Downtown Royal Oak theater/entertainment complex moves forward
Source: metromode, 9/28/2009
The proposal to build a new movie theater
in downtown Royal Oak took a big step forward earlier this week when
the City Commission passed a resolution committing the city to
approving the project's liquor license application.
That means
plans to build a 10-screen theater in the parking lot behind the Main
Art Theater can go forward. The developer behind the Main North building and
Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment, want to
build a combination first-run movie theater complex, bowling alley, and
bar. The theater would be similar to the Emagine theaters in Novi,
Canton, Birch Run, and Woodhaven.
The theater would show
first-run movies and offer 16 bowling lanes. In contrast, the Main Art
shows independent and foreign film house-style movies.
""We
don't think we'll be competing with the Main Art in any way, shape, or
form," Glantz says. "In fact we think we'll help because it brings more
movie goers to the area."
The $14 million entertainment complex is proposed for the large empty lot at Troy Street and 11 Mile Road. It
will feature 1,700 seats, with theaters holding from 86 to 395 viewers.
There will be some bowling lanes set aside for the general public, and
a private party room with four bowling lanes on the mezzanine level.
The
bowling alleys will be more drop-in bowlers, as opposed to leagues. The
complex will give a free pair of socks to bowlers who rent shoes and
wipes to clean bowling balls.
"It will be all about people who come out and to socialize and have fun," Glantz says.
Preliminary
designs call for a one-story building, similar to modern-day cinemas
and in contrast to the multi-story theaters in downtown Birmingham. As
of yet, nothing is planned to be built above the screens.
Source: Paul Glantz, founder and chairman of Emagine Entertainment
Writer: Jon Zemke
New plans come to light for old Kmart HQ in Troy
Source: metromode, 9/28/2009
New plans are in the works for the old Kmart headquarters in Troy.
Gone are neo-urbanism designs for a large, dense, mixed-use village called the Pavilions of Troy. Coming is something potentially similar, but possibly not.
"They
want to make it less dense or less intense," says Mark F. Miller,
assistant city manager for Troy. Miller adds that he is in the know
about the plans for the possible development, but admits he hasn't seen
any drawings or diagrams yet.
What he does know is that
Farmington Hills-based Grand Sakwa Properties has made an offer on the
property and could close on it as soon as December. It has pulled a PUD
(planned-unit development) revision application and is looking at
pursuing a public-private partnership with Troy.
The old plan,
which petered out earlier this year, called for demolishing the old
Kmart headquarters on Big Beaver Road and replacing it with a dense
urban center in the middle of sprawlville. The $300 million development
entailed 500,000 square feet of retail space, 300,000 square feet of
office space, a 250-key hotel, 750 residential units (lofts and
townhouses), a 3000-seat theater, grocery stores, restaurants, and a
public ice skating rink.
Source: Mark F. Miller, assistant city manager for Troy
Writer: Jon Zemke
LTU expands laboratory space
Source: metromode, 9/28/2009
Lawrence Technological University is expanding the laboratory space in its College of Engineering building in Southfield.
The
university expects to spend $400,000 converting recently vacated space
into new laboratories for everything from civil to chemical engineering. The human resources department moved its offices to make room for the expansion of the bio-medical program.
Five
new biomedical labs, expanded studying areas and prototyping space set
aside specifically for entrepreneurial projects will fill the area.
There is also a new conference room and offices for civil engineering.
So
far about half of the funds have been used to buy and install
equipment. Another $200,000 is needed to finish off the expansion,
which should take about another year.
"We're doing it in phases," says Devdas "Dave" Shetty, dean of the College of Engineering at Lawrence Technological University.
Source: Devdas "Dave" Shetty, dean of the College of Engineering at Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke
District Lofts all leased out, plans on starting 2nd phase
Source: metromode, 9/28/2009
The District Lofts are finished and full, but more of the same type of contemporary living spaces in Birmingham's emerging Rail District might be on the way.
All 24 of The District Lofts'
units are not only finished, but fully leased. The quick success of the
for-sale-turned-for-lease project is prompting the developer, J.C.
Cataldo, to look at building a second phase of units that will also be
for lease.
"There is a shift in living patterns," Cataldo says.
Rents
for units that once commanded prices starting at $400,000 now begin 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 Eton 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 planned for the area.
Source: J.C. Cataldo, developer of The District Lofts
Writer: Jon Zemke
Ferndale revs up for new property showcase this fall
Source: metromode, 9/28/2009
Ferndale's Commercial Property Showcase is apparently here to stay as it enters into its third year this fall.
The annual event, put on by the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce,
is a tour of a number of commercial properties available for sale or
lease in the inner-ring suburb. The idea is to bring more developer and
entrepreneurs, i.e. job creators, to the city on Sept. 24.
"We're utilizing social media quite a bit to get the word out," says Jennifer Roosenberg, executive director of the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce.
The
idea is based on the home tour concept that real estate agents use.
However, city officials use the showcase as a chance to show
prospective business owners what space is available and what it can
become. The featured properties include retail, office, industrial,
mixed-use and brownfield redevelopment spaces.
Previous years
were self-guided tours. This year will be a guided tour of 26
properties. The last two tours have resulted in a number of sales and
signed leases. Investors from as far away as the East Coast have made
the trip to see Ferndale properties. Attendance is expected to be
between 100-200 people.
For information, call (248) 542-2160.
Source: Jennifer Roosenberg, executive director of the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce
Writer: Jon Zemke
Birmingham fights Rouge River erosion with new initiative
Source: metromode, 9/28/2009
Birmingham's Booth Park is getting a
little bit of river bank restoration love this fall, thanks to a new
city improvement project.
The city is focusing on the
prevention of river erosion on the Rouge River at the point where it
enters the 4-acre park, just north of downtown. A sharp bend in the
river causes the western bank to erode with the river's current. To
remedy this problem, city staff are trying to straighten out the river
and reinforce a city seawall already in place.
"That's in there
to prevent North Old Woodward from sliding into the river," says
Brendan Cousino, assistant city engineer for Birmingham.
To help
prevent this, workers are clearing out some space for flooding and
native plantings to soak up some of the water that rushes through. They
are also placing some rock structures in the river bed to help center
the river flow.
The project is expected to wrap up in October.
Source: Brendan Cousino, assistant city engineer for Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke
Polly Ann Trail gets extended
Source: Lake Orion Review, 9/28/2009
The Polly Ann Trail is extended to Orion Township.
Excerpt:
The Polly Ann Trail recently opened a new segment in Orion Township, near Civic Center Park.
The Polly Ann Trail is a 14.2-mile, non-motorized trail located in
Oakland County Michigan in suburban Detroit. The trail connects the
communities of Orion Township, Oxford Township, the Village of Oxford,
Addison Township, and the Village of Leonard.
Read the entire article
here.
Kreger House has new home in Franklin
Source: metromode, 9/14/2009
It says a lot about a project when raising money is the easy part. That's the case with the preservation of the Kreger House in Franklin.
The
hard part was picking up the historic structure and moving it quite a
distance down the road to its new home. The original location is now
being used as a spot to build a new home, a process that would have
meant the end for the Kreger house had preservationists not stepped in.
"It's on its foundation today and the stone mason is putting the stone foundation on," says Bill Lamontt, vice president of the Franklin Historical Society.
The
Greek Revival home, barn, and outhouse started as an 80-acre farm in
the 1860s. The original family lived on the property, at 26565 Scenic
Drive, until a few years ago. It has been vacant ever since.
The historical society moved the Kreger House
to the village green's property next to the Franklin Village Hall on
Franklin Road. It has raised $160,000 to move the dwelling and build a
foundation, which is set to happen this summer. It needs another
$240,000 for the renovation. The house will be used as a community
center for the village.
The Kreger House is one of Franklin's
first farmhouses, built by Charles and Grace Johnston. Grace Johnston's
maiden name was German and her father was the miller in town. German
Mill Road was named in honor of her family. The Johnstons passed the
house down to their daughter, who married Arthur Kreger, a builder. He
lived in it until his death in the 1980s.
Sources: Bill Lamontt, vice president of the Franklin Historical Society
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland University opens new tech center in Kresge Library
Source: metromode, 9/14/2009
Learning in the 21st Century is getting a boost at Oakland University, thanks to its new Technology Learning Center.
The
center is in the university's Kresge Library. It opened earlier this
year but will have its grand opening on Tuesday. The new tech center
features an information commons, along with e-learning and
instructional support.
"We are trying to create synergies
between different areas of information technology that help learning
and research," says Frank Lepkowski, associate dean of the Kresge Library at Oakland University.
The
Rochester-based facility offers computer workstations, laptops,
software, peripherals and media computers with large-screen LCD
monitors. Students will also have access to the library's wireless
network, digital library resources, staff, Web 2.0 and other
technologies at their disposal.
"It's very flexible space,"
Lepkowski says. "If you want to work at a computer with some extra
space, you can do that. If you want to convene a study group, you can
do that."
Source: Frank Lepkowski, associate dean of the Kresge Library at Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Downtown Farmington streetscape nearly complete
Source: metromode, 9/14/2009
One side of the tracks, errr…, road is finished in the downtown Farmington streetscape project, and the other isn't far behind.
Work
crews have finished the north side of the road, and are about to finish
off the water-and-sewer section of the south side soon. The whole
project is expected to wrap up by October, with an Oct. 24 ribbon
cutting scheduled.
"I expect over the next couple of weeks we'll
see the real visible parts come in," says Annette Knowles, executive
director of the Farmington Downtown Development Authority.
The
visible parts include the curbs, brick pavers, planters, and trees.
Most of that is already installed on the north side of the street.
The
multi-million dollar project is rebuilding Grand River Avenue between
Farmington Road and Warner Street, making the byway friendlier to
pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists. It will expand the sidewalk
area, add bump-outs around parallel parking spaces, and install new
sidewalks, crosswalks, benches, bike racks, trash cans, and decorative
streetlights.
The original plan
called for doing the same sort of work on Grove Street between Grand
River and Orchard Street. That has now been put on hold for at least a
year until the city finds financing.
Source: Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
SEMCOG wants input on transit plan
Source: metromode, 9/14/2009
Most of the time a local government body
wants public input about transportation and centers of mass transit.
That's not necessarily so with the Southeast Michigan Council of
Government's latest string of transportation meetings.
SEMCOG
will host public meetings in September (and one in October) for its
Direction2035 plan, the region's next long-range transportation plan.
The idea is to figure out in which type of transportation
infrastructure to invest.
"It's not just public transit. It's the whole gamut of things," says Carmine Palombo, director of transportation for SEMCOG.
A copy of the plan can be seen here.
The
meetings will be held on Sept. 23 at 9:30 a.m. and Sept. 25 at 1 p.m.
in SEMCOG's offices, 535 Griswold, Suite 300 in Detroit. Another
meeting will be held Oct. 22 at 4:30 p.m. at the ConCorde Inn, 44315
Gratiot in Clinton Township.
For information, send an email to Direction2035@semcog.org or call (313) 324-3362 or send a letter to SEMCOG, Attn: Information Center, 535 Griswold, Suite 300, Detroit, MI 48226.
Source: Carmine Palombo, director of transportation for SEMCOG
Writer: Jon Zemke
AIA Birmingham tour flaunts new architecture
Source: metromode, 9/14/2009
Homes like you've never seen before, at least outside of magazines, will be on full display this fall as the Detroit chapter of the American Institute of Architects kicks off its semi-annual house tour.
This
year the tour will feature five homes from the Birmingham-Bloomfield
area during Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. The Detroit chapter of the AIA only holds
these tours once every two years and rotates the communities it
highlights for each tour.
"It showcases the finest homes in the area," says Tany Nagy, co-chair of the AIA-Detroit House Tour.
The
tour is focusing on modern architecture. Three of the houses are new,
while the other two are renovations that emphasize contemporary design.
All of the homes are designed by AIA architects and feature innovative
design concepts that represent some of the most current thinking and
trends in residential design.
The tour begins in the
Birmingham Parking Garage, 333 Old Woodward Ave. in downtown
Birmingham. Tickets, which go on sale this week, go for $15 a pop in
advance and $20 the day of the tour. For information, call (313)
965-4100.
Source: Tany Nagy, co-chair of the AIA-Detroit House Tour
Writer: Jon Zemke
Urbane Apartments open up on Adams
Source: metromode, 9/14/2009
The first resident moved into Urbane on Adams, the newest offering from Urbane Apartments.
The
Royal Oak-based property manager recently turned what was once a
foreclosed old folks home into a 42-unit apartment building geared
toward young professionals. Urbane Apartments specializes in turning
old apartment properties in vibrant downtown areas into luxury
dwellings for young people.
"We're staying at a pretty high occupancy," says Eric Brown, co-founder of Urbane Apartments.
He
does concede that his 14 properties are feeling the effects of the
economy and people losing their jobs. However, Urbane Apartments is
also seeing an influx of people temporarily moving into Metro Detroit
for jobs. The company offers a freedom lease that lets tenants sign a
month-to-month lease with a refundable fee, which is a key factor in
attracting this business.
Urbane on Adams is on Adams Street,
just north of Birmingham's Rail District. It will consist of 42 luxury
one-bedroom rentals and a 2,000-square-foot club house-turned-office
space. Brown plans to create a co-working space in the club house,
which should be available later this fall.
Source: Eric Brown, co-founder of Urbane Apartments
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County dedicates new and old Lady Justice statues
Source: metromode, 9/14/2009
The sheet will come off Oakland County's Lady Justice, both the new and old versions, on Tuesday in a public ceremony.
The
Oakland County Courthouse will unveil the new statue that will stand
guard at the court's entrance in downtown Pontiac. It will also feature
a new marble base that will support the piece of public art.
"We'll
have the original out there as well," says Steven Stanford, an Oakland
County project coordinator for facilities engineering.
The
year-long project began last year when harsh weather damaged the
original 105-year-old statue, ripping off the scales and cracking her
arm. The Fine Arts Sculpture Center in Clarkston recently conducted a
$40,900 restoration of Lady Justice.
A
long life outdoors has weakened her zinc statue frame to the point that
it must be indoors to survive. The original statue will be kept on
display inside the courthouse for the remainder of its life.
A
new bronze copy of the statue will replace the original in the
courthouse's south plaza. The county also replaced the stucco base with
one of marble to match the courthouse's exterior.
The county
bought the 9-foot-tall statue in 1904 from W.H. Mullins, a Salem,
Ohio-based statue manufacturer. 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.
Source: Steven Stanford, project coordinator for facilities engineering at Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland University starts bike-share, van shuttle services
Source: metromode, 9/14/2009
It's not just the University of Michigan
and Ann Arbor that are finding new and innovative ways to get
university students, staff, and faculty around. Oakland University and
Rochester are getting into the groove, too.
"It is important to
start looking at alternative forms of transportation," Glenn McIntosh,
dean and assistant vice president for student affairs at Oakland
University, said in a press release.
Oakland University plans to
start two new alternative transportation programs this fall – a
bike-share and van-shuttle programs. These environmentally friendly
services will be available to all university patrons for free.
The
bike-share program is a student-led initiative that will depend on the
honor system. It will feature 30 bicycles for on-campus use only at 30
different bike racks across the campus. The bikes will be stored in the
winter term.
Another seven bike racks will be added to campus to
facilitate the program. Student and university officials are also
working on plans to make the commuter campus more bike-friendly by
adding bike lanes and trails throughout the campus.
Shuttle
buses, a pilot program, will enable students and staff to travel
between campus points without having to worry about losing their
parking spaces. The 12-seat vans will run in a loop between Busch's
shopping center, Buffalo Wild Wings, the Village of Rochester, and
downtown Rochester during weekends.
Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Drive-in restaurant hopes to roll into town
Source: Hometown Life, 9/14/2009
Drive-in, roller-skating restaurant may be coming to Royal Oak.
Excerpt:
Sonic Drive-In, a fast-food restaurant that employs roller skating
servers, may be replacing the vacated Wendy's at the southwest corner
of 11 Mile and Washington.
The
62-year-old fast-food chain, based in Oklahoma City, Okla., recreates
the drive-in diner feel of the 1950s. Servers greet customers at their
vehicle, sometimes on roller skates.
"To
us, (Detroit) is still the car capital of the world and this brings the
nostalgia back, celebrates the automobile," said Bob Middleton, one of
three principal owners of the proposed franchise. "Obviously, three or
four months of the year (servers) won't be allowed to roller skate, but
when the weather allows, (servers) will be roller skating."
Read the entire article
here.