120 East Hudson transforms downtown Royal Oak
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
Most people would look at 120 E Hudson
St. and think it doesn't have a future in downtown Royal Oak, but Jim
Schneider and Jim Johnson are prognosticators of better times.
The
building is one of a set of unremarkable industrial structures
bookended by B&B Collision and the railroad tracks on the south
side of downtown. Think plain-jane brick and cinder block edifices that
have been rebuilt and expanded time and time again since their first
incarnations as machine shops in the early 20th Century. These are not
the buildings people want to hug.
That hasn't stopped
Schneider and Johnson from giving 120 E Hudson a new lease on life.
They are at the tail end of transforming a "down-and-dirty industrial
building," according to Schneider,
to trendy loft-style office space, adding some much needed foot traffic
and renewal to a sleepy side of downtown. And they're not the first
ones to do that. Two others on this block have already made the
transition. Another one is on its way.
"Realistically, this is
what Royal Oak needs," says Jim Johnson, developer of 120 E Hudson.
"There are enough bars and restaurants around here. We need more office
workers."
What is now 120 E Hudson used to be much bigger.
Schneider, president of Royal Oak-based Schneider+Smith Architects,
literally cut the building in half and put a small parking lot in
between the two structures, creating what is now 120 and 200 E Hudson.
Both are in the process of becoming offices.
120 E Hudson,
which is nearly finished, doesn't even look like a light industrial
building. Its exterior is now clad in brick, concrete, aluminum, and
glass, giving it a modern, contemporary look. It looks like the
developer listened to the architect when it came to the design, instead
of the other way around.
The interior is similar in appearance,
with an open floor plan flanked by a couple walls of offices on the
ground floor. The L-shaped mezzanine with its steel staircase, railing,
and caged fans above give the open area the feeling of a factory floor.
Its metallic look and brushed concrete floors complement its aesthetic
and history.
An advertising co-op of about 25 people is set to
occupy the 7,000-square-foot building later this month. Johnson is
still looking for a tenant for 200 E Hudson. That structure is still in
the down-and-dirty industrial phase, but set to come online looking
like its neighbor before the end of the year.
"It is a great use for these old buildings," Schneider says. "It's really green architecture if you think about it."
Source: Jim Schneider, president of Schnieder+Smith Architects and Jim Johnson, developer of 120 and 200 E Hudson St.
Writer: Jon Zemke
Lady Justice now stands atop new marble pedestal
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
Oakland County's most prominent legal employee is about to get a new soapbox to stand on in Pontiac.
Restoration of the Lady Justice
statue in front of the Oakland County Courthouse began last year after
foul weather tore away her scales and cracked her arm. She was set to
return in May, but county officials discovered that her cinder block
and stucco base was also cracked and needed work. A new marble base
that not only matches the courthouse's exterior but came from the same
stone quarry has been ordered.
"The statue turned out so
fantastic we wanted to put it on a better pedestal," says Steven
Sanford, an Oakland County project coordinator for facilities
engineering.
The county bought the 9-foot-tall statue in 1904
from W.H. Mullins, a Salem, Ohio-based company that manufactured
statues. She stood guard in front of the old Oakland County Courthouse
until 1962, when the building was demolished. After spending the next
two decades in storage, she was returned to the plaza in front of the
new courthouse until last year's storm exposed the cracks that had been
weathering on her for years.
The Fine Arts Sculpture Center in
Clarkston recently conducted a $40,900 restoration of Lady Justice, but
a century of life deteriorated her pressed zinc frame to the point that
it needs to be indoors to survive. She will be installed in the
courthouse and a new bronze copy of the statue will replace Lady
Justice at the courthouse's south plaza. Both are expected to be
installed by the end of the summer.
Oakland County is currently
trying to raise money to restore the statue and to buy a new one. For
information, contact Penny Knope at knopep@oakgov.com or call (248)
858-1208.
Source: Steven Sanford, project coordinator for facilities engineering at Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Arkitektura triples its space in Birmingham's Rail District
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
Lots of businesses would jump to have
prime retail space on Old Woodward Avenue in the heart of downtown
Birmingham. Arkitektura jumped at the chance to leave it.
The artistic furniture store moved about a mile east on Maple Road to Birmingham's Rail District. Like a number of other businesses in recent years, it took over space in a former industrial warehouse in the emerging neighborhood.
"We moved to this area because this is an up-and-coming area," says Lisa Poleni, a spokeswoman for Arkitektura. "This is the SoHo of Birmingham."
The
5,500-square-foot store is celebrating its 25th anniversary in a much
bigger spot. For the same rent, its Rail District home at 2131 Cole St.
is nearly three times larger than its former downtown space.
The
Rail District is an old industrial area on the border of Troy with a
rail line running through it. Businesses and new residents have been
converting the buildings into homes and places for retailers and
restaurants. Birmingham and Troy plan to build a transit station there
for a planned northern extension of the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail
line.
Source: Lisa Poleni, a spokeswoman for Arkitektura
Writer: Jon Zemke
City of Birmingham enhances $2.3M Shain Park renovation
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
Changes are coming to the Shain Park renovation project, which is just getting underway.
The
downtown Birmingham Park is about to undergo a $2.3 million renovation
and expansion project that promises to remake and enhance the
greenspace. There are some last-minute changes coming for it, too, such
as enhanced lighting on the Marshall Fredricks statue and War Memorial
and improvements to the reading area.
The current plan
is a downsized version of what was originally proposed. The original
plans called for a 210-space parking garage beneath the park extension
onto a vacant lot across Henrietta Street, next to The Townsend Hotel.
The idea was nixed when it became apparent that the cost would approach
eight figures.
Now the city plans to turn about two-thirds of
the vacant parcel into green space. The remaining third will be
maintained as parking, downsized from 150 spaces to 87, including new
spots on the street. It will also pay for the addition of an
amphitheater.
Source: City of Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Flute House restores building in Royal Oak's downtown
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
Few people would guess a high-end flute
store is the new next door neighbor for B&B Collision, a long-time
staple in downtown Royal Oak, on South Main Street.
Ervin Monroe, the retired principal flutist for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, will open The Flute House
by the end of the year at 913 S. Main St. The 2-story building will
house the store on the ground floor and Monroe's home on the second.
"He sells high-end flutes by appointment only and sheet music out the back," says Keith Phillips, co-founder of Brighton-based The Think Shop Architects, designer of the building.
It started out as home to Alegra Print & Imaging
in the mid-20th Century, and has since played host to a body shop and
brick emporium. The original building will house 5,000 square feet of
retail space on the ground floor. The residential space above measures
out to 2,100 square feet.
Construction has been going on for
about a year. When finished, Phillips says it will have a progressive
contemporary look sure to make heads turn and jaws drop.
"It's
going to be bright red," says Phillips, who is also a professor at
Lawrence Technological University. "It's going to snap some heads back
when it’s done."
Source: Keith Phillips, co-founder of The Think Shop Architects
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Fifth Royal Oak fills residential and commercial space
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
The Fifth Royal Oak is now full, from top to bottom, and all of its doors will be open by mid-July.
The iconic tower on Washington Street near the Royal Oak Music Theatre
has either sold or leased all of its residential and commercial space.
Jimmy Pallazolo has leased 4,200 square feet of space for his salon, a 20-year-old institution in downtown. It is expected to open by July 10.
The
rest of the 78 residences in the 18-story high-rise are now occupied
and the fitness room for the residents is set to open on July 10, too.
Even though The Fifth Royal Oak started out as a for-sale development,
the plummeting real-estate market forced the developer to include
rentals and now it is mostly filled with renters.
"That's really where the market is today," says John Hanna, co-developer of The Fifth Royal Oak. "The lease market is pretty hot."
One
of the swankiest developments in downtown Royal Oak, this city landmark
is also one of its tallest buildings and offers some of the most
luxurious high-rise living spaces in Metro Detroit. The Fifth Royal oak
offers dramatic views that sweep across southeast Michigan.
The
residential units start at the seventh floor and continue to the top.
All of the homes feature amenities, such as floor-to-ceiling windows
and inset balconies. The condos vary between one, two and three rooms.
The second through sixth floors are dedicated to parking. Each unit
comes with a heated, indoor parking space.
The project is
being spearheaded by Michigan developers John and Jack Hanna of Chrysos
Development & Management Co. For information, call (248) 591-5432.
Source: John Hanna, co-developer of The Fifth Royal Oak
Writer: Jon Zemke
Night Move bus opens new services in Detroit's city center
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
The Night Move is no longer singular. The
popular weekend express shuttle between some of Metro Detroit's most
vibrant downtowns now has a companion shuttle called The Loop.
The Night Move
goes between downtown Royal Oak, Ferndale and Detroit on Fridays and
Saturdays. The Loop will focus on moving between hot spots in Detroit's
downtown and Midtown neighborhoods on Friday and Saturday nights.
The
Loop will stop at the Town Pump Tavern/Centaur, Bookies Bar and Grill,
Greektown, Wayne State, Traffic Jam and Snug and MGM Grand between 6
p.m. and 3 a.m. It costs $5 for an all-night pass.
"We'd like to
eventually run this bus for free," says Jennifer Harlan, marketing
director for The Night Move, adding that accomplishing that requires
more sponsorships from area establishments. "That's the end goal."
The Night Move runs on biodiesel and is owned by Chris Ramos.
Source: Jennifer Harlan, marketing director for The Night Move
Writer: Jon Zemke
Multi-use apartment building proposed for Birmingham
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
More living options are coming to the
center of the city of Birmingham. Bingham Farms-based Hughes Properties
is proposing to build almost 100 apartments in an urban building at the
northern edge of the city's Triangle District.
The site is the
old Hamilton Funeral Home on the southeast corner of Maple Road and Elm
Street. The developer wants to level the existing suburban-style
structure and parking lot so it can construct an urban style apartment
building on the 1.8 acres. The 4-story dwelling will be shaped like an
L and feature 96 apartments, including some live-work units.
Hughes Properties originally proposed building the 100-condo The Regency at Elm
on the site in 2007. That development, geared toward senior citizens,
also included space for a restaurant, offices and other residential
amenities. The for-sale condo project floundered with the housing
market.
It's not known whether the new project will also be
geared toward senior citizens. Attempts to reach Hughes Properties for
comment on the new plans proved unsuccessful.
Source: City of Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke
Rochester takes steps to create a new park
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
Rochester is taking the first steps in a long journey toward creating a new park on the city's south side.
The
Planning Commission expects to begin forming zoning for parks,
recreation, and open space at its July 8 meeting. This would allow the
city to switch the zoning of its old wastewater treatment plants from
industrial to the new classification, clearing the way to create a park
there.
"In our master plan it's listed as a prime location for a
park, recreation or open space," says Jaymes Vettraino, city manager
for Rochester.
The
site, which is several acres in size, housed the city's wastewater
treatment plant for several decades until the mid 1990s, when it was
decommissioned. Most of its buildings and tanks have either been razed
or filled in. One building remains and is used by the fire department
as a training and record storage facility.
The rest of the area is open space. It's also near the Clinton River and the Clinton River Trail.
Source: Jaymes Vettraino, city manager for Rochester
Writer: Jon Zemke
City of Birmingham recognizes innovative projects with historic awards
Source: metromode, 7/20/2009
The Birmingham Historic District Commission's
Awards recognized some of downtown's biggest recent projects, including
the renovation and expansion of the Briggs Building and 203 Pierce, the
home of Toast restaurant.
These
are the sorts of projects where the developer choose to repurpose
old structures into something newer and better. Too often Metro Detroit
businesses looking for new or more space choose to raze and build anew.
It's a far from sustainable practice. The owners of these two buildings
went down a different path, especially the Briggs Building developer.
"They
actually took a look at that and said, 'We need more space but we have
a great building,'" says Sheila Bashiri, city planner for Birmingham.
"They basically recycled the building."
Ted Fuller's company
breathed new life into the historic structure at the corner of Old
Woodward Avenue and Maple Road by adding a third floor and filling in
an adjacent parking lot with a 5-story addition.
The overall
project, which is fully leased, adds 62,000 square feet of space and
175 parking spots. Approximately 42,000 square feet is dedicated to
Class A office space, 10,000 square feet is set aside for retail and
the remainder is luxury apartments. A parking deck is behind the
building.
The original Briggs Building was built as a 2-story
office/retail building in 1930. The adjacent lot served as a surface
parking lot for decades.
Source: Sheila Bashiri, city planner for Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke