Butcher's Daughter gallery increases Ferndale's artsy rep
Source: metromode, 10/26/2009
The 650-square-foot space
for Monica Bowman's new gallery is no stranger to art. Its location
above Woodward Percussion has served as studio space for artists for
years and is now home to The Butcher's Daughter gallery.
"Ferndale
has an established gallery syndicate," Bowman says. "It's a great,
open-minded, diverse community that loves art. I want to capitalize on
what it already has going for it."
Bowman named the art gallery after herself. She is the sister, daughter, and granddaughter of butchers. The Butcher's Daughter moniker just makes sense for those who know Bowman, not to mention it sounds cool.
The
gallery will focus on contemporary art from emerging artists in the
Detroit and Washington D.C. area. The work of Lisa Marie Thalhammer will be on view through November 25.
Source: Monica Bowman, owner and director of The Butcher's Daughter
Writer: Jon Zemke
Saab looking at Royal Oak rehab for North American HQ
Source: metromode, 10/26/2009
Saab is looking at moving its North
American headquarters to a small industrial-turned-chic-office building
on the north side of Royal Oak.
The Swedish automaker is in
negotiations to move into the home of Ronnisch Construction Group, 4327
Delemere Court between 14 Mile and Normandy Roads. It is trying to
negotiate a tax credit for the move and the lease for the
13,300-square-foot building.
This building wasn't always in such
demand. It was a dumpy, single-story industrial structure with a
beautiful view of railroad tracks before Ronnisch took it over three
years ago.
"It's a unique building in that it was an abandoned
industrial building," says Janet Gekiere, business development and
marketing manager for Ronnisch Construction Group. "It was a mess, to say the least."
Ronnisch rehabbed it into an edgy, modern office building to show its clients the possibilities. Impressed Saab officials from Sweden,
seeing the same potential that Ronnisch saw years ago in what most
people consider a tear down, requested to move in.Similar industrial-to-office conversion projects are being done by other developers near downtown Royal Oak and in Ferndale.
"Some people can't see beyond what they see," Gekiere says. "They can't see the structure."
Ronnisch plans to move its 15 employees into a new space in the Royal Oak area once the deal is struck.
Source: Janet Gekiere, business development and marketing manager for Ronnisch Construction Group
Writer: Jon Zemke
Pontiac has Silverdome up for final auction
Source: metromode, 10/26/2009
The white, err… silver, elephant in Pontiac's room appears to finally be on its way out.
The
city has begun the auction for the Pontiac Silverdome. A deal for its
sale and redevelopment is expected to be nailed down later this year.
The online auction, which ends Nov. 12, can be found here.
The
Silverdome has been a millstone around the city of Pontiac's neck ever
since the Detroit Lions left it for Ford Field earlier this decade. A
number of proposals have been developed and floated over the years, but
all eventually floundered while the city paid millions to maintain the
building.
Pontiac was taken over by an emergency financial
manager earlier this year to help straighten out the city's books. One
of the first things on the agenda was to move forward on resolving what
to do with the 80,000-seat stadium and surrounding 127 acres.
The stadium was built in 1975 for $55 million at I-75 and M-59. It
served primarily as the home of the Lions for 27 years. The Pistons
also played a few seasons there. A Super Bowl and World Cup soccer
matches also passed through the facility.
Source: City of Pontiac and Williams & Williams Commercial Real Estate
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland University creates more parking within existing space
Source: metromode, 10/26/2009
More parking. It's a refrain that has become the bane of redevelopment in Metro Detroit, a region still chained to four wheels.
Providing
more parking often comes at the expense of good urban development, if
it doesn't scuttle the project altogether. Oakland University has come
up with a way to provide it without extending the sea of asphalt.
The
university, which experienced record enrollment this fall, re-striped
some of its parking lots in a more efficient manner. The project, which
cost $2,000, created 72 extra spaces. The goal is to give a little
extra breathing room for drivers at the commuter campus in Rochester.
Among
the lots that received extra spaces are the lot at Squirrel Road and
Walton Boulevard (26) and along the connector road between Varner Hall
and Pawley Hall (23). The rest were scatted on parking lots throughout
campus. All of the university's parking areas can be found here.
Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke
LTU talks sustainability at home, abroad
Source: metromode, 10/26/2009
Lawrence Technological University is
going short and long to drive home its point about using sustainable
practices in construction.
Faculty members are preaching the
merits of green building as far away as Asia and here at home. The
university will host a forum on the use of wood construction materials
as a preferred sustainable practice on Oct. 27.
"Wood: the More Sustainable Structural System" will be held at Lawrence Tech's
Southfield campus, 21000 West 10 Mile Road. It features a panel of
green building experts who will talk about how using wood, a carbon
neutral material, is more sustainable and energy efficient than
alternatives. The experts will also discuss its aesthetic values.
The
Detroit chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Canadian
Council of Forest Ministers will co-host the event with Lawrence Tech.
For information, contact Elana Shelef at eshelef@drc-usgbc.org or (248) 228-3190.
On
the other side of the world, Lawrence Tech Prof. Nabil Grace is leading
a study called "Life Cycle Assessment for Sustainable Materials for
Infrastructure." He is working with researchers from Stanford
University and Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan. They are
developing and testing methods for new alternative construction
materials that will increase the longevity for infrastructure like
bridges.
The research will show how spending a little more up
front will make for a much longer lifespan for such installations,
ultimately saving on materials and money for those tax payers.
Source: Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke
The Factory's Zeitgeist opens up in downtown Rochester
Source: metromode, 10/26/2009
The Zeitgeist has arrived in Rochester as part of one of downtown's most vibrant nightspots - The Factory.
Shane Ford and Jerry Wald, the early 20-something creative entrepreneurs behind The Factory, opened the Zeitgeist as a complement to their music venue at 334 S Main St. behind Tower Plaza. Zeitgeist is the retail portion of the operation.
"We're open," Ford says. "We’re just getting some art in and loading it up."
The Zeitgeist
sells shirts, music, and other music paraphernalia. The old house
turned commercial storefront across the street from The Factory will
sell merchandise and even have a smaller performance area for events
like poetry readings.
Future expansion is possible but not in the immediate future.
"We're always looking at new things so we can expand, but we're all over the map right now," Ford says.
Source: Shane Ford, co-owner of The Factory and Zeitgeist
Writer: Jon Zemke
Northville DDA presses for downtown walking path
Source: metromode, 10/26/2009
Another nook and cranny is being planned for downtown Northville, now that city officials are planning to create a cut through.
A cut through is a pedestrian-only path, and in this case it would connect Main Street and the parking lot behind the Marquis Theatre. The $800,000 project would cut through one of the bays of the old Girly Daze building. Think something similar to Nickels Arcade in Ann Arbor, or a decorative walkway.
The
idea is to make downtown more pedestrian friendly by giving foot
traffic another option to get around. It would connect the vibrancy of
Main Street to a 200-spot parking lot.
"That lot is the most utilized lot in the downtown primarily because of its central location," says Lori Ward, director of the Northville Downtown Development Authority.
The city has hired Ann Arbor-based Cooper Design to create the cut-through and is planning to nail down the design this winter and start construction next spring.
Source: Lori Ward, director of the Northville Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
Rochester brewpub gets USDA organic certification
Source: metromode, 10/26/2009
One of Metro Detroit's greenest restaurants is now organic – certified organic.
Mind
Body & Spirits has been certified USDA Organic by Oregon Tilth, a
third-party nonprofit organization. The downtown Rochester-based firm
is now Michigan's first fully certified organic restaurant. There are
fewer than a dozen certified organic restaurants in the U.S.
"It's
a third party source that ensures that what we say we're doing, we're
doing," says David Youngman, director of marketing and communications
for Mind, Body & Spirits. "A lot of businesses are making claims of organic products."
Mind Body & Spirits
had already been embraced by the tree huggers when it opened last fall.
It took a 100-year-old building, renovated it, and added 2,000 square
feet and a load of sustainable features.
These include the
largest bank of solar power panels in Michigan, used to generate clean
energy and to heat water. The restaurant also has a geothermal heating
and cooling system. It also used VOC-free paint, bamboo flooring, and
sustainable furnishings. A greenhouse was built along Third Street to
provide fresh herbs and produce for the kitchen and to beautify the
sidewalk.
Source: David Youngman, director of marketing and communications for Mind Body & Spirits
Writer: Jon Zemke
Study explores best practices of entrepreneurial cities
Source: Great Lakes IT Report, 10/26/2009
A study looked into the best practices of entrepreneurial cities in
Michigan and two honored this were were in Oakland County.
Additionally, three OC cities will be honored for their continual
practices in the entrepreneurial spirit.
Excerpt:
Marquette, Midland, Rochester Hills, Sterling
Heights and Wixom were identified as communities that are "2009 top
performers at attracting and retaining entrepreneurial firms" in a
study by researchers at the University of Michigan-Dearborn College of
Business.
Additionally, the village of Dundee and the cities of Auburn Hills,
Southfield and Troy -- communities who were also recognized in the 2008
study -- will be honored for their continuing efforts at supporting
entrepreneurship.
...
"The communities we are recognizing this year have identified
existing strengths to use as a starting point to help new and growing
businesses," said Tim Davis, director of iLabs.
Read the entire article
here.
New plan for old Kmart headquarters devolves into suburban-style retail
Source: metromode, 10/12/2009
The designs for the old Kmart
headquarters in Troy are drifting away from the neo-urban principles of
the original plans and more towards typical suburban sprawl.
Grand
Sakwa Properties recently presented city officials with its intentions
for the large parcel on Big Beaver Road just west of The Somerset
Collection mall. It's now official that the Farmington Hills-based
developer sees the future of that site as principally commercial.
"They
are clearly saying in today's world they can't build residential and
market it," says Mark F. Miller, assistant city manager for Troy.
The
previous design, called the Pavilions of Troy, called for a large,
dense, mixed-use village. 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. Both the current and the former concept call for razing
the former Kmart headquarters.
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.
Source: Mark F. Miller, assistant city manager for Troy
Writer: Jon Zemke
i3 Detroit creative center opens doors in downtown Royal Oak
Source: metromode, 10/12/2009
i3 Detroit, a new space for creatively inclined people, is about to open in downtown Royal Oak.
The
cooperative is a communal space for makers, inventors,
and entrepreneurs. The 1,500-square-foot location at 322 E Fourth St.
has room for heavy tools, electronics, and a studio/lounge. It's
comparable to Detroit's Russell Industrial Center, but members don't
have individual work areas.
"We're more like a locker, less like a small office," says Nick Britsky, director at large for i3 Detroit.
Right
now, i3 Detroit has 13 paid members and a five-member executive board.
It needs 24 members to break even. Additional members would allow the
cooperative to buy bigger and better equipment, maybe even a bigger
space. Britsky and his partners chose downtown Royal Oak for its
central location in southeast Oakland County.
i3 is an national
non-profit that got its start in New York, San Francisco, and
Washington, D.C. It encompasses a wide range of interests and
professions, such as machinists, programmers, artists, and electrical
engineers. It also hosts public classes and workshops on woodworking,
Linux, amateur radio, telecom architecture, computer programming, and
automobile repair.
Source: Nick Britsky, director at large for i3 Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland Community College plans $5.2M in upgrades
Source: metromode, 10/12/2009
More improvements are coming to Oakland
Community College after its Board of Trustees approved $5.19 million in
renovations to its Auburn Hills, Orchard Ridge, and Royal Oak
campuses.
The Auburn Hills campus is getting the lion's share
of improvements, including replacing $4.8 million worth of 40-year-old
boilers and other equipment. It will also spend almost $170,000 to
repair the roof of Building A and make Building F compatible with the
Americans with the Disabilities Act.
"We're dealing with
30-40-year-old systems that were built in a different era," says George
Cartsonis, director of college communications for Oakland Community
College. "They have reached the end of their lifetimes."
The
Orchard Ridge Campus will spend $185,000 to catch up on deferred
maintenance and repairing its sanitary sewer. The Royal Oak campus will
get $91,000 in upgrades to its Lila Jones Johnson Theater.
Oakland County voters in 2001 approved a 0.8-mill property tax to pay for these projects.
Source: George Cartsonis, director of college communications for Oakland Community College
Writer: Jon Zemke
More Metro Detroit concert venues going smoke free
Source: metromode, 10/12/2009
More and more venues across Metro Detroit are going smoke free.
Classy
stalwarts like the Fox Theater in downtown Detroit and Hill Auditorium
in downtown Ann Arbor have been on that list for a while. Joining them
are smaller venues, like the Magic Bag in downtown Ferndale and now the
Royal Oak Music Theatre.
"It's overdue," says Justin Miller,
general manager of the Royal Oak Music Theatre. "It's obviously just
the right thing to do with everything we know today about smoking."
A
growing number of bars, coffee shops, eateries, and performance venues
in Metro Detroit have been kicking out smokers in recent years. There
are at least 5,889 licensed dining places in Michigan that prohibit
smoking as of today.
Ontario has already outlawed smoking in
public establishments. Michigan has been wrestling with similar
legislation in recent years. It came close last year, when both the
state House and Senate passed different smoking ban bills, but it died
after the two legislative bodies couldn't reach a compromise.
"Sooner or later we're going to see this across the board," Miller says. "We're just trying to get ahead of the curve."
Source: Justin Miller, general manager of the Royal Oak Music Theatre and SmokeFreeMichigan.com
Writer: Jon Zemke
New $60M surgical pavilion opens up in Pontiac
Source: metromode, 10/12/2009
St. Joseph Mercy Oakland grew in downtown
Pontiac after recently opening a new $60 million surgical pavilion on
the east side of its hospital on Woodward Avenue.
This is the
first phase of a two-phase expansion of the hospital. The surgical
pavilion is comprised of a dozen operating suites totalling 50,000
square feet in size. Eight of these rooms will house their first
surgeries next week. The operating rooms were originally located in the
main section of the building that was constructed in 1927.
These
surgical suites are about double the size of the current operating
rooms and feature a wide array of video capabilities for diagnostic
imaging display, teaching, consulting, and medical records. There are
also ceiling-mounted surgical booms that eliminate tripping hazard and
accidental power losses by keeping cords off the ground.
The
addition also has a number of green features, including super energy
efficient LED lights that produce far less heat for the same amount of
light. The heating and cooling systems are much more energy efficient,
and other processes conserve both energy and water usage.
St
Joseph Mercy Oakland has 443 beds and serves as a teaching hospital. It
was founded in 1927 by the Sisters of Mercy and is now part of the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System.
Source: Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland University improves labs, updates equipment
Source: metromode, 10/12/2009
A number of renovated science labs recently opened their doors at Oakland University.
The
Rochester-based school recently finished work on 18 labs and classrooms
in Hannah, O'Dowd, and Wilson Hall that are used for studies in
chemistry, biology, physics, nursing, art, and physical therapy, along
with a computer lab.
The original science-based labs dated
back to the 1960s and '70s. The new spaces are both better lit and
safer, meeting more modern expectations for education. The improvements
include plumbing, electrical, and aesthetic work, along with new
floors, ceilings, equipment, and upgraded mechanical systems.
Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Ferndale transform downtown alley into pedestrian pathway
Source: metromode, 10/12/2009
Pedestrians are about to get one more nice place to walk in downtown Ferndale.
The
city plans to turn the alley behind the new Foley Mansfield office on
the southwest corner of the Woodward Avenue and 9 Mile Road
intersection into a pedestrian-only zone. The Ferndale Pedestrian Alley
Improvement Project will replace the concrete alley with new landscaped
bed areas, benches, lighting, and space for adjacent restaurants to set
up rear patios.
"This is a
unique opportunity to convert an underutilized space in the heart of
Downtown Ferndale into a vibrant public space," says Robert Bruner,
city manager for Ferndale.
The alley stretches for about 50 feet along the west side of the new Foley Mansfield office
that faces East 9 Mile Road. The law firm renovated and moved into the
old Ferndale Public Schools building last year, creating arguably the
nicest office space in the downtown.
The city, Ferndale DDA, and
Giffels-Webster have been working on the $44,000 project. Construction
is expected to begin soon and finish before the end of fall.
Source: Robert Bruner, city manager for Ferndale
Writer: Jon Zemke
North Oakland colleges expand alt transit options
Source: metromode, 10/12/2009
Getting around northern Oakland County's
commuter campuses is getting easier now that more transportation
options are becoming available.
Both Oakland University and
Cooley Law School's Metro Detroit campus are known for their large
sprawling parking lots, landing pads for most students' mode of
transportation to and from class. That's starting to change, if only a
little.
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional
Transportation has added Cooley Law School's Auburn Hills campus, which
sits in the shadow of the Chrysler headquarters, to its list of
destinations. Maps, routes and links can be found at the "Campus
Resources" link on the left at this site here.
Oakland
University has already signed up for SMART service, but is now
expanding its transit options to pedal power with its launch of a Bike
Share Program. The student-led initiative makes use of the honor
system, providing 30 free-to-use bicycles to students at bike racks
around the campus.
Another 23 bikes have been donated to the
cause by students and staff since the program began earlier this fall.
Organizers are finding a number of bikes left at the local parking
lots, but are looking at adding more bike racks to improve availability
and convenience.
Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke