The newest addition to Urbane Apartments' impressive lineup of downtown dwellings is about to open in Ferndale.

The first wave of units in the Urbane on Breckenridge building is set to open later this month. The first residents in the rehabilitated structure are expected to move in shortly afterward.

"We'll have half of the units ready within two weeks and the balance within six weeks," says Eric Brown, principal of Urbane Apartments.

The Royal Oak-based firm bought the historic Breckenridge Apartments late last year. The 1930s-era building had fallen on hard times before Brown and his crew were able to come in and start rehabbing the building's 22 units.

Urbane Apartments owns 15 apartment buildings in southeast Oakland County's vibrant downtowns, such as Royal Oak and Berkeley. Its M.O. is to buy undervalued apartment buildings in need of renovation, rehab them, and add unique touches. The end result is a unique product that separates itself from the humdrum Metro Detroit apartment commodity.

Urbane on Breckenridge is one block west of Woodward Avenue and two blocks north of 9 Mile Road. Woodward and 9 Mile is the epicenter of Ferndale's lively downtown.

Urbane also plans on adding some environmentally friendly features to the structure, too, such as fluorescent lighting, bamboo floors, recycled carpet, motion detector light switches, and energy efficient temperature controls.

Source: Eric Brown, principal owner of Urbane Apartments
Writer: Jon Zemke

Work is starting to wrap up at The District Lofts in Birmingham.

So far, 18 of the development's 24 units are finished and 16 of those are leased. The rest are expected to come online by the end of the month.

Those units command rents that start at $2,700 a month for a 1,550-square-foot loft, including utilities and an underground parking space. The pricier ones go for $3,400 a month for just under 2,000 square feet.

The development started out as a for-sale project with starting prices of $400,000. Unfortunately it hit the market as real-estate prices were crashing and credit was crunching, prompting the developer, J.C. Cataldo, to make the switch to rentals. A number of other prominent luxury developments like The Fifth Royal Oak and New Street Lofts in Mt. Clemens have also gone rental and enjoyed success.

The District Lofts 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 development is in the heart of the city's Rail District, an old industrial corridor where old factory buildings are being converted to lofts and businesses. A stop for a northern extension of the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line is also planned for the area.

For information on the development, call (248) 593-6000.

Source: J.C. Cataldo, developer of The District Lofts
Writer: Jon Zemke

Ferndale city officials are getting ready to update the master plan for the city's Parks & Recreation Dept.

The City Council recently hired Kirbach Consultancy to help shepherd city officials through the process. Cities normally update their master plans every five years to comply with state regulations, thus enabling them to bring in state funding for capital projects.

"A lot of parks and recreation buildings have been built with state dollars," says Robert Brunner, city manager for Ferndale.

For instance, the city is spending $130,000 in state funds to revamp tennis courts in one of its parks this spring.

The city will hold public meetings over the next few months to gauge public opinion on what recreation options and park improvements they want to see. Dates for those meetings haven't been determined yet.

Source: Robert Brunner, city manager for Ferndale
Writer: Jon Zemke

Students and staff are already wandering the halls of the new wing of the Auburn Hills campus of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School, but they'll have the whole wing to themselves by the beginning of May.

That's when construction is supposed to wrap up on the project in the shadow of the Chrysler headquarters. Right now, students can wander all over the wing's basement. Construction workers are putting the finishing touches on the ground and second floor.

The 62,000-square-foot addition doubles the size of the 67-acre campus' main 1980s-era GM/UAW building. The old half of the enlarged structure will house meeting space, offices and a large law library.

The new half will house classrooms, faculty offices and courtrooms for both practice trials and real ones. A couple of judges have already committed to moving their courts here.

The modern-looking building is also going for LEED certification. Its green credentials include reusing the existing structure; a 20,000-square-foot green roof; using recycled materials such as carpet; and energy-efficient lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

The structure also incorporates skylights and expansive windows throughout. A significant outdoor terrace opens up to surrounding woodland and wildlife (a herd of deer still roam the grounds).

Cooley opened its Oakland Campus at Oakland University six years ago with 28 students. Today it has 680 students at its new campus in Auburn Hills, at 2630 Featherstone Road. It is expected to hold up to 800 students within the next year or two and eventually grow to more than 1,000.

More than 3,600 students attend the law school, founded in 1972, at its three locations in Lansing, Grand Rapids and Oakland County.

Source: Nick Wasmiller, spokesman for Thomas M. Cooley Law School's Auburn Hills Campus
Writer: Jon Zemke

Law enforcement in Ferndale is in line to get some fancy new digs.

City officials are making plans to build a new downtown home for a district court next to its police department, which is also slated for renovation. The timeline for this project calls for planning to be done this year and construction sometime next year.

"The project is in its early stages right now," says Robert Brunner, city manager of Ferndale.

The district court shares space with other city services. Both homes for the court and police department are cramped and outdated.

The city has put out a request for proposals to find an owners' representative, and plans to hire an architect and builder later this year. Designs, expected square footage, and costs will be determined later this year when the project is fleshed out.

Source: Robert Brunner, city manager of Ferndale
Writer: Jon Zemke

Royal Oak's Beaumont campus has a children's hospital that some don't know about. A new campaign is expected to change that.

Excerpt:

The children's hospital building was built in 2004 at the Royal Oak campus. No additional construction is planned.

"We have done market research and asked families if they were familiar with Beaumont's children's services. Not as many families know about us. We hope to change that," Maisels said.

Over the next several weeks, Beaumont will purchase an unspecified amount of print, radio and billboard advertisements to showcase its children's hospital, said Michael Killian, vice president of marketing and public affairs.

Read the entire article here.

Birmingham's newest and greenest building will be on display this weekend when the developers behind 735 Forest open its doors.

The green credentials of 735 Forest go beyond things like Energy Star heating systems and energy-efficient lighting. It's the first urban-designed, mixed-use building in Birmingham's Triangle District, making it more sustainable than if it were built as office building in the middle of what used to be a cornfield where people have to drive long distances to get to it.

The 3-story building features ground floor commercial space, office space on the second floor and residences on the third. This combination of uses lets the building use energy more efficiently and helps prolong its life expectancy.

With all of this going for it, it's no wonder the developers, Mosher, Dolan, Cataldo & Kelly, and the architect, Victor Saroki & Associates, are going after gold level LEED certification.

The ground floor hosts the Forest Grill, which is run by Brian Polcyn of Five Lakes Grill fame in Milford. The newly opened 65-seat restaurant occupies most of the first floor. Mosher Dolan Cataldo and Kelly, Templeton Building Co. and MJT Development will occupy the second floor offices of the 35,000-square-foot structure.

Eleven lofts are on the third floor. The residences range from 1-3 bedrooms and 763-1236 square feet. For-sale prices start at $299,000 or leases at $2,500 per month. The building will be open to the public between 1-7 p.m. Friday, 1-4 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

The Triangle District is an emerging urban city center just east of downtown. This is one of the latest buildings to be built or renovated in it. The 735 Forest building is next to the new AAA building about one block east of Woodward Avenue.

Source: Deirdre Greene Groves, spokeswoman for Mosher, Dolan, Cataldo & Kelly
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

Birmingham is looking to beef up its ordinance concerning solar panels.

The city's Planning Board recommended approval of the new ordinance that would call for the city's Planning Board to approve the installation of any solar panels installed on commercial buildings.

The idea is that solar panels aren't generally considered visually obtrusive, but city officials would be able to guide property owners to make sure they don't run afoul of local guidelines. The city's Planning Division or Historic District Commission could also make these decisions.

Birmingham will hold a public hearing on the ordinance on March 23.
 
Source: Jana Ecker, planning director for the city of Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke

Vertical parking could be on its way to downtown Ferndale as city officials explore the possibility of building a parking deck on the southeast corner of Woodward Avenue and 9 Mile Road.

The city recently hired the parking-consultant firm Carl Walker to conduct feasibility study on building the parking deck. Ferndale wants to add about 200-250 parking spaces to downtown to accommodate immediate demand (about 150) and future growth (50-100).

The city is currently looking at building the deck on the surface parking lots on either side of the Ferndale Public Library and on the parking lots behind Woodward Avenue Brewers.

Ferndale paid Carl Walker $8,400 for the study. The Kalamazoo-based firm has designed and built a number of parking garages in the Midwest, including the Forest Avenue Garage in Ann Arbor and the Marriott deck in Grand Rapids.

Source: Robert Bruner, city manager for Ferndale
Writer: Jon Zemke

Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County is starting a new program to give people an up-close and personal experience of what the organization is all about.

The program will be held every Thursday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., starting next week. The open house will take up to 12 people on a tour through Ferry Farms in Pontiac, the neighborhood that dozens of Habitat homeowners call home.

The idea is to give people who have been interested in volunteering for Habitat for Humanity exactly what it is the organization does, its mission and the impact it has on its communities.

For information, call (248) 338-1843, ext. 301.

Source: Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke

People who walk through cities experience them much more poignantly than those who simply drive through them. That idea is the thrust behind the Oakland University Art Gallery latest exhibit - CONTEMPORARY FLANERIE: Reconfiguring Cities.

The exhibit focuses on the perspectives of people who walk about cities and how they confront them. This pedestrian mode of transit is often the choice for tourists and potential residents of those areas. The exhibit utilizes photography, video and computer-based art mediums. It challenges those encounter it to consider how they view their urban experiences.

The exhibit opens the evening of March 7 and runs through April 12 in Oakland University's Rochester Hills campus. An opening reception will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday and a curator's talk will take place at 2 p.m. the following day. The events and exhibit are free and open to the public.

Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

A new hospital is set to open in northern Oakland County in mid March, helping expand the health-care options in Metro Detroit.

Henry Ford Health System plans to open its new $360 million Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital on March 15. The new hospital is an addition to Henry Ford Medical Center-West Bloomfield

About 2,300 medical staff will work at the 730,000-square-foot hospital, including 500 primary care physicians and specialists. The new hospital will create 1,200 new jobs. The building is modeled after a northern Michigan lodge, featuring fieldstone and river rock. There will also be a 3-story grand atrium to welcome people.

The new hospital will also have private rooms to house up to 300 beds when it's all said and done, including a female-only floor. About 191 of those will be immediately available upon the opening. The rest will come online in 2011.

The hospital, designed by Albert Kahn Associates, is also going after LEED certification. It is incorporating several environmentally friendly features, such as a rooftop garden, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. The hospital also plans to create walking and biking trails in the wooded area surrounding the hospital.

Source: Henry Ford Health System
Writer: Jon Zemke

Conventional wisdom says that 2008 was one of those years that will live in infamy as far as business goes. Not so for downtown Ferndale.

Investment in the city center jumped to $20 million in 2008 compared to $5 million a year before, representing an increase of 299 percent. That translated to 26 new businesses and a net increase of 225 jobs.

The investment came in a combination of new construction and renovation of existing buildings. The recently finished Lofts on the 9 brought in $9 million while the renovation of the old Ferndale Schools administration building into the new offices of Foley Mansfield brought in another $5 million.

Other smaller renovations helped bump up the amount invested into downtown Ferndale. Long-awaited The Loving Touch and the new downtown home of Blumz by JR Designs are two of the more significant ones. In all 28 buildings were rehabbed, a jump of 40 percent from 2007.

Source: Ferndale Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke

Rochester, Mich. - Efforts are now well under way to capitalize on research opportunities that will broaden Oakland University's already intense focus on applied health and biomedical sciences.

Bradley Roth, director of OU's Center for Biomedical Research, said both faculty and student researchers are excited about an opportunity to take advantage of the institutional resources that support OU's Research Excellence Fund. Grants distributed through the fund are designed to help get fledgling research projects up and running.

 "Often this is viewed as seed money for research that can lead to people getting federal funding later," Roth explained. "You really need the preliminary data to win that."

Virinder Moudgil, OU's senior vice president and provost, said an exciting aspect of the center's grant funding framework is that awards are now available to researchers in schools throughout the university.

 "The good ideas come from everywhere," he explained. "The broader your participation, the more the chances that you'll find those new and encouraging ideas."

Work done by faculty and students often explores the primary mechanisms of physiological systems. This research provides new insights and answers to questions that often stand in the way of breakthroughs in specialized areas of health science.

"We need to support this research and help people understand that it's the foundation on which the health care industry is built," Roth said.

Support for faculty and student research work complements a number of other health-related initiatives at Oakland. These include the founding of the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and plans to build a $62 million Human Health Building as part of a future medical park on campus. A medical school building and a medical research facility also are planned.

For more information about the Center for Biomedical Research, visit http://www2.oakland.edu/cbr/.

Middle schoolers in Farmington and Farmington Hills have a new place to kill some energy.

Excerpt:

The Farmington Hills Youth Family Services Division of the Farmington Hills Special Services Department will open its newest After School Program, known as the POP Center, housed at Prince of Peace Church, near 12 Mile and Farmington Road.

The center, which will be open on Monday, March 2, will be for middle schoolers who attend Dunckel or Warner. It will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from right after school until 5:30 p.m. There is volleyball, basketball, bubble hockey, air hockey, ping-pong, a concession stand and more.

Read the entire article here.

The possible transit center in the Troy/Birmingham area could boost neighborhoods and communities financially.

Excerpt:

The proposed Troy/Birmingham Transit Center could be a financial boost to nearby neighborhoods and the catalyst for improved public transportation in metro Detroit, according to Brian Murphy, assistant city manager for Troy.

Murphy, speaking to the Troy Democratic Club on Wednesday at the Troy Community Center, said the proposed $7 million transit center for riders of bus, train, taxi and potentially light rail, is an investment in the city's future.

The two cities have set aside $1.7 million to develop the three-acre parcel behind the Mid-Town Square and are hoping a project manager hired for $7,500 a month will help secure more funding.

"(A transit center) is not only good for what's now, but what's later," Murphy said. "If we show (elected officials) we use it, it helps us get more money so we can get more transportation.

Read the entire article here.

A citywide path system has been developed for the city of Troy.

Excerpt:

The Troy City Council voted 6-1 Monday to approve a bid by Hamilton Anderson Associates over seven others, according to Carol Anderson, director of the Troy Parks and Recreation Department.

Interviews with company representatives, the price and a sample plan submitted put Hamilton Anderson ahead of the other bidders, Anderson said.

"We didn't pick them as much as they scored the highest," Anderson said in a Tuesday interview.

Anderson said a master plan will take up to seven months to finish and help Troy receive matching funds to build a citywide pathways system. The master plan will cost $40,997.18, plus reimbursable expenses not to exceed $4,450, according to the resolution approved.

Read the entire article here.

Oakland County rolls out summer jobs for the kids to gain valuable work experiences.

Excerpt:

Oakland County Parks and Recreation has many of the summer jobs, such as golf course maintenance and lifeguarding, said Motyka.

Jobs span all areas, however, including criminal justice, healthcare, economic development and social work.

Applicants must submit an Oakland County Merit System on-line application for each position applied for. A full listing of the jobs and how to apply is at www.oakgov.com/jobs.

Read the entire article here.