Development News

WA3 debuts a virtual Woodward Avenue

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Royal Oak, Berkley, Birmingham, Detroit, Ferndale, Pontiac

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

Development News

WA3 debuts a virtual Woodward Avenue

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