Pontiac, Detroit to make mini-parks out of parking spots
Source: Metromode, 9/2/2010
Parking spot
enjoyment has taken off in Grand Rapids and other big cities across the
nation and world, and now Sean Mann wants to get people loving parking
in southeast Michigan.
Parking
should be appreciated not just because you grab the space right in
front of the coffee shop, either. Park(ing) Day encourages people to
make a mini-park out of a metered spot for one day -- Sept. 17 this year
-- to celebrate public spaces with friends.
Sean Mann, founder and program coordinator
of Let's Save Michigan, a project of the Michigan Municipal League, says a few
communities in southeast Michigan, including Pontiac, Detroit, Ann
Arbor, and Ypsilanti, and also in Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Traverse
City, will likely be participating in this quirky day of awareness.
There's still plenty of time to sign up, and parking spots don't need an
elaborate makeover. A couple of lawn chairs and a potted plant will do.
With graduates fleeing the state,
oftentimes what they're looking for is a better quality of life above
jobs -- and that includes public places. "It's a fun way to highlight
bringing people together to show they can create those places," Mann
mentions. "Our whole campaign is about moving Michigan forward."
The end-of-summer event also allows for
one last (hopefully) warm-weather celebration before the mitten state
gets cold and dark.
Click here to learn more or to sign up.
Source: Sean Mann,
Let's Save Michigan, founder and program coordinator
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Inkster, Ypsilanti, Detroit, I-275 trail score pedestrian grants
Source: Metromode, 8/26/2010
It's all about the infrastructure. Not
only will Inkster build a streetscape project and Detroit a walk/bike
path, but because of state and
federal grant money, portions of
the I-275 Metro Trail will be also be reconstructed. Ypsi even got a
slice of the community improvement pie.
The Michigan Department of
Transportation announced the federal Transportation Enhancement grants Tuesday, for which Inkster
will receive almost $600,000 in state and federal funding for a planned
streetscape project. The intersection of Michigan Avenue (US-12) and
Inkster Road will be improved about a block in all four directions, with
decorative brick pillars, fencing, benches, decorate stamped concrete,
and landscaping.
Kimberly Faison, special projects manager for
the city of Inkster, says the project will help to define the city’s
downtown, at that intersection, with an emphasis on trees, shrubs and
perennials. And with traffic whizzing by on Michigan Avenue, "Sometimes
our downtown gets missed, especially with the speed," she says. "Our
residents have a lot of pride in the community."
The city has
also acquired three easements in that area, which will be made into a
green space, which will include seating areas.
Improvements done last year, including ramps and cross lights at
pedestrian intersections, make the area more walkable, she says, while
the streetscape is also expected to help calm traffic. Bus shelters are
also a part of the expanded project, and the city hopes to receive
future funding for a greenways project down the line.
Faison says
Inkster's residents know the city has businesses worth visiting and
space worthy of being rehabilitated and reoccupied, and this will help
put them on the map. "The project really is exciting for us," she says.
"We see this as a shot in the arm."
Elsewhere in the metro area,
Detroit will get funding for a nearly 1-mile portion of the Connor Creek
Greenway, to include a bike/walk path, seating areas and trees. Eighty
percent of the $358,376 will be covered by federal funds, with the rest
made up by a match from the city.
Portions of the I-275 Metro
Trail, in Canton Township, Van Buren Township, and Romulus, will also be
rehabilitated, including the addition of a boardwalk over wetlands and
signage. That project is nearly $4 million, covered by federal and state
funding.
Finally, Ypsilanti also received a grant for
streetscape projects.
Statewide, a total of $10 million was awarded to 11 counties for
non-motorized trail improvements, roadway streetscape, parks and water
quality.
Source: Kimberly Faison, special projects manager,
city of Inkster; Michigan Department of Transportation
Writer:
Kristin Lukowski
Pontiac unveils latest Woodward Tribute sculpture
Source: Metromode, 8/12/2010
A tribute sculpture commemorating
Pontiac's role in the history of Woodward Avenue is to be fully in place
today, with a celebration planned for next week.
The Pontiac
Tribute, the second such monument along Woodward, was installed last
month to raise awareness about the history behind Michigan's
Main Street and its importance to not only the state but the U.S.
and the world. The sculptures are robust columns that depict part of
Woodward's history. Ferndale's was installed in 2008.
The final
touches on the sculpture are expected to be put in place today. It will
also be absorbing light so it can be turned on, says Nicole Brown,
outreach and promotions coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association,
the organization behind the effort. "The significance of it in Pontiac
is celebrating transportation heritage," she says.
The tribute
came about as a result of a lot of hard work, Brown says, and a laundry
list of supporters and sponsors, including the city of Pontiac, Oakland
County, and the Michigan Department of Transportation. "People are
really excited about it," Brown says. "It's something positive that's
happening in the city of Pontiac. It's been received really well, from
residents and members of the business community."
Pontiac's
Tribute is at the corner of Woodward and Whitmore, in the area commonly
known as the "teardrop." Negotiations are currently ongoing with Detroit
for its tribute, with an announcement expected later this year about
its location. The ultimate goal is to have one for each city along
Woodward to recognize each of their unique contributions.
The
Pontiac Tribute's $150,000 price tag was funded in part by the U.S.
Federal Highway Administration's National Scenic Byways funds and other
contributors.
WA3 and the city of Pontiac are hosting a public
tribute illumination reception on Wednesday; click here
for details.
Source: Nicole Brown, outreach and promotions
coordinator for the Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer:
Kristin Lukowski
Detroit Edison to build 500-kw solar system at Monroe County Comm College
Source: Metromode, 8/5/2010
Monroe County Community College
will soon be home to a 500-kilowatt, $3-million photovoltaic renewable
energy system to benefit both the college and customers of Detroit
Edison.
The 20-year agreement will not only provide the utility's
customers with renewable energy from the sun, but also give students at
MCCC a chance to see live and up close just how renewable energy works.
"We're supporting the educational initiatives of the college," says
Detroit Edison marketing program manager Ray Zoia. "We're going to be
providing them with access to the facility, for the purpose of educating
students."
He also expects there will be a kiosk of information
so students can see how the system works, how much energy it's
generating, and other details. MCCC's system will generate enough energy
to power about 100 homes in a year.
The system will be installed
on the east side of campus and should be up and running by spring. It's
part of Detroit Edison's pilot SolarCurrents
program, which calls for photovoltaic systems to be installed on
customer property or rooftops over the next five years. The goal is to
generate 15 megawatts of electricity throughout Southeast Michigan.
The
utility-owned energy program is new, but it's part of the overall
renewable energy program that all utilities have to invest in. Zoia says
the utility has funding for about 40-50 projects over the next five
years through surcharges on customer bills for the purpose of renewable
energy.
"This is part of our commitment to renewable energy,"
says media relations representative Len Singer. "The solar program is
fairly new, but it's really encouraging to be seeing the kind of
response that we're getting to be able to move forward."
Detroit
Edison, a a subsidiary of DTE
Energy, also recently announced that it is planning to build a
200-kilowatt, $1 million solar installation on the roof of a Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Michigan parking structure in downtown Detroit.
In return for
providing space for the utility-owned system, customers will get an
annual payment or credit on their energy bill based on the system size,
as well as a one-time, upfront construction payment to cover any
inconvenience during installation.
Source: Ray Zoia, Detroit Edison marketing program manager
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Numerous construction projects recognized with Engineering Society of Detroit awards
Source: metromode, 7/1/2010
Social significance and innovation are
part of what made several local construction projects stand out enough
that they were recognized by the Engineering Society of
Detroit.
The
Construction and Design awards are awarded annually to projects either
located in Michigan or built by local companies. The projects were
selected based on the quality of the overall design; use of unique
engineering solutions; innovative construction techniques and
sustainable design; use of environmentally safe products; and economic
and social impact.
In the metro area, award recipients were the
College for Creative Studies' Alfred
Taubman Center for Design Education (Detroit) and JARC's Nusbaum House (Farmington Hills), a group
home for adults with disabilities. Robert Stevenson, chair of the
committee in charge of selecting the winners and senior vice-president
of GHAFARI Associates,
says CCS's building was socially significant because of its location in
Detroit and the schools involved. "From a design standpoint, it was
well done," he says. "Some of the things they did were interesting, like
how they brought in light, how they handled utilities."
Recognized
with honorable mentions were Henry Ford West
Bloomfield Hospital and Wayne
State University's Marvin
I. Danto
Engineering Development Center
in Detroit. Wayne State's engineering building includes outdoor walls
that actually lean inward from the top down, but Stevenson says what
also makes that building interesting is its housing of high-tech
testing. "It's important because it's an important research center here
in southeast Michigan," he says. "And then to put that on a college
campus and make it look good -- we thought that was a challenge."
Winners
from the last few years have had a focus on green and sustainable
features. Since the awards are given by a peer group of other
architects, that will hopefully foster more innovation, Stevenson says.
Teamwork also plays a large part, and that's why the owner, contractor,
and designer are all recognized. "We're not an (American Institute of
Architects) award -- it's not a beauty contest," he says. "We're looking
beyond the skin."
Source:
Robert Stevenson, Engineering Society of Detroit award committee chair
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
Northville, Detroit score downtown streetscape grants
Source: metromode, 6/17/2010
Three local communities will benefit from
Michigan Department of
Transportation grants, which allow investment in trail
and streetscape projects.
Grants were awarded to projects across
Michigan, with downtown
Northville, downtown Lake Orion,
and Detroit's Midtown neighborhood landing investment dollars.
-
The city of Northville will make improvements to its downtown visual
character, walkability, safety, and accessibility, while helping promote
economic vitality. The streetscape project area includes Main Street,
between Wing
and Hutton streets, and Center Street, between Cady and Dunlap streets.
Improvements include sidewalks, street lighting, benches, trash
receptacles, street trees and landscaping, consistent with the work the
city has previously done on its Town Square project. The project cost is
$1.3 million, including $685,880 in federal funds and an equivalent in
matching funds from the city.
-
The village of Lake Orion and Lake Orion Downtown Development
Authority will enhance Broadway Street, from M-24 to Shadboldt, and
Flint Street between Lapeer to Anderson. This includes replacing
streetlight globes and installing brick pavers, benches, bike racks,
trees, and tree grates. The project cost is $684,535, including $444,948
in federal funds and $239,587 in a match from the Lake Orion DDA.
-
The city of Detroit, in partnership with Wayne State University, will
construct a streetscape project on Anthony Wayne Drive, from Warren
Avenue to Palmer Street. This includes building ADA-compliant sidewalks,
street lighting, trees, bike lanes, benches, and trash receptacles,
which will improve safety, security, and walkability. The project cost
is
$704,855, including $563,884 in federal funds and $140,971 in a local
match from Wayne State University.
Source: Michigan Dept of
Transportation
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
WA3 debuts a virtual Woodward Avenue
Source: metromode, 5/27/2010
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
DTE's SolarCurrents program hits $1M mark
Source: metromode, 5/27/2010
DTE Energy's SolarCurrents program is
hitting significant milestones, meaning more solar panels going up all
over Metro Detroit.
The program, which started in September, has
provided more than $1 million to customers who want to help cut the
costs of installing solar panels. That means 55 installations worth
about 250 kilowatts of renewable electric capacity. Another 200
applications under review would add another 1,300 kilowatts.
"We
have dedicated $25 million toward SolarCurrents," says Scott
Simons, a spokesman for DTE
Energy. "There is a lot of opportunity for our customers to take
advantage of it."
The idea behind the program is to make these
systems more affordable for customers and to help DTE meet Michigan's
new Renewable Portfolio Standard. Those taking advantage of the program
receive 50 percent of both the value of the Renewable Energy Credits
upon installation and the remaining RECs as a credit on their bills for
the next 20 years.
This program combined with federal tax
credits and incentives covers more than half of the installation costs
for solar panel systems. For more information, click here.
Source: Scott
Simons, spokesman for DTE Energy
Writer: Jon Zemke