtown. And they're not the first ones to do that. Two others on this block have already made the transition. Another one is on its way.
"Realistically, this is what Royal Oak needs," says Jim Johnson, developer of 120 E Hudson. "There are enough bars and restaurants around here. We need more office workers."
What is now 120 E Hudson used to be much bigger. Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schneider+Smith Architects, literally cut the building in half and put a small parking lot in between the two structures, creating what is now 120 and 200 E Hudson. Both are in the process of becoming offices.
120 E Hudson, which is nearly finished, doesn't even look like a light industrial building. Its exterior is now clad in brick, concrete, aluminum, and glass, giving it a modern, contemporary look. It looks like the developer listened to the architect when it came to the design, instead of the other way around.
The interior is similar in appearance, with an open floor plan flanked by a couple walls of offices on the ground floor. The L-shaped mezzanine with its steel staircase, railing, and caged fans above give the open area the feeling of a factory floor. Its metallic look and brushed concrete floors complement its aesthetic and history.
An advertising co-op of about 25 people is set to occupy the 7,000-square-foot building later this month. Johnson is still looking for a tenant for 200 E Hudson. That structure is still in the down-and-dirty industrial phase, but set to come online looking like its neighbor before the end of the year.
"It is a great use for these old buildings," Schneider says. "It's really green architecture if you think about it."
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Schnieder+Smith Architects and Jim Johnson, developer of 120 and 200 E Hudson St.
Writer: Jon Zemke
Few people would guess a high-end flute store is the new next door neighbor for B&B Collision, a long-time staple in downtown Royal Oak, on South Main Street.
Ervin Monroe, the retired principal flutist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, will open The Flute House by the end of the year at 913 S. Main St. The 2-story building will house the store on the ground floor and Monroe's home on the second.
"He sells high-end flutes by appointment only and sheet music out the back," says Keith Phillips, co-founder of Brighton-based The Think Shop Architects, designer of the building.
It started out as home to Alegra Print & Imaging in the mid-20th Century, and has since played host to a body shop and brick emporium. The original building will house 5,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. The residential space above measures out to 2,100 square feet.
Construction has been going on for about a year. When finished, Phillips says it will have a progressive contemporary look sure to make heads turn and jaws drop.
"It's going to be bright red," says Phillips, who is also a professor at Lawrence Technological University. "It's going to snap some heads back when it’s done."
Source: Keith Phillips, co-founder of The Think Shop Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Fifth Royal Oak is now full, from top to bottom, and all of its doors will be open by mid-July.
The iconic tower on Washington Street near the Royal Oak Music Theatre has either sold or leased all of its residential and commercial space. Jimmy Pallazolo has leased 4,200 square feet of space for his salon, a 20-year-old institution in downtown. It is expected to open by July 10.
The rest of the 78 residences in the 18-story high-rise are now occupied and the fitness room for the residents is set to open on July 10, too. Even though The Fifth Royal Oak started out as a for-sale development, the plummeting real-estate market forced the developer to include rentals and now it is mostly filled with renters.
"That's really where the market is today," says John Hanna, co-developer of The Fifth Royal Oak. "The lease market is pretty hot."
One of the swankiest developments in downtown Royal Oak, this city landmark is also one of its tallest buildings and offers some of the most luxurious high-rise living spaces in Metro Detroit. The Fifth Royal oak offers dramatic views that sweep across southeast Michigan.
The residential units start at the seventh floor and continue to the top. All of the homes feature amenities, such as floor-to-ceiling windows and inset balconies. The condos vary between one, two and three rooms. The second through sixth floors are dedicated to parking. Each unit comes with a heated, indoor parking space.
The project is being spearheaded by Michigan developers John and Jack Hanna of Chrysos Development & Management Co. For information, call (248) 591-5432.
Source: John Hanna, co-developer of The Fifth Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
Main Street Oakland County is bringing in a big gun to help keep the investment in its downtowns going - the American Institute of Architects Michigan.
The renowned association for architects is helping Oakland County with issues vital to vibrant city centers, such as sustainability, revitalization, and preservation. AIA Michigan members will provide advice about how to best take advantage of tools and opportunities that spur growth and development.
"The idea is to help businesses understand what is going on," says Ron Campbell, principal planner/preservation architect of Oakland County and president of AIA Michigan.
The first workshop will be held Friday, June 19 and will focus on dealing with and taking advantage of today's economic situation. It will also take a macro view of development in downtowns, including how to find the best design and identify financing.
The downtowns present opportunities for all sizes of projects and firms," Campbell says.
The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph Road, in Waterford. Architects, planners, preservationists, Main Street staffers, developers, business and building owners, community officials, and downtown stakeholders and activists are invited. For information, click here.
Source: Ron Campbell, principal planner/preservation architect of Oakland County and president of AIA Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
Entertainment options could become much more plentiful in downtown Royal Oak, as plans for a movie theater/bowling alley materialize.
The developer behind the Main North building is working on plans to build a 10-screen movie theater and bowling alley in the large empty lot at Troy and 11 Mile Road. The complex will have 1,700 theater seats. The screens will range in size from 86 to 395 seats. It is expected to be similar to the Emagine Theaters in Novi and Canton.
"They have not submitted anything formally," says Tim Thwing, director of planning for Royal Oak.
But that doesn't mean it's not coming. Thwing says the plans he has seen show a one-story building, similar to modern-day cinemas. It would be different than the multi-story theaters in downtown Birmingham. Nothing is planned to be built above the screens so far.
"Obviously it would be (slightly) taller than one story to fit in all of the screens," Thwing says.
Source: Tim Thwing, director of planning for Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
The new LA Fitness is really building itself up in downtown Royal Oak this summer.
Work on the new 2-story building at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Washington Street is expected to wrap up later this year. The 45,000-square-foot building is built on stilts so vehicles can park on the ground floor and the gym will be housed on the second floor.
"We expect to have it open by Christmas," says Stephen Duczynski, vice president of Schostak Brothers, the developer behind the project.
The Woodward lot is the consolation prize for the Livonia-based company. It first proposed putting the facility in the Gateway Plaza parcel at the corner of Main Street and I-696. It was designed as a suburban-style, single-story building surrounded by surface parking,
City officials didn't approve and decided to trade the Woodward parcel to regain control of the Gateway Plaza property. Royal Oak has planned to build a dense, urban, multi-use development on the former car dealership space for years.
Source: Stephen Duczynski, vice president of Schostak Brothers
Writer: Jon Zemke
More space is coming to one of downtown Royal Oak’s best known locations - Memphis Smoke.
The restaurant on the corner of Main Street and 12 Mile Road is expanding its rooftop deck, giving a few more patrons views of the Main Art Theatre kitty corner from their vantage point.
The 1,200-square-foot expansion will expand the current space by about 25 percent. The current deck covers a little less than half of the single-story building.
"There is still a lot of unoccupied roof up there," says Jim Schneider, president of downtown Royal Oak-based Schneider+Smith Architects, which is handling the project.
The project received site-plan approval earlier this week. Work is expected to begin as soon as possible, meaning as soon as they can get the work permits in hand. The expansion will open late this summer or in early fall.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Schneider+Smith ArchitectsWriter: Jon Zemke
Oakland County officials want local governments to become more flexible in their zoning rules and master plans, and now they're ready to teach them how to do it.
The county wants municipalities to be ready to welcome and facilitate growth from new economy firms; hence, it will hold a Technology Planning Toolkit workshop on Monday, June 8.
"We hope they can use this as a basis when they update their own planning documents," says Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County.
It introduced this program as a way of making local governments friendlier to knowledge-based firms. By streamlining the old bureaucracy, the hope is to make these cities more attractive for new economy start-ups and their new jobs. For instance, buildings zoned for one purpose can be diversified to include a number of uses.
"It's very important, especially with how quickly the market is changing," Rasegan says.
The free workshop will be held at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph in Waterford. For information, call (248) 452-2166 or send an email to browningj@oakgov.com.
Source: Brett Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County's downtowns have spent decades turning themselves into some of Michigan's most vibrant urban centers, and the county isn't going to allow a few bad economic years to retard that progress.
That's why Main Street Oakland County is being proactive this summer, with three workshops aimed at helping keep these downtowns thriving and continuing their development momentum. And this is while those downtowns are in slightly better shape than the overall state economy.
"The whole thing is about how to make it in a tough economy," says Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County.
The workshops will feature local, state, and national experts for a range of urban issues, such as preservation and obtaining grants. The idea is to help downtown stakeholders get new perspectives on these topics and see how they can help each different downtown.
The first workshop, set for June 19, will tackle issues like dealing with declining property values in a down economy and financing projects in a tough credit market. The second (July 17) will examine how to encourage new economy development in the downtowns and take advantage of historic assets. The last one (August 14) will tackle sustainability issues like LEED architecture.
All will be held at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford. For information, call (248) 858-1848.
Source: Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Two of Royal Oak's most notable homes are up for historic designation, the Orson Starr and George & Anna Hilzinger houses.
"We have styles of houses that were important to the population that was moving into Royal Oak at the time," says Ruth Cleaveland, chair of the Royal Oak Historic District Commission. "Over the years some of them were altered or torn down and are gone. There is no lasting impression."
The Orson Starr House is possibly the oldest house in Royal Oak. Orson and Rhonda Starr created the first settlement in Royal Oak Township in 1831. They built a log cabin at what is now 13 Mile Road and Main Street on an 80-acre plot, and a wood frame house in 1845 at 3123 N Main, one block south of 13 Mile, which still stands today.
The house has gone through several different phases. It served as the Starr family house until the early 20th Century, even serving time as a residence and funeral home. It was transformed into a bungalow in 1915 before being returned to its original design in 1982 by the Royal Oak Historic Commission.
The other structure is the George & Anna Hilzinger house at 211 Knowles. George is the descendant of William Hilzinger, a local electric entrepreneur and cobbler in the late 19th Century. The family is also known as the one that ran the Hilzinger Hardware store in downtown Royal Oak for most of the 20th Century.
The Wood family from Britain built the New England Classic Cottage style house in 1864 at 126 Phillips Street. George & Anna Hilzinger bought it after that and moved it to Knowles so it could make room for the Daily Tribune building in 1946.
The Royal Oak City Council added both of these buildings to the city's historic district.
Source: Ruth Cleaveland, chair of the Royal Oak Historic District Commission
Writer: Jon Zemke
Crossing Woodward Avenue isn’t for the faint of heart, but even those people will have an easier time now that the Michigan Department of Transportation has approved a new crosswalk improvement project in Oakland County.
MDOT plans to improve the 12 Mile Road/Woodward intersection between Royal Oak and Berkley. The project will provide more shelter for pedestrians with traffic calming measures and pedestrian countdown crossing signals. The median will also be landscaped.
MDOT worked with the Woodward Avenue Action Association (WA3) to plan the project and will work with WA3 to execute it. The $450,000 project could begin as early as next year.
Source: Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
Living in Metro Detroit in the 20th Century once centered around owner-occupied single-family homes, but that has started to change as Southeast Michigan has grown into the 21st Century and the new economy that comes with it.
More and more people have trended toward renting lofts and apartments in dense city centers. The younger and more educated the person, the more likely this is to happen. This has allowed numerous former for-sale condo projects to switch to full rentals charging pricey rents, and apartment companies like Urbane Apartments to surface as a fast-growing alternative. It's been a nice shelter for developers in this real-estate storm.
But the economy is starting to take even that away. Urbane Apartments is getting ready to open and fill two new developments in the city centers of Ferndale and Birmingham. They are the latest in the line of redevelopments that have flooded southeast Oakland County in recent years. But that streak is coming to an end this year, as far as the people at Urbane Apartments can see.
"The fundamentals are strong," says Eric Brown, co-owner of Urbane Apartments. "We'd like to do another deal and there are deals to be done, but we can't find a lender."
They have more apartment buildings they would love to acquire and renovate at current low prices. Investors are ready to put the cash up to make it happen, but credit lines from banks are dead.
And that's with occupancy in the high 90th percentile for Urbane Apartments' offerings in places like Royal Oak, Clawson, and Berkley. Of late, Urbane has undergone a high turnover as its residents are increasingly jumping into their first houses.
"We have lost more residents to buying new houses in the last 6-7 weeks than we have in the last 6-7 years," Brown says, adding that there is a steady stream of people ready to fill the new spots.
Those spots are about to become few and far between as Urbane fills up its new projects in Ferndale and Birmingham.
Source: Eric Brown, co-owner of Urbane Apartments
Writer: Jon Zemke
Sustainability is a year-round lesson at Royal Oak's Jane Adams Elementary. Yeah, the school does go all out for Earth Day, turning it into an Earth Week's worth of activities; however, school officials integrate those sorts of things in to the everyday lesson plans.
Students recycle everything from paper to batteries to cell phones. Teachers use solar cookers to teach some lessons about both science and sustainability. Students are encouraged to conserve electricity by turning off lights or carpooling.
"It's kind of all encompassing," says Kristin Smith, a 3rd grade teacher at Jane Adams Elementary School, who helps organize these sustainable efforts. "It goes beyond this week."
And it's why Jane Adams Elementary was named one of Oakland County's 98 green schools this year. Of those 98, 32 were designated emerald (including Jane Adams Elementary), which is the honor roll for the designation.
Both numbers are way up from previous years. Last year, 41 schools were green certified and only four were emerald.
Source: Kristin Smith, 3rd Grade teacher at Jane Adams Elementary School in Royal Oak and Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Chalk up another renovation of a historic building in downtown Royal Oak. The latest addition is the old home for Consumers Gas at the corner of Third and Williams Streets, one block east of Main Street.
Wold Architects and Engineers has buttoned up the façade restoration and is looking for a tenant for the ground floor of the 1920s-era building. Wold, which specializes in designing schools, renovated the second floor in 2007.
One of the first things it did was to remove a 1960s-era fake façade that had been attached to the building. It now bears a closer resemblance to its early 20th Century heritage, but a little bit of touch up work can still be done.
The ground floor of the 12,000-square-foot structure is available for a number of tenants, such as traditional retail or a restaurant. Downtown Royal Oak-based Schneider+Smith Architects designed the renovation.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Schneider+Smith Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
What was once blighted rough is now Royal Oak’s newest architectural diamond -- 401 N Main.
The 2-story office building literally blings in the sunlight with its new stainless steel exterior and large glass windows. It's about to open as the new home to two of the city’s prominent law firms, Corey and Flood, and Lanctot & Connor, next week.
"We did a lot of work, but it’s a great showpiece now," says Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schneider+Smith Architects, which designed the renovation of 401 N Main.
That's the first time anything so complimentary has been said about the building that sits across the street and a few blocks up from the Main Art Theatre. For years, 401 N Main was the biggest blight in downtown Royal Oak, suffering through failed redevelopment plans time and again as it sat half-done with weather-worn building materials flapping in the breeze.
The city finally had enough. It condemned the building and hired a contractor to raze it, but at the eleventh hour, local preservationists lined up a new developer to save it from the waiting dumpster.
"It was pretty close," says Schneider, one of the proponents for saving 401 N Main. "The city was pretty adamant about taking it down."
That was the easy part. Schneider and his crew had to figure out how to revive a building that had wandered far from its original plans. It was originally built as a single-story storefront in the 1920s. In 2003, a developer started to add a second story for condos. This project basically served as his learning curve before he ran out of money.
The crew had to replumb, replace walls and do a host of other structural work to shore up the 5,800-square foot structure. The subsequent rebuilding was no easy task. Part of the roof was rotted out and the second floor was covered in several inches of pigeon poop.
More than one year's worth of work produced a moderne-looking structure that complements downtown Royal Oak's new building stock, like the Fifth at Royal Oak and the Center Street Lofts. Its interior is part modern office and part loft-like office space for about 15 attorneys and support staff.
The ground floor has dark wood flooring and modern finishes, which contrasts with the exposed X-bracing and large windows. The east-facing windows utilize Solarban 60 Low-E Glass and are lightly tinted to control the ample morning sunshine and to let occupants put their eyes to the street, making for a more walkable block.
The second floor contrasts with a more traditional-loft look. Exposed wood rafters, duct work, wood beam posts and a corner balcony make the second floor feel almost more like a luxury loft than a place of business.
"It's sort of what we were going for," Schneider says. "We wanted a high-degree finish below."
401 N Main adds a big shot of energy to Royal Oak, one of Michigan’s best downtowns, by extending walkability and vibrancy beyond its traditional northern border of 11 Mile Road.
The refurbished building is a nice new little jewel that now sits at the top of downtown's crown.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schneider+Smith Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
It's not the tallest building in downtown Royal Oak, but the new home of Bianchi's Salon & Spa is the newest addition to the urban wall street on Main Street.
Workers are putting the finishing touches on the single-story building at 710 N. Main, across the street from Main North Lofts and a short distance north of the Main Art theater. An opening could happen as soon as June.
"It's being drywalled," says Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schneider+Smith Architects, who designed the structure.
The building is built up to the lot line like a traditional downtown storefront, extending the street wall from downtown to a little further north. These types of details are essential to helping make downtown more pedestrian-friendly, by putting more eyes on the street and more feet on the ground.
The 4,200-square-foot structure will be used primarily for commercial space. About 3,000 square feet of the space will be occupied by the salon. The rest is up for lease. The building is a normal storefront, but it does have a mezzanine that overlooks the salon portion, giving the structure 17-foot ceilings in some areas.
"That's a very cool space," Schneider says. "I'm sure someone will lease it."
The exterior is mainly brick, and modern in appearance, Schneider says. This allows it to fit in easily with the surrounding architecture on Main Street and the rest of downtown. Schneider+Smith Architects, which also designed the renovations of the Luke and Tribune buildings in downtown Royal Oak, is responsible for a bit of that work.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Schneider+Smith Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
Another $4 million is going into upgrades for three of the campuses for Oakland Community College.
The college plans to do repairs and renovations at its Royal Oak, Auburn Hills, and Highland Lakes campuses. These projects range from making the campuses more pedestrian-friendly to routine repairs to the existing buildings.
The Royal Oak campus will get the most money, $1.5 million, to build vestibule entrances to the building's four exterior doors. Some of the money will also go towards improving exterior lighting and surrounding landscaping.
About $1.2 million will make the Auburn Hills campus more walkable by replacing some sidewalks and adding lighted walkways. Another $1.2 million will be used to make the Highland Lakes campus friendlier to cars by repaving parking lots and streets.
Source: Oakland Community College
Writer: Jon Zemke
Many metro Detroit communities are counting their federal foreclosure money these days as they find ways to get people into wayward houses. Oakland County is trying to nip that problem in the bud with its "My Future Home Ownership Retention" seminar.
The free event, to be held in Royal Oak, is focused on intervening and preventing foreclosures in Oakland County. It will offer information and assistance, such as making modifications to mortgages, budgeting, and the devastating impact a foreclosure will have on credit reports.
The idea is that keeping people in their homes will help to maintain property values, stop the displacement of families, and keep property taxes up to date. Many foreclosures have turned into neighborhood blights, dragging down nearby property values.
Among the agencies there to help will be the Oakland County Community & Home Improvement Division, Lighthouse Community Development, and Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency.
The seminar will be held at 7 p.m. Monday in the Royal Oak Public Library, 222 E. Eleven Mile Road. For information, call (888) 350-0900 ext. 85402 or click here.
Source: Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Woodward corridor’s best and brightest took home some new hardware last week when the Woodward Avenue Action Association gave out its 2009 Woodward Corridor & Design Awards.
The awards recognize the best in development & design, business and community activism along the Woodward corridor. This year’s winner include: Winners of the 2009 Woodward Corridor & Design Awards are:
- Best New Neighbor with a budget more than $500,000 - Curis Enterprises for Shops at Woodward Place in Highland Park
- Best New Neighbor with a budget less than $500,000 - Anita’s Kitchen in Ferndale
- Best Transit Oriented Design Plan - City of Birmingham for the Triangle District
- Best Planning Vision - City of Ferndale for its Master Plan 2008
- Best Historic Preservation - Detroit Opera House in downtown Detroit
- Woodward Treasure - Michigan State Fairgrounds/Michigan State Fair in Detroit
- Best New Byway Asset - The Night Move in Ferndale
- Best Small Business - The Majestic Theater in Detroit
- Seeds of Change Community Action - Enrico Rosselli who is the owner of La Dolce Vita in Detroit
- Corporate Citizen of the Year - Comerica Bank
- Government Service Agency of the Year - Michigan Department of Transportation
Source: Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
Dogs have their own place to run and play in Royal Oak these days, and that new home away from home should be done by spring.
City officials hope to complete the dog park in Mark Twain Park soon after the winter weather breaks. Part of the fence of the park is up now and temporary fencing encircles the rest of the park.
"People are using it right now," says Margaret Whitfield, a Royal Oak resident who is helping organize the dog park creation efforts.
A grass-roots group of local residents pushed to have the park created and raised the $15,000 needed to build it on the city's northeast side. The park will let canines run without a leash but still under the supervision of their owner. Royal Oak does have a couple of dog runs, but nothing big enough for high-speed cavorting, chasing tails and retrieving Frisbees.
Whitfield also points out that fees to use the park will allow it to pay for itself relatvely quickly. The park will also serve as a place for the community to come together around their dogs.
"People bring out chairs and tables," Whitfield says. "People end up becoming friends with people they never knew before."
For information on helping make Royal Oak's dog park a reality, click here or send an email to ro-dogrun@comcast.net.
Source: Margaret Whitfield, Royal Oak resident organizing the dog park creation efforts
Writer: Jon Zemke
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
The Woodward Avenue Action Association is looking for a few good winners for its new Woodward Corridor and Woodward Design Awards.
The Woodward-advocate organization is accepting nominations for the awards through Feb. 20. The award include:
- Best New Byway Asset, such as a new attraction, business, venue or event
- Best Planning Vision, which recognizes the best a strategic plan or vision
- Seeds of Change Community Action, which will spotlight people who overcome obstacles to bring change
- Best Small Business, such as a business that is excelling in hard times
- Best Transit Oriented Design for a project along Woodward
- Best New Neighbor for a new building along the corridor
- Best Historic Preservation, which recognizes preserving or restoring a building’s historic architecture
- Woodward Treasure, which will recognize a historic building or environment
For information, call (248) 288-2004 or send an email to nicole@woodwardavenue.org.
Source: Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
At least another 140 people will be enjoying downtown Royal Oak now that Howard & Howard has finished moving into its new headquarters.
The law firm took over the old Pulte building at the edge of the central business district at the end of last year. Howard & Howard used to call Bloomfield Hills home before buying and renovating the structure on Lafayette near Fourth Street.
The 4-story building was built in 1991 on the 400 block of Lafayette. The building's 152,000 square feet gives Howard & Howard plenty of room to grow in its own building. Even though its leasing the third and fourth floors to National City Bank it easily has room for 20 more employees.
Howard & Howard is occupying the first and second floors of the building.
Source: Stacey Parzuchowski, marketing assistant for Howard & Howard
Writer: Jon Zemke
Royal Oak is making a grab at $1 million to help stabilize its neighborhoods in the wake of the mortgage crisis.
Federal and state officials recently let Royal Oak leaders know that the city is eligible for up to $1 million in federal funds meant to help stem the tide of blight caused by foreclosures. City officials are now officially applying for those grants.
The money is meant to help city officials acquire, renovate, raze or sell foreclosed homes. The idea is to help stabilize these properties before their blight causes home values in the neighborhood to slide.
Several other communities in Oakland County are taking advantage of similar funds through both the feds and federal money filtered through the county. Southfield, Hazel Park and Pontiac are receiving the largest chunks of that pie worth millions of dollars.
Source: City of Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
The latest scoop on mass transit projects for 2009 (Woodward light rail and Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail) will be out and open to the public this week and next. That's when some of Metro Detroit's biggest leaders and mass transit advocates will talk about what's slated to get underway.
The first meeting will be a Transit Town Hall in Royal Oak. State Rep. Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak), Megan Owens of Transportation Riders United and Transit Czar John Hertel's right-hand man John Swatosh will speak and answer questions. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church, 26998 Woodward Ave.
TRU will also hold its annual meeting on Jan. 27 at a site yet to be determined. The main topic of discussion will be Metro Detroit's new regional transit plan. Those attending will talk about specific parts of the plans and what needs to be done to make those parts a reality.
For information on either event, send an email to trumember@detroittransit.org or call (313) 963-8872.
Source: Transportation Riders United
Writer: Jon Zemke
Royal Oak and Southfield are about to get some tender-loving investment from Oakland Community College. The school plans to spend $2.5 million renovating its campuses in both of the cities.
The money will mainly help upgrade parking and lighting at the two campuses. The Southfield campus will receive $1.425 million in new asphalt and lighting replacements. The Royal Oak campus is in line for $1.111 million in low-voltage lighting control and light replacements.
Fitting the bill for these upgrades is the 0.8-mill property tax Oakland County voters approved in 2001.
Oakland Community College, Michigan's largest community college, has five campuses throughout the county that serves about 70,000 students.
Source: Oakland Community College
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Woodward Avenue Action Association wants to help the communities along Michigan's Main Street put their best face forward with its new streetscape grant program.
The association recently received $160,000 from the Federal Highway Administration to help fund streetscape design or improvements along the Woodward Avenue corridor.
"We are looking for projects that will actually come to life," says Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association.
The grants will range between $10,000 and $50,000. The projects can be for things like crosswalk improvements, new signage or decorative streetlights. Applicants can be either municipalities or non-profits that border the Woodward corridor.
Applications are due by Jan. 16. For information, call (248) 288-2004.
Source: Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
The first residents moved into the latest offering from Urbane Apartments – Urbane on Farnum.
Construction recently finished on the 16-unit building in Royal Oak. The 1960s-era apartment building is located on the corner of Farnum and Washington streets. It is across the street from Royal Oak's old Dondero High School and a few blocks north of downtown.
The building had fallen into disrepair before Urbane invested $400,000 into restoration. Now it features a mix of large studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. They include a number of modern amenities, such as brand new bamboo floors, recycled carpet, efficient water fixtures, granite bar tops, black appliances, glass French doors, dual shower heads and high-speed wireless Internet.
Urbane owns 15 apartment buildings in southeast Oakland County. These buildings are near vibrant downtowns, such as Royal Oak, Ferndale, Clawson, Berkely and Birmingham.
For information on Urbane Apartments offerings, call (248) 988-7125.
Source: Eric Brown, co-founder of Urbane Apartments
Writer: Jon Zemke
Details are starting to trickle in about how Oakland County plans to put its $26 million in foreclosure funds to work.
The County recently received that money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's new Neighborhood Stabilization Program to deal with bad mortgages. It then released a plan on how to put those funds to use, which can be found here.
The largest slices are heading to Pontiac ($3.5 million), Southfield ($3.2 million) and Waterford (a little more than $2 million). Oakland County will now spread around nearly $10 million to Hazel Park, Oak Park, Madison Heights, Royal Oak Township, Ferndale, Keego Harbor, Rose Township, Ortonville, Holly Township, Lathrup and Lake Orion.
The biggest slices of that $17.4 million pie will go to Oak Park and Hazel Park ($1.6 million each) while the smallest ($400,000) will go toward Lake Orion and Lathrup.
The rest will be focused on getting people into foreclosed homes throughout the rest of Oakland County. That includes help with securing down payments, lining up financing and helping the new occupants rehab the homes.
"The county is reserving some of it to help anyone who wants to purchase a foreclosed home in any of our communities," says Karry Rieth, manager of the community and home improvement division of Oakland County.
That idea is to help local communities acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties in danger of becoming (or remaining) blight. Some of the money can be used to raze structures redevelop vacant properties.
Oakland County Community & Home Improvement division will release guidelines and application procedures in the near future. For information, click here or call (248) 858-0493.
Source: Karry Rieth, manager of the community and home improvement division of Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Work on the Historic Loft Building in downtown Royal Oak is in its "final stages," according to Mason Capitani, leasing agent for the building.
That means get ready for another viable, occupied and historically restored structure on the south side of downtown much sooner rather than later. Two of the tenants are moving into the building at corner of Harrison and Main streets.
Those two businesses, a medical group and a pharmacy, will occupy most of the ground floor space. The remaining 1,500 square feet on the ground floor is still available.
The second and third floors of the 3-story building are being turned into Class A office space. Each floor has 8,600 square feet of space. The space is being built as loft-style office space with exposed brick and utility lines.
The structure was originally built as a Ford car dealership nearly 100 years ago. It has housed a few other businesses, including a furniture store most recently.
Source: Mason Capitani, leasing agent for the Historic Loft Building
Writer: Jon Zemke
Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak is getting bigger and more modern every day now that work has begun on its $204 million north expansion.
The 346,000-square-foot addition will add an intensive care unit and operating rooms, while also replacing the hospitals emergency center. Work is set to wrap up in 2011.
The new emergency center will have 173 patient rooms, while the intensive care unit will have 36 beds. There will also be four operating rooms.
Improvements will also mean more elbow room for patients, caregivers and machines, alike. The emergency center is growing from 62,875 square feet to 88,000 square feet. The rooms are nearly 70 percent larger, making more space for advanced monitoring and treatment technology. There will also be a 24-room pediatric center in the emergency center.
Source: Beaumont Hospitals
Writer: Jon Zemke
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. That’s when the doors open on the newly renovated Oakland Schools Technical Campuses in Royal Oak, Pontiac, Wixom and Clarkston.
The new state-of-the-art facilities and an updated curriculum will provide advanced educational opportunities for high school juniors and seniors. They will focus on such high-tech disciplines as engineering, emerging technologies, biotech, transportation technology, health sciences and environmental sciences.
The students attend classes at the campuses for about half a day before returning to their home districts to finish the school day at their local high school.
An open house will be held between 2-5 p.m. Sunday. For information, click here or call (248) 209-2194.
Source: Automation Alley
Writer: Jon Zemke
Three parks in Royal Oak are safe for now. The City Commission decided not to put them on the market to help close a budget deficit.
The City Commission was considering the sale of Bassett, Rotary and the east section of Realtor parks. It also looked at selling two more surface parking lots at Woodward Avenue and York Street and 14 Mile and Rochester roads.
City officials noted that if the parks were sold, there would still be recreation space within a half mile of 90 percent of the affected housing. They also described the three parks as "sparsely used." However, some local residents spoke up and disagreed with that assessment.
Bassett Park is near the Campbell and 11 Mile roads. Rotary Park is on 13 Mile Road next to the Royal Oak Golf Course. The east part of Realtor Park is made up of two wooded lots between homes in a residential area.
Source: City of Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
One of the most visible redevelopment projects in downtown Royal Oak is getting ready to wrap up in November.
The people behind the Historic Loft Building (there's an original name) plan to have two of their tenants moved in post Halloween to the structure at the corner of Harrison and Main streets on the south side of downtown. The two businesses, a medical group and a pharmacy, will occupy most of the ground floor space. The remaining 1,500 square feet on the ground floor is still available.
The second and third floors of the 3-story building are being turned into Class A office space. Each floor has 8,600 square feet of space. The space is being built as loft-style office space with exposed brick and utility lines.
"It's one of the few loft-style office spaces in the downtown area," says Mason Capitani, leasing agent for the Historic Loft Building.
The structure was originally built as a Ford car dealership nearly 100 years ago. It has housed a few other businesses, including a furniture store most recently.
Source: Mason Capitani, leasing agent for the Historic Loft Building
Writer: Jon Zemke
Building new might be a tall order right now, but
Urbane Apartments is building a big reputation by taking on a number of small renovation projects.
It’s latest offering is Urbane on Main, which is on Main Street just north of 12 Mile Road and downtown Royal Oak. The model apartment in the 32-unit building will open next week with 18 ready for renting. The Royal Oak-based company invested an average of $26,000 on each unit's upgrade.
"We have a waiting list," says Eric Brown, co-founder of Urbane Apartments.
Urban Apartments focuses on rehabbing old apartment buildings near vibrant downtown areas. It controls 14 buildings in several communities in southeast Oakland County, including Royal Oak, Ferndale, Clawson and Berkley.
Urbane on Main (each building is named after the street each it’s on) hasn’t received much love since it was built in the 1960s. Urbane Apartments began renovating the structure composed entirely of one-bedroom apartments last summer.
It also renovated the exterior, which features modern, artistic features. The interiors include bamboo flooring, water-saving faucets and toilets, recycled carpet, granite bar tops and black appliances.
For information on Urbane Apartments offerings, call (248) 988-7125.
Source: Eric Brown, co-founder of Urbane ApartmentsWriter: Jon Zemke
Work is wrapping up on another apartment building renovation by Urbane Apartments in Royal Oak – Urbane on Farnum.
Six of the 16 units in the 1960s-era apartment building will be ready for residents by late October. Work on the exterior of the building is also nearly finished.
The apartment building is located on the corner of Farnum and Washington streets. It is across the street from Royal Oak's old Dondero High School and a few blocks north of downtown. It had fallen into disrepair before Urbane invested $400,000 into restoring the building.
The structure's 16 units are a mix of large studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. They include a number of modern amenities, such as brand new bamboo floors, recycled carpet, efficient water fixtures, granite bar tops, black appliances, glass French doors, dual shower heads and high-speed wireless Internet.
Urbane owns 14 apartment buildings in southeast Oakland County. These buildings are near vibrant downtowns, such as Royal Oak, Ferndale, Clawson and Berkely.
For information on Urbane Apartments offerings, call (248) 988-7125.
Source: Eric Brown, co-founder of Urbane Apartments
Writer: Jon Zemke
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
Some light rail down Woodward Avenue for Metro Detroit. A commuter rail between Detroit and Ann Arbor. Some bus rapid transit along Gratiot Avenue.
Those mass transit features and more are on Metro Detroit Transit Czar
John Hertel's shopping list. His organization, the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council, released details this week of its new transit plan for the Tri-County area.
The plan as presented, at public meetings throughout Metro Detroit this week and next, has four main points:
- Enhancing existing bus services
- Introducing rapid transit corridors of light rail, commuter rail and bus rapid transit
- Creating seamless connections between mass transit lines
- Finding funding sources
"We address the first three in the open houses" says John Swatosh, deputy director of the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council.
The plan calls for a number of ambitious yet realistic goals to be accomplished by 2011, 2015, 2020 and 2025. The end result would produce an extensive and comprehensive regional mass transit system with a variety of options that is light years ahead of what we have now.
2011
Within the next three years the plan calls for the following mass transit features to be up and running:
- A streetcar line along Woodward between Jefferson and Grand funded by private investors
- A commuter rail line between Detroit and Ann Arbor with stops at Dearborn and Metro Airport
- Creating Hub Connectors, small buses that go between major population centers such as Eastland and Westland malls
- Arterial Rapid Transit corridors along Woodward, Michigan, Gratiot, Telegraph, Warren and Van Dyke
ART is the light version of bus rapid transit. It is much cheaper to set up but features more advantages than regular bus service, such as traffic signal priority, enhanced shelters and signs that say when the next bus will arrive.
"The concept with ART is entry-level rapid transit," Swatosh says.
The idea is to install it in a cost-effective manner along heavily traveled corridors. That will help enhance ridership so those corridors have a better chance of qualifying for federal funding, which would allow the jump to BRT or light rail to occur sooner.
2015
Seven years from now the plan calls for:
- Extending the Woodward streetcar line to downtown Royal Oak at 11 Mile Road
- Establishing BRT on Gratiot between Woodward and M-59, and extending it along M-59 to Van Dyke
- Extending the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line up to Pontiac with stops in between at Royal Oak and Birmingham
- Installing ART lines on 8 Mile, Big Beaver/Metro Parkway, Fort and Grand River
2020
A dozen years down the road the plan calls for:
- Establishing BRT or light rail lines along Gratiot (Woodward to 9 Mile) and Michigan (Woodward to Metro Airport)
- Creating BRT routes along Fort, Warren and Grand River
- Adding commuter rail line routes between Port Huron and Detroit and Detroit and Monroe
- Extending ART lines to several other major corridors, including Jefferson, 7 Mile, 9 Mile, Eureka and Greenfield
2025
Way down the line the plans calls for:
- Extending BRT or light rail along Gratiot/M-59 and Woodward up to Pontiac
- Establishing BRT lines along 8 Mile, Big Beaver/Metro Parkway, M-59, Telegraph and Van Dyke
- Adding 12 Mile to the ART lines
The plan is still being tweaked but Swatosh expects the four major leaders of the Tri-County area to sign off on a final version by the end of the year. The plan is considered a critical piece of the puzzle to fighting off the fierce competition for federal mass transit funding.
Maps and more information on the plan will be available on the meetings being held this week and next. The meetings will be held from 4-7 p.m. as follows:
For information, call (313) 393-3333.
Transportation Riders United, a local non-profit that advocates improving mass transit, will also attend the meetings to further discussions about how best to make the plan's recommendations realities.
TRU's fall meeting will also center on the new regional transit plan. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 in the lower mezzanine of the Guardian Building in downtown Detroit.
Source: John Swatosh, deputy director of the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council
Writer: Jon Zemke
Twenty five years ago, downtown Royal Oak was practically a ghost town, desperate for a store like Noir Leather. Today it's one of Michigan's most vibrant urban cores. And it should be desperately trying to keep Noir Leather around for another 25 years.
Keith Howarth started what is now a local institution out of his love for punk bands and alternative clothing. It soon became his dream job, creating a career from "what you do on the weekends."
"I wanted to create a business for myself that I loved and I wanted to be my own boss," Howarth says.
The always-edgy Noir Leather also served as one of downtown Royal Oak's main boutique stores, sparking an urban revival. It was probably the best-known of the 13 prominent downtown boutiques during downtown's heyday in the early 1990s.
Unfortunately, today only three of those trendsetting shops survive (Noir, Incognito and Footprints). Howarth estimates that 98 percent of the downtown's retail tenants have changed since he opened up shop a quarter century ago. Many of them were squeezed out by the restaurants and bars (too many of them chains) that have flooded the district, robbing Royal Oak's core of the eclectic stores that gave the strip its unique flavor.
Howarth reminds us that it was his store and a few others that started the downtown Royal Oak's nightlife many years ago. They kept their stores open late and hosted events when the rest of the lights turned off at 5 p.m. Today foot traffic is at its highest on weekend nights, when yuppies and bikers roar into town.
What's lost when boutiques are squeezed out is a sense of local ownership.
Local retail owners play a pivotal role in shaping downtowns, often making decisions in the best interest of the area. Sometimes at the expense of their own bottom line.
"You have involvement in the community," Howarth says. "The store owners have a stake in how the city transforms. Chain stores can't do that."
Howarth has no plans to move Noir Leather from downtown Royal Oak as it celebrates its 25th birthday (at The Crofoot in downtown Pontiac this weekend), but he is mindful to add, "you never know what the future holds."
Source: Keith Howarth, owner of Noir Leather
Writer: Jon Zemke
When someone mentions Eastpointe most people don't think of a city comparable in size and appearance to Ferndale, Berkley or Royal Oak. But the residents of the old east side inner ring suburb want to change that perception, so people do think of those places in comparison to their home.
Local leaders in Eastpointe think its downtown area at the intersection of Gratiot and 9 Mile Road can serve as the gateway into Macomb County in the same way Ferndale's vibrant downtown does to Oakland County.
"It's trying to become less of a bedroom community and more of a place to go, a 24-7 entertainment place," says Scott Clein, project executive for the Gratiot Avenue Corridor Study, the program that looks to lay the ground work for the revival of Eastpointe's downtown.
Admittedly, Eastpointe has a lot of catching up to do, but has the bones to make that kind of run toward urban vibrancy. Its downtown was once a traditional thriving center in the first half of the 20th Century. It lost a good bit of that as urban renewal and parking demands turned it into more of a suburban, strip-mall-style business district over the last 50 years or so.
Eastpointe is also becoming a more diverse place but maintaining its family-friendly atmosphere. It sits at the beginning of the county's major spoke that leads to its only noteworthy downtown – Mt. Clemens.
To accomplish this city planners have been holding public meetings for much of this last year, attempting to figure out exactly what local residents want. The bottom-line is a more walkable, dense, vibrant downtown area filled with mixed-use buildings that puts people and businesses on equal playing fields as cars.
"There is a desire to move toward, or back, to the zero-lot-line urban feel," says Clein, who is also an associate with Rochester Hills-based Giffels-Webster Engineers. "They want higher density along the Gratiot corridor. They want to go taller, say 4-5-6 stories to promote more density."
To do this they are concentrating on reworking Gratiot so it's not so car dominant. That means creating defined areas for on-road parking, pedestrians, bicycles and motorists. Think bump outs to protect cars parked along Gratiot, bike lanes and crosswalks so all travelers are put on equal footing.
After that the city wants to encourage more downtown-style businesses, such as boutiques, out-door cafes and restaurants to make it more of a destination. Further on down the line there is talk of filling in gaps to create a street wall of buildings and adding in environmentally friendly features, like rain gardens to improve storm-water discharge.
That's much further down the road. But for now, Eastpointe residents are just starting to recapture their share of urban living along Gratiot.
Source: Scott Clein, project executive for the Gratiot Avenue Corridor Study
Writer: Jon Zemke
The lure of downtown Royal Oak was too much for Howard & Howard. It's why the law firm is taking over, renovating and moving into the old Pulte building at the edge of the central business district.
"Being able to work in downtown and have millions of things within easy walking distance was big," says Stacey Parzuchowski, marketing assistant for Howard & Howard.
The firm's new urban digs is also a big change from its old suburban home in Bloomfield Hills. Howard & Howard is moving all 135 of its employees into the new building and expects to finish the move by the end of the year.
First the company needs to finish renovating the 152,000-square-foot structure. The 4-story building, built in 1991, is on the 400 block of Lafayette near Fourth Street.
"We are completely remodeling it," Parzuchowski says.
Howard & Howard will occupy the first and second floors of the building while it leases the third and fourth floors to National City Bank.
Source: Stacey Parzuchowski, marketing assistant for Howard & Howard
Writer: Jon Zemke
Fear not worried urban enthusiasts, Royal Oak's Gateway Plaza is no longer in danger of becoming a suburban, strip mall-type development.
City officials and Schostak Brothers & Company have reached an agreement to swap control of parcels. Schostak has agreed to give control of the Gateway Plaza property at Woodward Avenue and I-696 on the southern edge of downtown. In return the city is letting it develop a LA Fitness facility on a 3-acres parcel at Washington and Woodward.
Schostak originally planned to develop the 4-acre Gateway Plaza property into dense, mixed-use urban buildings similar to what is being built in downtown. Those intentions changed last year when the developer presented plans to the city to construct a single-story building for LA Fitness surrounded by surface parking lots.
That prompted the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority to advocate the city exercise a clause in the contract to buy the land back for $3 million. That pressure led the resolution to swap properties that is currently on the table.
If the deal goes through as expected by the end of this summer, the city plans to market the land again to developers. The idea is to still build something there that complements downtown's urban flavor.
"We're interested in having it developed in a certain manner," says Kevin Kalczynski, chair of the Royal Oak DDA.
Developing the Gateway Plaza property has been an odyssey of epic proportions where numerous plans have surfaced and sank over the last 20 years. Originally the site of a car dealership, what is now Gateway Plaza was cleared to make room for a more urban-style development with mixed-use buildings built up to the lot line. The city has made a point of encouraging the construction of dense, mixed-use buildings in its downtown to promote the area as a 24/7 destination.
Source: Kevin Kalczynski, chair of the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
It's becoming harder and harder to find a place to live in downtown Royal Oak these days. Another one of the vibrant city's developments has sold out. This time it’s the Center Street Lofts development.
All of the downtown development's 19 lofts are either sold or leased. The sold units ranged in price from $300,000 to $500,000 and the leased units went for $2,000 to $3,000 a month.
Center Street Lofts is the second of a two-building project between Center and Main streets, on the other side of 11 Mile Road, across from Memphis Smoke. The nearby Main Street Lofts project at the corner of 11 Mile and Main sold out two years ago.
The five-story Center Street Lofts building now bookends the block, helping create a streetwall on 11 Mile. The lofts range in size from 1,000 and 2,700 square feet and came with 17 different floor plans. Ground-floor retail space in the building was forsaken to make room for parking and storage spaces.
The group of developers behind the Center Street Lofts project also built the Troy Street Lofts and Main Street Lofts, both sold out, in downtown Royal Oak. They are also building the Lofts on the 9 development in downtown Ferndale.
Source: Center Street Lofts
Writer: Jon Zemke
Watch out now. No, one of downtown Royal Oak's biggest blights isn't coming down. It's coming back to life.
Work has begun on 401 N Main St., a building deemed so dangerous by city officials last summer that dates with a wrecking ball were be scheduled. Today, construction workers are hammering new life into it, rehabbing the 2-story structure into a contemporary office space.
"It should be buttoned up by the end of the year," says Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schnieder+Smith Architects, which is designing the project.
The building at the corner of Main and West University Avenue, about a block from the Main Art Theatre, started to become blighted earlier this decade when a condo conversion plan for the 1920s storefront fell through.
Other plans came and went until the city took action, forcing the rehab or death of the 5,000-square-foot structure. That prompted the old owner to sell it to the current developer.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schnieder+Smith Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
A small building is about to make a sizable impact on downtown Royal Oak. Construction is set to begin this week on the building that will house Bianchi's Salon & Spa.
The single-story structure is about to rise in the shadow of the 10-story Main North Lofts on Main Street near Baldwin Avenue. Work on the 4,200-square-foot structure is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.
The building's foundation has been laid for months, waiting for the rest of the project to get the go ahead. About 3,000 square foot will be put aside for the salon while the remaining 1,200 will be available for lease.
The building also features a mezzanine overlooking the salon portion, giving the structure 17-foot ceilings in spaces. Its exterior is made up of brick with a minimalist look featuring clean, modern lines.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Schneider+Smith Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
Newspaper headlines describe falling home prices and a depression in the housing industry. John Hanna, co-developer of The Fifth Royal Oak, doesn't quite see it that way.
"It looks like the market, at least in Royal Oak, seems to be on a little bit of an upswing," Hanna says. "I am hoping we have found the bottom and are heading up."
He adds that showings for the residential and commercial spaces of his 18-story high-rise have increased in recent weeks. Hanna also points out that more than 80 percent of his building is spoken for and expects the final spots to be taken by the Fourth of July.
The Fifth is one of the swankiest developments in downtown Royal Oak. The newest landmark is also one of the city's tallest buildings originally marketed as for-sale condos above ground floor retail space.
The slow sales market prompted Hanna to lease some of the building's 78 units, which have turned out to be a popular product in the inner-ring suburb's central core. A number of out-of-town people and businesses have come into the sleek, modernist building, including some people involved in recent movie shoots.
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 Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
Driving up and down parts of Woodward Avenue can be simultaneously inspiring and depressing. But some of the corridor's landmarks are so well hidden many passersby don't realize their impact on Detroit, Michigan, America and the world.
The public can now get the inside scoop on that section of history with comprehensive tour of what is often called Michigan's Main Street. The Woodward Avenue Auto Heritage Trail gives a detailed history, narrated by Devin Scillian of Channel 4, of 70 places along Woodward.
"We as Detroiters have a tendency to have a bad attitude about ourselves," says Debbie Schutt, byway coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association which produced the tours. "If we can have a better understanding of our heritage it can help instill some pride."
The tour offers a number of options, including a two-day, one-day and half-day version. There are also versions that only tell the stories of the National Scenic Byway's public art, churches and a best of the byway.
Listeners can pick and choose which 2-3 minute sections of the tour to listen to. They can also choose to hear it over their cell phones, download it to their iPod or burn a CD of it. Users don't even need to be on Woodward to appreciate it. They can download it to their computer and listen to it anywhere. The tour is offered free and can be found here.
Source: Debbie Schutt, byway coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Jon Zemke
Urbane Apartments is about to break into double digits with its apartment offerings.
The Royal Oak-based company that focuses on downtown-area rentals is closing in on finishing its 10th rehab of an apartment building. The latest is Urbane on Main Street, which is located on (surprise) Main Street in Royal Oak just north of 12 Mile Road.
The two-story, 32-unit building hasn't received much TLC since it was built in the 1960s but is now getting a complete makeover. The building of one-bedroom apartments will be available later this summer. The entire $800,000-project should be completely finished this fall.
The building's exterior will feature some unique artistic features. The interiors will include bamboo flooring, granite bar tops, black appliances and industrial fixtures and features.
Urbane Apartments has been buying, renovating and leasing apartment buildings in Royal Oak, Berkley, Clawson and Ferndale for the last couple of years with great success. The renovated structures, most of which are near downtown areas, command high rents yet give renters flexible leases that provide them the freedom to leave after a few months.
For information on Urbane Apartments offerings, call (248) 988-7125.
Source: Diane Sawinski, director of marketing & leasing for Urbane Apartments
Writer: Jon Zemke
One left. There's just one unit left of the eight in the 610 South Lofts development in downtown Royal Oak.The last unit has two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms in 1,950
square feet. It also comes with two parking spaces underneath the building.
It's priced at $399,000.
The rest of the lofts, located at 610 S. Troy St., range in size from 1,500
square feet to 2,200 square feet. Each unit features 18-foot-high ceilings,
hardwood floors, a private terrace, floor-to-ceiling windows, a parking spot
and gourmet kitchens. The lofts are priced between $299,000 and $449,000.
For information, call Susan Carter at (248) 766-0925.
Source: Susan Carter,
realtor for 610 South Lofts
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland Community College was established in 1964 and for 30 years the college built up its programs, started new ones, and built new campuses. Unfortunately, they spent so much time working on the academics a few things got neglected the along the way.
"We spent so much time with the new that we didn't really do much with the maintenance," George Cartsonis, OCC Communications Director, says. "And with each year that ended something passed through its useful life."
He's talking boilers, tiled hallways, and stretches of pavement.
In 1995 a .8 mill OCC property levy tax that brings in $45 million annually was passed. This money goes toward new technologies, scholarships, academic program development, and, of course, building improvements.
Since then, the college has done it's best to keep their older buildings up to date and in working order.
This summer OCC will sink $4 million of that annual cash pool into three separate projects.
At the Auburn Hills Campus $259,700 will go toward resurfacing deteriorated pavement.
A new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit will replace the current 28-year-old one at the Highland Lakes Campus. This will also require interior renovations throughout Woodland Hall. The bulk of the money will go toward this renovation, costing $3,426,400.
And finally, at the Royal Oak Campus Atrium lighting and carpeting on the second floor will be replaced for $219,400.
As not to distract classes, more so than the students already are, the projects will begin and end this summer, Cartsonis says.
Source: George Cartsonis, OCC Communications DirectorWriter: Terry Parris, Jr.
People looking for creativity will find plenty of it at 323 E. Fourth St.
The building in downtown Royal Oak is the new home for the 323East art gallery on the ground floor and the Ohm Creative Group (the Kwame Mug Shot people) above.
The art gallery sells everything from functional art to sculptures to limited edition clothing. A vast majority of the work available in the 323East galley is produced by local artists, which also available in an online catalogue. Featured artists include Anastasia Chatzka, Graem Whyte, Faina Lerman, Megan Harriss, Dan Armand, Taurus Burns, Kill and Taupe.
Ohm Creative Group describes itself as a full-service creative agency made up of Ohm Digital and Ohm PR. Its claim to fame is providing its clients with services that can only be described as web 2.0 with a kick, such as multimedia marketing vehicles utilizing high-end HD video, website design and development, internet marketing campaigns and web video integration.
Source: Ohm Creative Group
Writer: Jon Zemke
More art is heading for downtown Royal Oak now that the City Council has approved the sign for the Cloverleaf Fine Wine shop on the St. Clair Edison building on the south side of downtown.
Developer Michael Chetcuti, who also owns Cloverleaf, describes the sign as a piece of fine art that has the potential to be an iconic business sign for downtown. He plans install the metal sculpture of a wine bottle within the next few weeks.
Chetcutti brought the wine shop to downtown from Southfield to capitalize on district's vibrancy and foot traffic. He opened it earlier this month in the basement of the old historic structure on Main Street and the train tracks. 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
What was once deemed "dangerous" by city officials is dangerously close to becoming the latest renovation for downtown Royal Oak.
Rehab work is expected to begin on 401 N Main St. before the end of the month and wrap up within six months.
"We're just looking to finish the construction drawings," says Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schnieder+Smith Architects, which is designing the project.
The 2-story building has come a long way from last summer when city officials demanded the owner either begin restoring the blight or the city would raze it. Local residents had complained loudly about the decrepit structure at the corner of Main and West University Avenue, about a block from the Main Art Theatre.
The owner had planned to turn it into condos and ground floor retail space and even started construction, adding a second floor to the 1920s storefront. That plan floundered and it once again fell into disrepair. With the threat of action, the owner finally sold it and now its 5,000 square feet will become the home of a law office.
Schnieder+Smith Architects did the design work for the building. The firm also provided designs for the Luke Building renovation next door and the Tribune Building Royal Oak. Little by little, the architecture firm's name is becoming synonymous with renovating Royal Oak. Several restaurants in the city's central business district, including Pronto!, Woody's and the Comet Burger in downtown, have all benefited from Schnieder+Smith's designs.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schnieder+Smith Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
Once upon a time, white collar workers would have turned their noses up at the idea of working in an old factory. Not these days. Case in point: Downtown Royal Oak where an industrial facility is set to be turned into Class A office space in June.
"The developer is a longtime Royal Oak business owner who has a couple of properties downtown," says Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schnieder+Smith Architects, which is designing the project. "He sees demand for warehouse-looking office space."
The project will breathe new life into a conglomeration of half-century-old industrial buildings on 120 E Hudson, just south of where the train tracks intersect with Main Street. Two of the four buildings have been razed and the other two will be turned into 17,000 square feet of loft-style office space.
The space will be designed with an eye for attracting creative class businesses that often shun traditional working spaces. So far one graphic advertising agency has reserved space.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schnieder+Smith Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
Good things come to those who wait and downtown Royal Oakians have been waiting a while for a project with the urban promise of Eight 55 South Main.
The five-story mixed-use building will bring in the holy trinity of urban vitality by providing space for office, residential and commercial uses. Buildings like these typically enhance the walkability of an area, especially when replacing a vacant lot like Eight55 is supposed to do.
Construction starts have been promised for a year but work looks like it will finally begin later this summer or early fall. If all goes well, the building could be open for business sometime in 2009, bringing yet more vitality to its corner on the south side of downtown.
The developer and its architect, Damico Development and Archive DS respectively, are reconfiguring the building at 855 S. Main St. so it will include 18,000 square feet of Class A office space on the second and third floors. Loft-style condos are set to go in the fourth and fifth floors. The first floor will be dedicated to 9,500 square feet of non-restaurant retail space so future residents won't have to put up with the noise and smells of food service directly below them.
The building had originally been designed to house 50 loft-style condos, but Damico cut that number by nearly half so it could add office space and make it easier to sell the units in a tough market. The lofts include high ceilings, hardwood floors, granite counter tops and private balconies that are worked into the building so they aren’t hanging out over the street.
For information on the development, call (248) 458-1122.
Source: Mark Nickita, principal of Archive DS
Writer: Jon Zemke
The breath of life is blowing into historic structures throughout Royal Oak. The latest to receive a lung-full of fresh funding is the old home for Consumers Gas in downtown.
The 1920s-era building at the corner of Third and Williams streets, one block east of Main Street, is the new home for Wold Architects and Engineers. The firm that specializes in designing schools renovated the second floor late last year and plans to finish off the building this year.
"It's really an incredible transformation," says Jim Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schneider+Smith Architects, which is designing the project. "There was just a horrible façade on there. In the 1960s they put on one of those God-awful facades on it."
That's gone now and the original brick façade is exposed again. Wold expects to begin restoring the exterior to its original appearance next week and wrap up the project within two months. It also plans to renovate the ground floor of the 12,000-square-foot structure so it can be used by a restaurant, hopefully later this year.
Schneider+Smith Architects has also done design work for the renovations of the Luke and Tribune buildings in downtown Royal Oak. They have also designed a number of restaurants in the city's central business district, such as Pronto!, Woody's and the Comet Burger.
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Schneider+Smith Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
If it seems like there isn't a vibrant downtown community that Urbane Apartments is extending its reach into, it's probably because it's becoming truer everyday.
The Royal Oak-based company has made a mint turning old apartment buildings near revitalized downtowns into high-end places to live. Now the company is branching out into new construction, handling the leasing for new developments in Royal Oak and Plymouth.
Urbane has formed a partnership with Connektiv Communities to lease out unoccupied units in Connektiv's for-sale developments, such as Grant Park Townlofts in Royal Oak and 300 Hamilton in Plymouth. Both developments are within easy walking distance of their respective downtowns but have struggled with sales as the housing market has crashed.
Urbane owns and operates eight buildings, is renovating a few more and ready to close on yet another in downtown Ferndale. The apartment buildings are mainly located in southeast Oakland County. For information on Urbane Apartments offerings, call (248) 988-7125.
Source: Diane Sawinski, director of marketing and leasing for Urbane Apartments
Writer: Jon Zemke
Developer Michael Chetcuti is getting ready to put the cherry on top of his latest development. However, in this case it's not a cherry but what he considered a potentially iconic business sign for downtown Royal Oak.
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
One of Royal Oak's ugly apartment ducklings is being turned into a beautiful swan called Urbane on Farnum.
The folks behind Urbane Apartments are in the midst of completely gutting and refurbishing a 1960s apartment building at the corner of Farnum and Washington streets. It is across the street from Royal Oak's old Dondero High School and a few blocks north of downtown. The apartment building had fallen into disrepair over the years and was becoming a blight on the neighborhood before Urbane stepped in. It's investing $400,000 into restoring the building.
"We're hearing a lot of kudos from the community for taking on this project," says Diane Sawinski, director of marketing and leasing for Urbane Apartments.
Urbane is turning the structure's 16 units into large studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom lofts. They will include a number of modern amenities, such as brand new hardwood floors, granite bar tops, black appliances, glass French doors and dual shower heads, among others. The building will also have high-speed wireless Internet.
Work is expected to wrap up by either late spring or early summer. The units in the building will be available for rent shortly thereafter.
Urbane owns and operates eight buildings, is renovating a few more and ready to close on yet another in downtown Ferndale. The apartment buildings are mainly located in southeast Oakland County. For information on Urbane Apartments offerings, call (248) 988-7125.