Developer transforms old industrial building in Ferndale into creative class center
Source: metromode, 1/19/2009
What was once old, dirty and busted is now new, edgy and hip in Ferndale.
GVA Detroit has turned what was once an old mid-20th Century industrial building into a mixed-use building, complete with loft-style office space on Hilton Street between 8 and 9 mile roads.
"We're trying to get the creative class to come there," says Jennifer Roosenberg, marketing and communications manager for GVA Detroit.
The Southfield-based firm bought what it now calls the Zicor Building three years ago and completely gutted the structure so the only original pieces left are the walls, roof and floor.
"It was in pretty rough shape," Roosenberg says.
The city rezoned the property for mixed-use, giving GVA Detroit a lot of flexibility on what it could do there. It's part of the reason why the developer left the units raw so the prospective tenants have more options on customizing the space. It has led to a lot of loft-life offices, with high ceilings, exposed ductwork and wide-open spaces.
The 15,000-square-foot building is divided into eight units over two floors. So far about 25 percent of the structure is occupied and another large tenant is close to signing. One of the tenants is a payroll company for the film industry that just opened a Michigan office.
Source: Jennifer Roosenberg, marketing and communications manager for GVA Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke
All finished units leased in Birmingham's District Lofts
Source: metromode, 1/19/2009
The District Lofts in Birmingham are filling up fast now that the development in the city's emerging Rail District has gone rental.
All of the project's available units, nearly one third of them, are currently
leased. The next third set of units will come online in January and the rest are expected to be finished in March.
"The leasing is going quite well," says J.C. Cataldo, developer of The District Lofts.
The
development originally started out as for-sale units with a starting
price of $400,000. The tough real-estate market and even worse credit
market made it nearly impossible to complete the sale of some of the
units.
That prompted Cataldo to make the switch to rentals, following other prominent luxury developments like The Fifth Royal Oak and New Street Lofts in Mt. Clemens. Urbane Apartment's redevelopment rentals in downtowns are going fast, too.
The
District Lofts appear to be following suit. Rents in the 24-unit
development start at $2,700 a month for a 1,550-square-foot loft. That
includes all of the utilities and an underground parking space. They go
as high as $3,400 a month for just under 2,000 square feet.
The
development consists of a 4-story, mixed-use building where the homes
are located above ground floor retail space and an underground heated
parking garage. They are a few blocks east of downtown Birmingham on
South Eaton Street.
The old industrial corridor is dotted with
old factory buildings that are being converted to lofts and businesses
as the city redevelops the neighborhood. A stop for a northern
extension of the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line is also planed
for the area.
For information, call (248) 593-6000.
Source: J.C. Cataldo, developer of The District Lofts
Writer: Jon Zemke
Woodward Action wants to help fund next streetscape project
Source: metromode, 1/19/2009
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
Riley Skate Park 70 percent done, looks to open this summer
Source: metromode, 1/19/2009
Riley Skate Park
might not look like much now, but it will definitely be a sight to
behold in a few short months, according to Bryan Farmer, a recreation
supervisor with Farmington Hills.
The skate park is nearly 70
percent complete and construction is set to resume this spring. Farmer
expects it to be done and open by June. A number of skateboarding teams
and vendors from across the U.S. have already inquired about it.
"We have had a lot of skateboarders interested in coming out for the grand opening," Farmer says.
Riley
promises to be one of the most innovative skate parks to come around
southeast Michigan in a long time. It goes beyond the normal concrete
hills, ramps and rails of the standard Midwestern skate park. It
includes features such as an 8-foot-tall cylinder that looks like a
sewer pipe built into the ground instead of above it. There are also a
variety of in-ground pits and ditches, giving the park a "West Coast"
feel.
Local officials are raising money to bring in extra
features such as lighting and webcams to the 29,000-square-foot park.
Riley occupies a corner of Founder's Sports Park at 35500 Eight Mile
Road between Gill and Halstead roads near the Farmington Hills Ice
Arena.
More than 722,000 people come through the park each
year. That number is expected to dramatically increase after the skate
park is finished. City officials believe the skate park will become a
regional attraction, bringing in nearly 200 people each day.
The skate park is named after George Riley of the Riley Foundation
who gave $500,000 toward the $850,000 project. For information on the
project, contact Farmer at (248) 473-1805 or BFarmer@fhgov.com.
Source: Bryan Farmer, a recreation supervisor with Farmington Hills
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland University extends reach into downtown Rochester
Source: metromode, 1/19/2009
Looks like Oakland University is seeing the advantages of urbanism after all.
The university is teaming up with the Royal Park Hotel
in downtown Rochester, designating the hotel as the university's
officials conference center and preferred destination for guests.
University's officials called the hotel one of the area's "premier"
hotels, a place that will significantly enhance the school's culture.
The
partnership is expected to bring more foot traffic and business to
Rochester, which has one of Metro Detroit's most vibrant city centers.
Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills and is the
stereotypical suburban-style commuter campus.
The Royal Park Hotel is one of Metro Detroit's top downtown hotels, on par with The Townsend in downtown Birmingham and the Book Cadillac and Fort Shelby hotels in downtown Detroit. It's designed to look like old English manor.
The
hotel is on the south side of University Drive, a few blocks east of
Main Street. It overlooks the banks of the Paint Creek and the Paint Creek Trail.
Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland University considers SMART Bus services
Source: metromode, 1/19/2009
Oakland University has long been known as a commuter school, but university officials are looking to broaden the local definition of commuting.
For
years and years students have mainly gotten to and from the school via
personal transportation (re: cars). University officials have
begun talking with their counterparts from Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation about linking the school to a number of local institutions.
Now that the university has strengthened its ties with the Royal Park Hotel,
school officials are looking for new ways to get students and staff to
and from downtown Rochester, along with several other destinations like
shopping malls.
Local education, municipal and business leaders
have been talking about the idea and appear to support it. It is also
popular with students, according to a recent survey conducted by the
university.
The road block to all of this appears to be the
cost, creating a route costs about $400,000 annually. Local officials
are still trying to figure out where that money will come from.
Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Developer of Pontiac's Lot 9 seeks for project financing
Source: metromode, 1/19/2009
Money, money, money... Money! Money! That's what the developer behind the Lot 9 project in downtown Pontiac is looking for.
West
Investments is still trying to line up financing for the project. City
officials expect him to come back with an update by the end the month.
The Pontiac Downtown Development Authority chose West Investments (headed up by Kyle Westberg, owner of Pontiac-based West Construction)
to develop the 6.7 acre parcel at the northeast corner of Saginaw and
Pike streets. The property is currently a surface parking lot at the
knot end of the Woodward Avenue loop that surrounds downtown.
The
development calls for building a 4-story, mixed-use structure. The
building will feature ground floor retail space with a yet-to-be-named
anchor tenant. Above that will be three floors of residential space.
The number of units and whether they will be rental apartments or
for-sale condos has also not been determined.
Source: Pontiac Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland Community College invests millions in Royal Oak, Southfield campuses
Source: metromode, 1/19/2009
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