Ground breaks for Dearborn Town Center development
Source: metromode, 4/30/2009
A big development project is starting to come down the final stretch of long road, now that ground has broken for the Dearborn Town Center.
City officials have been working on this development at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Schaefer Road since the economy was roaring and everyone's house was worth more than their mortgage. Construction workers are expected to begin work on the 162,000-square-foot, mixed-use building next week and finish up by the end of 2010.
"We are very excited, especially with everything that has gone on with the credit markets and banks," says Barry Murrary, economic and community development director for the city of Dearborn.
The Dearborn Town Center will mainly serve as the home for Oakwood Healthcare System and Midwest Health Services. That will maintain the 300 jobs they have in Dearborn's east downtown and add another 200 positions. Those people will occupy 154,000 square feet of office space in the 3-story building. There will also be 8,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.
A 530-car public parking garage will also be constructed behind the building. Redico, the developer, is also looking at building 22,000 square feet of retail space in front of the Schafer side of the garage if it can get it leased before construction is done. Plans for senior housing behind the parking garage are still being considered for a future phase of the project.
"We'd like to see more of this mixed-use, walkable development in downtown," Murrary says.
The Dearborn Town Center replaces the old Montgomery Ward department store that was recently demolished. Montgomery Ward opened the store in 1937, expanding it into 93,000 square feet. It went belly-up in 2001 and has been vacant ever since.
Southfield-based Redico, the developer, originally planned to reuse much of the building in the redevelopment but decided against it after complications were discovered, such as a lack of space between floors and small windows. Redico also planned to move the historic clock from the Montgomery Ward building into the new building. However, the clock fell apart during demolition. Redico is now looking at putting in a replica clock in the Dearborn Town Center.
"It's really is a new chapter in development of downtown," Murrary says.
Source: Barry Murrary, economic and community development director for the city of Dearborn
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland U plans for major campus upgrades this summer
Source: metromode, 4/30/2009
Oakland University
is in line for a lot of upgrades and renovations this summer as the
Rochester Hills-based school redoes everything from entrances to
building interiors.
Ted Montgomery, director of media relations
for Oakland University, described the work as deferred maintenance that
has been a long time coming for the university. The projects will be
done throughout the summer and will wrap up in time for the students'
return this fall.
The university is revamping its two plazas,
bringing in more inviting designs to greet its thousands of students.
These plazas are between the North and South Foundation Halls leading
to the Oakland Center and the plaza between the Oakland Center and
O’Dowd Hall.
Oakland University is also going to repave the
main entrance to the campus at Squirrel and University between mid-May
and August. Culvert and road repairs will be done on Meadow Brook Road
between Hamlin Hall and the University Student Apartments. This will
complement sidewalk upgrades throughout campus.
The university
also plans to renovate the second floor of O’Dowd Hall for the Oakland
University William Beaumont School of Medicine. It will also replace
floor tile on the first and second floors. Wilson Hall, Anibal House,
Dodge Hall, Hamlin Hall, and a corridor in North Foundation Hall will
also undergo renovations.
These projects don't have any big sustainable features, but Oakland
University officials are looking at incorporating some in the future.
"We are developing sustainable projects, but they are a little ways off yet," Montgomery says.
Source: Ted Montgomery, director of media relations for Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Dhake Industries begins work on Plymouth office expansion
Source: metromode, 4/30/2009
More new economy jobs are heading to Metro Detroit now that one of its companies is expanding its office space.
Dhake Industries is renovating and expanding its global headquarters on the 15100 block of Northville Road in Plymouth. Plymouth-based DeMattia Group
is renovating the existing building and building a 2-story addition.
The extra space will add about one third of the space it already leases.
"It's
enough to make a sizable marketing area for them to showcase their
products," says Michele Liotino, marketing manager for DeMattia Group.
The
renovated and additional space will be used for engineering, research
and development, quality assurance and application laboratories. It
will facilitate an expansion of the company, but Liotino declined to
say how much or how many jobs would be created. She did say that Dhake
Industries sees the current economic decline as an opportunity to
position itself for future growth.
"They're taking advantage of the opportunity right now to build so they have all of the products in line and ready to go," Liotino says.
Dhake Industries, founded in 1979, is a supplier of specialty coatings for engineered plastics and a minority owned company.
Source: Michele Liotino, marketing manager for DeMattia Group
Writer: Jon Zemke
ITC Holdings takes big bite out of emissions
Source: metromode, 4/30/2009
Lots of companies like to announce
sustainability-based programs, emphasizing their grand ambitions. The
follow-up announcements aren't as common. This story is about the
latter kind of announcement.
Novi-based ITC Holdings
has dramatically reduced its emissions of sulfur hexafluoride (a
greenhouse gas) three years after starting a program to contain the
problem. The gas was escaping from old transmission equipment at an
average of 13,275 pounds per year in 2005. That number stands at 1,836
pounds as of 2008.
ITC Holdings, which runs electrical grids,
has been chasing similar efficiencies in its infrastructure for years.
It is investing about $10 billion in upgrading the electric grid in the
Midwest, a move that will make the grid more efficient and sustainable.
The
firm is also expanding the grid to wind farms in places like the Upper
Peninsula so that they can provide renewable energy to places like
Minneapolis or Detroit. The Green Power Express project will eventually transport 12,000 megawatts of renewable energy to city centers.
Source: ITC Holdings
Writer: Jon Zemke
Lawrence Tech students help preserve Frank Lloyd Wright house
Source: metromode, 4/30/2009
Most building buffs are happy to tour a Frank Lloyd Wright
house. Two Lawrence Technological University students did that every
day last summer and are looking forward to doing it again this summer.
Seniors
Justin Butler and Doug Metiva, architecture and construction management
majors, lived in and helped restore the exterior of the Frank Lloyd
Wright house in Bloomfield Hills last summer. They plan to work on the
interior this year.
"The chance to live in there was pretty amazing," Butler says.
Wright,
the famous American architect, designed the 2,350-square-foot house for
Gregor and Elizabeth Affleck. The couple moved into the house in 1941.
It's one of Wright's smallest single-family homes and was considered a
home for a family of modest means. The Afflecks' children donated the
house to Lawrence Tech in 1978. The university uses it as a teaching
tool for its College of Architecture and Design.
Metiva and
Butler got a closer look than most, tearing out rotted parts of the
house and seeing how its infrastructure was put together.
"It's amazing to see what they came up with back then," Metiva says.
The
students worked with university administrators to plan and perform the
restoration projects, such as restoring the house's tidewater cypress
siding, and were able to come in both under budget and ahead of
schedule.
That earned them an opportunity to return this summer,
when they plan to repair damage from a leaky roof in the bedroom wing.
They will also do other interior restoration projects to help keep its
status as an architectural gem.
The Affleck House is on the State and National Registers of Historic
Places, and is one of the 50 most significant structures in the state,
according to the Michigan Society of Architects.
Source: Justin Butler and Doug Metiva, architecture and construction management majors at Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Dearborn looks to attract film industry investment
Source: metromode, 4/30/2009
Most people can imagine themselves in the movies. Dearborn is encouraging its residents to help make the city a star too. How? By getting them to be de facto location scouts.
"There are so many different looks that would look good as a movie set," says Randy Coble, a spokesman for the city of Dearborn.
They could range from the deep woods in the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus to the heavy industrial area of the Rouge Complex. City officials want residents to send in pictures and descriptions of these special places that are unique to Dearborn.
They want to compile them onto a website so filmmakers can browse these images and see if anything in Dearborn fits their shooting needs. The idea is to attract more movie shoots to Dearborn, thereby bringing in more economic development and activity.
For information on the initiative or to send in photos, send an email to dearbornmovies@ci.dearborn.mi.us.
Source: Randy Coble, spokesman for the city of Dearborn
Writer: Jon Zemke
Developer proposes new CVS for downtown Ann Arbor
Source: Concentrate, 4/30/2009
Storefronts that were once houses could soon be cleared away to make room for a new CVS Pharmacy in downtown Ann Arbor.
Excerpt:
A developer wants to clear away a couple of historic storefronts on State Street next to the State Theater to make way for a new CVS.
New
York-based Blue Star International wants to tear down 209-11 S. State
St. to make way for the pharmacy. West Bloomfield-based Velmeir Construction submitted the paperwork. Those addresses might sound familiar because Concentrate featured them as single-family houses that have morphed into commercial spaces over the last century.
Read the rest of the story here.
Michigan Theater upgrades to new state-of-the-art digital projector
Source: Concentrate, 4/30/2009
The historic Michigan Theater in downtown Ann Arbor is about to install a fancy new digital projector.
Excerpt:
The Michigan Theater is in line for a new, fancy digital projector; specifically, a DCI Cinema Server and Project System.
That's
theater jargon for a 4K Cinema Server System. Still confused? It really
boils down to a $100,000 projector that allows the Ann Arbor vintage
theater to show a great variety of movies, such as 3-D films. The plan
is to have it installed in early May in time for "UP," Pixar's first 3-D film.
"It's the best you can get," says Russ Collins,
CEO and executive director of The Michigan Theater. "It can show normal
digital movies you see in a commercial theater or student movies."
Read the rest of the story here.
Birmingham/Troy transit center moves forward
Source: metromode, 4/23/2009
The plans for the Birmingham/Troy transit center are taking shape while the funding sources are being targeted.
The
planning commissions for the two cities recently met to review
architectural renderings of the proposed center. They plan to hold a
community design charrette on June 15-16 after the architects come back
with more detailed plans.
"We're waiting on them to make some changes and tweaks," says Jana Ecker, planning director for the city of Birmingham.
The two cities plan to create a
$6 million transit center on the Birmingham side of the border
between the cities.
About $4 million would be set aside for the center while another $2
million would be used to build a pedestrian tunnel underneath the
tracks.
The center would facilitate traffic from pedestrians,
bicyclists, automobiles, buses and the planned northern extension of
the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line. There has also been talk of
creating an east-west streetcar line to connect the station to Birmingham's downtown and Troy's Somerset Collection mall.
The proposed site is in Birmingham's emerging Rail District.
The cities plan to create a transit-oriented-development district
around the station that would roughly be bordered by Crooks, Adams,
Maple and Lincoln streets. A Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
official will conduct a walkability tour of the neighborhood on April
29 to gauge how best to take advantage of the expected transit oriented development.
Officials
from both cities are also meeting with the staffs of Michigan's
congressional and senate office holders to help arrange funding.
Congressman Gary Peters has already put in for a $2 million federal
earmark to help bring the project to fruition.
Source: Jana Ecker, planning director for the city of Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke
Renovations set to begin on Ferndale Library
Source: metromode, 4/23/2009
The Ferndale Public Library has moved into its temporary location and is getting ready to begin renovation work on a permanent location.
"Things
are looking pretty good for starting construction sometime in the next
month," says Douglas Raber, director of the Ferndale Public Library.
The
renovation plans call for adding about 6,000 square feet of space to
the nearly 12,000-square-foot building. That includes space for meeting
rooms fronting 9 Mile Road, a new children's room facing Troy Street, a
new area for teens and a much-needed facelift to the 1954 structure. A virtual tour of the new building is available here.
In keeping with Ferndale's focus on sustainability, the library development is also going for silver LEED
certification. Among its environmentally friendly features are the
windows and skylight, which bring in more natural light. The added
sunshine is expected to beautify the interior and reduce electricity
use.
The addition, paid for by a 1-mill millage increase last
year, will give the library space to add to its staff and collection of
material with new books and CDs.
Construction bids will be
approved within the next few weeks. Work is expected to take 10-11
months. An April 2010 opening is planned. In the mean time, the
Ferndale Library is operating out of a temporary location at 642 E 9
Mile Road.
Source: Douglas Raber, director of the Ferndale Public Library
Writer: Jon Zemke
Market for Metro Detroit rentals here, credit to build isn't
Source: metromode, 4/23/2009
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
Downtown Farmington's McNut building gets new façade
Source: metromode, 4/23/2009
Downtown Farmington is putting on a new
face this spring as the McNut building undergoes a facadectomy. The
single-story structure next to the Civic Theatre is about to get its
original look back, and a second story to boot.
"Something that fits in with the historic architecture of downtown Farmington," says Steven Schneemann, owner of S3 Architecture, which designed the new façade.
The
century-old structure served as the home of Books Abound for years near
the intersection of Grand River Avenue and Farmington Road before going
vacant a few years ago. An ugly mid-20th Century façade covered it for
most of that time.
The 1,600-square-foot structure is being
renovated to accommodate an office tenant. The space is still
available. A new second story false front will top the brick
façade. A similar job was done to the nearby Exchange Building last year.
The project is expected to wrap up by July.
Source: Steven Schneemann, owner of S3 Architecture
Writer: Jon Zemke
Lawrence Tech welcomes Ockham's Wedge sculpture
Source: metromode, 4/23/2009
Lawrence Technological University has
a quad area in its Southfield campus near the Taubman Student Services
Center. A nice tranquil place that is dotted with landscaping and small
pieces of public art, but in need of something more.
"We had
an area that has a circular walk and begged to have something in it to
finish off," says Carey Valentine, director of facilities for Lawrence
Tech.
University officials solved that problem with the Ockham’s
Wedge, a large metal sculpture donated by wealthy alumnus Alfred
Taubman. The super-sized sculpture was installed earlier this month and
now stands guard as one of the university's premier pieces of art.
"This is a signature piece," Valentine says.
It's
definitely not hard to miss. The sculpture stands about 24 feet tall
and weighs 3,000 pounds. It's designed by Beverly Pepper, a leading
American sculptor known for her large steel sculptures and totem
figures.
The sculpture's name refers to William of Ockham, a
14th-century English philosopher associated with Ockham's Razor, a
principle of scientific inquiry that postulates that the simplest
explanation is probably the best.
Source: Carey Valentine, director of facilities for Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County honors 98 sustainable schools
Source: metromode, 4/23/2009
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
Metro Detroit goes green with events, giveaways this spring
Source: metromode, 4/23/2009
Spring is in the air and it's full of
metaphors about sustainability and living green in Metro Detroit. Among
them are a line of environmentally friendly events and giveaways in the
next few weeks.
The biggest will be the 2nd-annual Green Street Fair
in downtown Plymouth during the first weekend of May. The fair features
a variety of companies, non-profits, workshops and entertainment with a
focus on sustainability. Last year those attending learned about local
eco-friendly and organic products and initiatives.
"We
estimated we had about 80,000 people over the two-day event," says
Mandi Buckland, one of the organizers for the Green Street Fair.
Not
to be outdone, Macomb County is teaming up with Walmart and the state
to give away energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. The
give-away, already in progress, will continue everyday between 11 a.m.
and 8 p.m. until more than 165,000 CFLs are distributed. Basically that
is enough CFLs for half of the households in the county.
CFLs
use about one quarter of the energy of an incandescent light bulb and
last 10 times longer. Each can save up to $30 in electricity costs per
bulb. They are being distributed at Walmart stores in Chesterfield
Township, Roseville, Shelby Township and Sterling Heights.
Lincoln
Park is also looking at hosting a Sustainability Day on May 17 at its
farmer's market. This would include a showcase of local environmentally
friendly products.
Source: Mandi Buckland, organizer for the
Green Street Fair, Macomb County and Leslie Lynch-Wilson, organizer of
the Lincoln Park Sustainability Day
Writer: Jon Zemke
State land bank going green, offering vacant lots for community gardens
Source: Model D, 4/23/2009
Michigan's Land Bank is getting ready to unload some property on Detroit's urban farmers.
Excerpt:
The State of Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority is making its inventory of nearly 7,000 vacant lots statewide -- 6,000 in Detroit alone -- available as community gardens via its Garden for Growth program.
"Our goals, in addition to finding productive uses for these vacant plots, is to support the Governor's Urban Food Initiative," says Carrie Lewand-Monroe, the Michigan Land Bank's executive director. "We're hoping to help allow folks in urban areas to access fresh, healthy food."
Read the rest of the story here.
Near North aims to provide affordable housing in Ann Arbor
Source: Concentrate, 4/23/2009
Near North is coming closer to becoming an affordable housing reality in Ann Arbor.
Excerpt:
Living
in the downtown Ann Arbor area is relatively easy if you A) have been
there for years and years or B) have a lot of money. The people behind
the Near North want to provide a C) option for those denizens who don’t exactly fit into the first two options.
"In
our mind this is a perfect place for service workers and entry-level
workers in downtown," says Michael Appel, executive director of Avalon
Housing. "There is virtually nothing available at the entry-level range
in downtown."
Read the rest of the story here.
People's Food Co-op stays put in downtown Ann Arbor
Source: Concentrate, 4/23/2009
The People's Food Co-op plans to stay in place in Ann Arbor's city center.
Excerpt:
The People's Food Cooperative
isn't going anywhere. The long-time healthy food staple has renewed its
lease for its current location and will continue on as downtown's only
grocery store.
"We're certainly looking at staying in the
neighborhood," says Kevin Sharp, marketing and member services manager
for the People's Food Co-op. "This location has been really, really
good to us."
Read the rest of the story here.
Downtown Rochester's Millrace Lofts nearly full
Source: metromode, 4/16/2009
The Millrace Lofts are quickly filling up now that the development has opened its options to include land contracts and leasing.
The
downtown Rochester development features 16 loft units. Only five of
those are still available. More than half of the development has been
sold. All of the units are 1,650 square feet with two bedrooms and 2.5
baths. Each unit comes with an attached garage and a balcony. Each also
has an open, loft-like floor plan and high ceilings.
The townhouse-style development at 98 Mill St. is at the edge of downtown, overlooking the Clinton River and adjacent to the Clinton River Creek Trail. The trail has turned into a major selling point for the development.
"The
people enjoy being right next to the trail," says Laurie Hough,
spokeswoman for Millrace Lofts. "A majority of the people who live here
are young and like to take advantage of the trail."
For information, call (248) 765-0026.
Source: Laurie Hough, spokeswoman for Millrace Lofts
Writer: Jon Zemke