Detroit Development News

Stella Cafe remodeled and rebranded as Stella Good Coffee in the Fisher Building

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Stella International Café inside the Fisher Building in New Center has gone through a major renovation and rebranding.

Now called "Stella Good Coffee," the café – owned by Shawn Santo and Kevin Borsay, owners of Pure Detroit, Rowland Café, a second Stella location inside the Guardian Building, and Vera Jane (a women's clothing store) – will focus on all things Detroit, starting with the design.

After closing last fall, the space was stripped down to bare walls and floor, grinding away layers of concrete to reveal the original Albert Kahn-produced floor from 1928 (which has a slightly different design than the floor of the main lobby, also original). Santo and Borsay oversaw all of the renovation work themselves, working closely with James Willer of Reclaim Detroit on material sourcing and design. They also worked with local companies and artists on the fixtures, including lamp shades from the Detroit Wallpaper Company (which will feature the designs of local artists and will be rotated regularly) and a white neon sign that reads "Drink Good Coffee" from Spectrum Neon Sign Company.

The redesign also allows for more seating inside the café, which will have free WiFi, and additional seating will be available in the Fisher lobby.

In addition to a new look, a new name, and a new logo (a complicated geometric figure with a long technical name that includes the word "stella," also known as the "Moravian star"), Stella Good Coffee will have a whole new approach to their products. Instead of the quick grab-and-go coffee shop they were previously known as, they will offer only pour-over coffees, which take longer but, as Borsay says, "is worth it." They will also have loose-leaf teas, soups from Russell Street Deli, and baked goods from Avalon Breads and Traffic Jam & Snug.

Stella Good Coffee is celebrating a "soft" opening this week, with a grand opening coming later this spring.

Source: Kevin Borsay and Shawn Santo, owners of Stella Good Coffee
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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Anew Life Prosthetics & Orthotics brings new life to amputee patients in Albert Kahn building

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Anew Life Prosthetics & Orthotics is putting the finishing touches on the renovation of the Albert Kahn-designed Detroit Savings Bank Branch #3 at Woodward and Milwaukee. The company launched in 2011 as a mobile operation with partners Chris Casteel and Paul Cauley working out of their cars with their equipment and supplies stored in far-flung locations throughout metro Detroit. They knew they wanted to locate their offices (with lab and equipment) in the city, and after a previous deal fell through they found the building at 6438 Woodward in December 2011. Within two weeks they owned it.

Anew Life provides artificial limbs and braces to those who need them. While this does include a small percentage of trauma cases, the majority of their clients suffer from vascular disease and diabetes. They see their clients through the whole process, starting with visiting them in the hospital post-surgery, casting them, making molds and testing the prosthesis, then making the final prosthesis that will last for three to five years. "I love seeing people return to life and thrive," says Casteel, who also runs a support group for amputees.

The renovated Detroit Savings Bank building will be home to Anew's offices, a lab where the devices will be built, and a physical therapy gym for recovering patients. They are also completing renovations that will make the building ADA accessible and are awaiting certifications that will enable them to bill Medicare and Medicaid for their patients.

Built as a bank branch, the building has previously been used as a church and a nightclub, among other things. Renovation work included gutting much of the interior, though Casteel says they are "trying to save as much Albert Kahn as we can." Casteel and Cauley were working out of the building during the renovation, and are now at a point where they are able to start accepting patients.

Anew's offices, storage, and lab don't quite fill up the whole space, so they have made their basement available to Burners Without Borders, where Danielle "Doxie" Kaltz is able to store all her supplies to assemble backpacks of hygiene and emergency items for the homeless. "We want to help support everything local," Casteel says.

Source: Chris Casteel, co-owner of Anew Life Prosthetics & Orthotics
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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Detroit Electric revives iconic car brand with headquarters in the Fisher Building

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Detroit has a new player in the automotive manufacturing field: Detroit Electric, a revival of the iconic electric vehicle brand first launched in 1906.

Detroit Electric produced about 13,000 electric cars before it closed in 1939. In 2008, the brand was revived by Albert Lam, former group CEO of the Lotus Engineering Group and executive director of Lotus Cars of England.

On April 3, the company unveiled its first production car, the SP:01. The SP:01 is the fastest pure-electric sports car in production and is the only pure-electric sports car being built in Detroit. Production will start in August and the cars will be on the street by the end of the year. Only 999 of the SP:01 will be made and it will cost $135,000. Detroit Electric will follow up the SP:01 with higher-production (and more affordable) sedan and hatchback models in 2014.

Lam wants Detroit Electric to be the company that offers drivers the everyday electric driving experience they desire. He hopes to grow from 10,000-40,000 cars in production over the next several years in the worldwide market. "We're trying to be realistic," he says. "We're not trying to be GM. We just want to make a product people love."

Detroit Electric will establish its corporate headquarters on the 18^th floor of the Fisher Building in New Center. This space is currently undergoing renovation; they are launching with six employees in the temporary space inside the Fisher Building, then will increase to 25-30 people once the permanent space is ready. They are also in the final stages of acquiring an assembly facility in an as-yet-unnamed location in Wayne County (this will be one of only two assembly sites worldwide; the other will be in Europe). The assembly facility will employ about 20 people initially. The company's long-term plans also include a research and development center for electric drive trains. All combined, Detroit Electric will eventually create about 300 new jobs.

Source: Albert Lam, Chairman and CEO of Detroit Electric Holdings Ltd. and Don Graundstadt, CEO of Detroit Electric North America Operations

Writer: Nicole Rupersburg

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U-Haul installs new sign, lighting in its New Center home

Model D Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Perhaps you have seen the new sign atop the building U-Haul is renovating into its latest full-service location? Or a few of the upper floors lit up at night showing off doors painted in bright orange while driving by on the Lodge Freeway? If so you have seen the most recent progress of one of the greater downtown Detroit area's largest redevelopment projects.

The moving company bought the former Nabisco Building in New Center (899 W Baltimore St.) last summer and has been slowly but surely rehabbing the 250,000-square-foot structure into its first full-service center in Detroit. The new location, set to open this spring, will feature everything from truck and trailer rentals to storage space.

"One year from now we will have a gorgeous truck, trailer and storage business going there," says Stuart Shoen, executive vice president of U-Haul. "I am just very optimistic for the area."

For now, Detroiters are going to have to settle for the encouraging new visual cues on the building's crown and updates from the company's blog about the work. Workers (three U-Haul employees and about 20 construction workers) are currently focusing on finishing the renovation of the showroom and getting the basics of the rest of the building to come on.

"It's finally starting to look like a retail space," Shoen says. "The building needed a lot of fundamental improvement. It took us longer to get the water and the electricity on than we thought. The windows weren't level in the showroom. This building needed a lot of work in every facet."

National Biscuit Co (or Nabisco today) built the structure in the 1920s as a bakery. It has been vacant for several years before U-Haul purchased it to service Detroit's growing population.

"In a few years, we will be contemplating building more," Shoen says. "That's our hope and expectation."

Source: Stuart Shoen, executive vice president of U-Haul
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

M-1 Rail is going to happen this summer, bet on it

Model D Tuesday, January 22, 2013

The journey of bringing a streetcar line back to Woodward Avenue in Detroit bears more resemblance to a roller coaster than a tram in recent years. But feel free to breathe a sigh of relief, Detroit. The train is about to pull into the station. Bet on it.

Friday's press conference announcing the final piece of funding needed for the M-1 Rail project, connecting Jefferson Avenue to Grand Boulevard, offered a lot of optimism and back slapping.

The U.S. Secretary of Transportation is giving $25 million in federal funds for the M-1 Rail and another $6 million to get the newly created regional transit authority off the ground. However, a few other key people in the audience of Friday's press conference were equally confident about the project.

M-1 Rail calls for creating a 3.4-mile-long streetcar line mostly along the outer lanes of Woodward Avenue. It will have 11 stops: at Congress Street, the northern tip of Campus Martius, the southern tip of Grand Circus Park, the Fox Theatre, Sibley Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Canfield Street, Warren Avenue, Ferry Street, the Amtrak train station in New Center and Grand Boulevard. More than $100 million for the project has been raised from private, philanthropic and government sources.

Matt Cullen, CEO of M-1 Rail, says the creation of the regional transit authority was the last major hurdle for giving the green light to the project. He expects the final engineering work and construction bidding to be done in the first half of this year. Construction will begin late this summer and take two years to complete.

Megan Owens, executive director of the transit-advocate non-profit Transportation Riders United, echoes Cullen's words and optimism. She adds that drills for the project will go into the ground before shovels. "They're going to start boring to find out of there is anything in the way in the ground," Owens says.

She adds that the $25 million is the last foreseeable major hurdle for the project. M-1 Rail has funding for both construction and operation for the next several years. It won't be impacted by the regional transit authority's efforts to establish a funding source. That means that even though M-1 Rail and the regional transit authority were joined at the hip to land the federal funding, they will independently establish themselves in the next few years. The plan is to bring the two back together when they become established.

"The hope is in 7-10 years the RTA (regional transit authority) will take over," Owens says.

Source: Matt Cullen, CEO of M-1 Rail and Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Shelborne begins transformation of New Center apt district

Model D Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Shelborne Development is in the midst of rehabbing two significant historic apartment buildings in New Center and is set to transform the block of Seward Street between Woodward and Second avenues with renovations.

The renovations promise to turn some of the biggest, blighted structures in New Center into vibrant buildings filled with new residents. When it's all said and done, the rehabs will bring well in excess of 100 new rental units to the northern tip of the greater downtown area.

"I have always loved that block of Seward," says Kathy Makino-Leipsitz, co-owner of Shelborne Development. "It is one of the prettiest blocks of multi-units in the city. Hopefully, we will be able to turn that block into what it used to be."

The Indian Village-based development firm is the driving force behind the renovation spree taking place in Palmer Park. Its rehabs have expertly leveraged tax credits and other incentives to turn the Art Deco beauties into high-quality rentals that include energy-efficient systems and appliances, insulation, stainless-steel appliances and granite countertops, among other amenities. These rehabs go the extra mile to preserve the historical character of the buildings, which are often chosen in large part because of the architectural beauty.

Makino-Leipsitz plans to do the same thing with at least half a dozen of the apartment buildings in New Center, most of which are vacant and have fallen into disrepair. The first two, which are currently under renovation, are 112 Seward and 628 Delaware.

The apartment building at 112 Seward is called the Birchmont Apartments. It stands as a 3.5-story building with a blond-brick facade and is just east of the 120 Seward condo building. It will house 31 units that include 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartments. 628 Delaware is a tudor-style structure that stands four stories overlooking New Center Commons Park just west of Second Avenue.

"That Delaware apartment building is a beautiful building," Makino-Leipsitz says. "It will be 18 units when we're done."

Both buildings, each about 100 years old, are set to come online in August and fully occupied by the end of the year. They will bring 49 units of workforce housing to the rental market. The buildings previously housed 54 units. The developers redesigned the units to offer bigger spaces with more rooms.

Shelborne Development also owns 59, 69, 90, 93, and 100 Seward, which are all high-density apartment buildings on the first block of Seward west of Woodward. The firm has already renovated 93 Seward and plans to renovate 90 and 100 Seward as market-rate rentals next. It recently acquired 59 and 69 Seward, which have long been problem buildings with out-of-town ownership, and plans to renovate those, too, within the next few years.

Source: Kathy Makino-Leipsitz, co-owner of Shelborne Development
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Woodward rapid transit pushes forward with RTA, community meetings

Model D Tuesday, December 04, 2012

The options for traveling up and down Woodward Avenue are about to grow significantly.

The Michigan State Senate recently passed a series of bills that would establish a regional transit authority that would oversee the construction and operation of a light rail line on Woodward between Jefferson Avenue and Grand Boulevard. It would also oversee the construction and operation of a bus rapid transit systems along the rest of Woodward and across the region. The State House of Representatives is reportedly expected to take up the bills within the coming days.

Working in parallel in those efforts are series of community meetings envisioning what rapid transit along Woodward Avenue could look like and what local residents want to see happen. The meetings are being hosted by the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, Woodward Avenue Action Association and SEMCOG, which is creating a Woodward rapid transit alternatives analysis that will work in parallel with the proposed regional transit authority.

"This is an attempt to create a rapid transit system on Woodward Avenue," says Richard Murphy, programs director of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance. "We're looking at the entire length from Jefferson Avenue to Pontiac."

Among the issues that will be discussed are which mode of transit works best for the Woodward corridor (light rail or bus rapid transit), how such a system should be funded and whether it should have dedicated lanes or mixed in with traffic.

The meetings will be be held along the Woodward corridor. The Detroit meetings will be held today (Tuesday, Dec. 4) at SEMCOG offices in downtown Detroit (535 Griswold St, Suite 300) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at the Detroit Police Dept's Central District (7310 Woodward) from 4-6 p.m. Another one will be held on Dec. 11 at the Detroit Police Dept's Palmer Park Station (12th Precinct, 1441 W. 7 Mile Road).

Source: Richard Murphy, programs director of the Michigan Suburbs Alliance
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Avalon expands into East Side, Midtown and New Center

Model D Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Avalon International Breads has long been a staple of the Cass Corridor but it's now becoming a staple in other Detroit neighborhoods.

The artisanal bakery launched in 1997 and steadily built itself into the anchor business near the corner of Cass Avenue and West Willis Street in Midtown. It has since garnered national attention for its breads and goodies made of organic and sometimes vegan-friendly ingredients. Its small storefront at 422 W. Willis is routinely packed with customers and employees making food 24 hours a day to meet demand.

That success prompted Avalon to begin searching for a new space to facilitate its expansion a few years ago. It has now opened a retail outlet at Henry Ford Hospital in New Center, is looking to expand its Midtown presence and is in the process of opening a much bigger production facility on the Near East Side not far from the Packard Plant.

"We have been over capacity for quite some time, at least since 2008," says Ann Perrault, co-owner & CEO of Avalon.

The new production facility is Avalon City Ovens, a $2.2 million project turning a dilapidated industrial building into a state-of-the-art bakery. Avalon bought the old warehouse at 6555 E. Forrest Ave. (near Bellevue Street) at the 2010 Wayne County Tax Foreclosure Auction. The 50,000-square-foot building is a major upgrade from its 3,000 square-foot-storefront in Midtown. Perrault expects to open the new facility in January.

That project comes not long after Avalon opened its second retail location last summer in the West Grand Boulevard building of Henry Ford Hospital. That space offers all of the foods Avalon is known for and employs six workers. Avalon now employs 55 people after hiring 14 since February.

Avalon is also looking at expanding its Midtown presence in 2013. Perrault says her firm is looking at moving its storefront from its existing space on Willis to a newer space on West Canfield Street next to Traffic Jam & Snug. That move is set to move forward next spring after the Avalon City Ovens project is complete. The new space will be consistent with Avalon's longstanding pledge to remaining a part of the Cass Corridor/Midtown community.

"This is definitely important to us," Perrault says.

Source: Ann Perrault, co-owner & CEO of Avalon International Breads
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Hopscotch Detroit proves street art doesn't have to turn ugly

Model D Tuesday, October 02, 2012

If both art and beauty are in the eye of the beholder, how long should that shelf life last when it comes to public art?

As Detroit becomes a bigger and bigger canvas that attracts more and more street artists, the works often draw both praise and criticism. However, as time and the artists move on, their work stays. More often than not it deteriorates and becomes a part of the blight it was often meant to stand in stark contrast with.

Not so with Hopscotch Detroit. The 3.75 mile installation lined the sidewalks of the Lower Woodward Corridor between Campus Martius and Wayne State University's campus. Ajooni Seth, Dylan Box, Ellen Rutt and Laura Willming partnered with Imagine Detroit Together to create the hopscotch trail in late September.

The group of young people used an organic paint made of water, corn starch, flour and sugar. They tested for a few months beforehand to make sure it would wash away within a few weeks. Much of the paint has already faded and disappeared entirely in some spots a few days after the installation was finished.

"The idea is having a temporary piece of art like this living in the moment," Willming says. "Hop now because if it rains within the next week you won't be able to."

Source: Laura Willming, co-creator of Hopscotch Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Stella Cafe hires Reclaim Detroit to revamp Fisher Building location

Model D Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Reclaim Detroit is starting to make multiple visible impacts across the Motor City.

The deconstruction/recycling program run by the WARM Training Center finds a new use for just about all of the materials from buildings that would normally be razed and sent to a landfill. It used century-old wood recycled from a deconstructed home in Hamtramck to build out the interior of Great Lakes Coffee Roasting House in Midtown. Reclaim Detroit has been hired to renovate the Stella International Cafe in the Fisher Building in a similar way.

"It will use reclaimed materials but if will have our own unique style," says Kevin Borsay, co-owner of Stella International Cafe. "Wood can have many different looks."

Work has begun on the small coffee house in New Center and is expected to be wrapped up by October. Reclaim Detroit will use a wide variety of recycled building materials and unearth the space's original terrazzo flooring.

"It's going to look more modern, more design-centric," Borsay says.

Stella International Cafe employs five people and plans to hire two more when it reopens in October. It is also looking at making some upgrades with Reclaim Detroit to its Guardian Building location in downtown.

Source: Kevin Borsay, co-owner of Stella International Cafe
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

M-1 leader exudes confidence Woodward streetcar plan will happen

Model D Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Momentum appears to be building for the M-1 Rail proposal that would bring a streetcar line to Woodward Avenue in the greater downtown Detroit area.

Matt Cullen, CEO of M-1 Rail, bubbled with confidence about the project while speaking to a group of young people at the presentation of [de-fine] Detroit competition last week. To him, M-1 Rail is a matter of when, and he expects to get the green light for it soon.

"M-1 Rail is going to happen," Cullen says. "We're going to get that done."

This coincides with a number of other reports in local media that the proposed streetcar line is close getting federal approval. The Detroit News reported earlier this month that U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood expects to a very good announcement regarding funding the project soon. Other local news reports have a regional transportation authority to run the streetcar line also in the offing.

A number of local corporate and philanthropic leaders have come together to raise more than $100 million to fund the 3-mile streetcar line. The proposal calls for building a light rail system along Woodward Avenue between Jefferson Avenue and Grand Boulevard. The privately raised money will act as the local match to leverage public funds from the federal government for the streetcar line and a regional bus rapid transit system.

M-1 Rail has been several years in the making and has come close to breaking ground a few times in recent years before suffering minor setbacks. Cullen believes those setbacks are behind the project and M-1 Rail's efforts is close to coming to fruition.

"You would have thought it would easier to hand somebody a $125 million check," Cullen says.

Source: Matt Cullen, CEO of M-1 Rail
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

U-Haul plants flag in Detroit at former Nabisco Building in New Center

Model D Tuesday, August 21, 2012

U-Haul is staking a claim in Detroit by opening an office in one of the city's most visible buildings.

U-Haul bought the former Nabisco Building in New Center, which stands vigil next to the Lodge Freeway just south of West Grand Boulevard. The moving company is renovating the seven-story structure at 899 W. Baltimore St. so it can become a full-service moving and storage center.

"There is a lot of work internally that needs to be done," says Stuart Shoen, executive vice president of U-Haul. "For instance, we need to get water and power throughout the building."

U-Haul expects to have the space ready for truck, trailer and moving supplies by this winter. It has a long-term ambition of turning the entire building into a full-service station that offers both trailer and truck rentals and storage space in the structure's 250,000 square feet. The U-Haul office will employ about 10 people when it opens later this year. That staff has the potential to grow exponentially as it continues to build out the storage portion of the building.

The circa-1920 building was originally built as a bakery for the National Biscuit Co, which is now Nabisco. The building has been vacant for several years before U-Haul purchased it this summer and began renovations. U-Haul is taking on the project with long-term intentions to take advantage of the burgeoning growth in the greater downtown Detroit area.

"We know that we're going to be there for a long time," Shoen says. "We want to fulfill our obligation to the community."

Source: Stuart Shoen, executive vice president of U-Haul International
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Farbman Group hosts vegan-style pop-up supper

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

For the Farbman Group, "chartreuse" represents more than the color green. Chartreuse is a pop-up dining experience held at various locations. This month, it'll take place at the Fisher Building.

Corrine Rice, a certified raw and vegan chef is hosting the event to create "a memorable culinary social movement that exists briefly and disappears immediately, as if It were a dream."

The evening will feature a four-course all vegan meal with menu items including an Asian-salad, crab cakes, jalapeno-watermelon gazpacho and an almond nougatine. Tuesday is the last day to visit the Fisher Building or New Center building to win tickets to the pop-up dining experience.

Live entertainment is part of the event and a video crew from American Hipster Presents will film the meal for its YouTube documentary series.

"Farbman Group is committed to doing our part to support the creative entrepreneurs that make Detroit a one-of-a kind place to live and work," said Farbman. "Guests will get to experience the grandeur of the Fisher Building while enjoying a culinary experience that is unmatched."

The pop-up dining experience is Friday June 22 at 7 p.m. in the Fisher Building. Tickets are $50 and must be purchased by Tuesday, June 19 (that's today) at chartreusedetroit.com.

Source: Andrea Trapani
Writer: Leah Johnson

Wayne State Zipcar fleet, Amtrak Wolverine line cars grow

Model D Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Wayne State University's nascent Zipcar fleet is growing fast, doubling in size since launching last fall.

The fleet started with two cars and has added two more thanks to rising demand for the car-sharing service. Zipcars are available to university students, staff and residents of the greater downtown Detroit area.

"Car sharing is a great alternative for our students," says Kate Baker, senior project manager for economic development at Wayne State University. "We have students combine their trips with Zipcars, going on one big trip to the grocery store and it costs a few dollars."

Also in alternative transportation options in the greater downtown Detroit area is the pending addition of bigger cars for the Amtrak's Wolverine Line which runs between Detroit and Chicago. The Wolverine Line will received 25 bi-level rail cars as part of a larger federal purchase of train cars.

The bi-level cars will allow for more passengers than what the current single-level cars can accommodate. It will also offer Wi-Fi and space for bicycles. These car are already used elsewhere through the country, such as California.

Source: U.S. Dept of Transportation and Kate Baker, senior project manager for economic development at Wayne State University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Second, Third streets about to become two-way in Midtown, New Center

Model D Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Life is about to get easier for pedestrians in Midtown and New Center around Wayne State University as the latest phase of construction begins for the Midtown Loop and Second and Third avenues become two-way streets.

Work is set to begin today on turning Second Avenue into a two-way street between I-94 and West Grand Boulevard in New Center. A similar project for Third Avenue between Ledyard and Forrest streets is set to break ground on Monday. Both streets are multi-lane, one-way thoroughfares that cut through Wayne State University's campus. The hope is to ease traffic flow and slow down motorists.

"Hopefully this will help in several ways in slowing traffic down," says Jon Frederick, director of parking & transportation services at Wayne State University. "You are consolidating lanes and making motorists more aware with the addition of on-coming traffic."

Second Avenue will receive new LED street lighting. Third Avenue will receive bike lanes in both directions and maintain parking on both sides of the street. Work is expected to wrap up in mid July.

The second phase of the Midtown Loop construction began in mid-April on the southern edge of the loop, turning a square of sidewalks along Cass, Kirby Street, John R and Canfield into a pedestrian friendly space with colorful sidewalks, benches, bike racks, landscaping and decorative lighting, among other amenities.

Source: Midtown Detroit Inc. and Jon Frederick, director of parking & transportation services at Wayne State University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Wayne State looks to bridge research and entrepreneurs with new bio-tech building

Model D Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Once planned to be the TechTwo small business incubator, the old Dalgleish Cadillac building in New Center is now set to become the future home of Wayne State University's Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research Building.

The university plans to begin renovating the former Cadillac dealership's 196,500 gross square feet in size into a research center shared by researchers from both the university and Henry Ford Health System this year. The new $93 million facility will also be a hot spot for entrepreneurs from the TechTown business accelerator across the street looking to commercialize new bio-technologies developed there.

"This is the most exciting thing I have been involved with in a while," says Allan Gilmour, president of Wayne State University. This is the biggest development project Wayne State has taken on in its existence. It is about 50 percent more expensive than the $66.6 million College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences building, which held the record until this project.

The Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research Building will house Wayne State University programs in cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, systems biology, bioinformatics and computational biology, behavioral translational science and biomedical engineering. Henry Ford Health System will move its bone and joint center and motion analysis lab into the building.

The building will provide enough laboratory space for Wayne State University to support 48 principal investigators and their teams. It will house approximately 425 workers when it become fully operational.

The project scope will renovate and re-purpose the 127,700 gross square feet of existing space in the Albert Kahn-designed building. It will also build an additional 75,000 gross square feet of a new companion building fronting Woodward Avenue and raze the adjacent American Beauty and Iron Works building. The demolition is set to begin in July and construction will start in November. The university expects to complete the project by 2015.

Source: Allan Gilmour, president of Wayne State University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Farbman Group rallies food trucks at Fisher Building on Friday

Model D Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Food trucks are becoming an increasingly visible part of the food scene in the greater downtown Detroit area, and the Fisher Building plans to seize that buzz with its own food truck rally on Friday.

"It's a great show of support for these local, independent food providers," says Christina Dibartlomeo, asset manager for Farbman Group. "It's gives people a change to get something to eat outside of their normal routine."

Think of it as a quality of life enhancement for the New Center area. The Farbman Group, which owns the Fisher Building and New Center One office buildings, sees the food truck rally as a pleasant change of pace that helps make the neighborhood more dynamic without harming local brick-and-mortar businesses.

"It's so nice to have options," Dibartlomeo says. "These aren't permanent fixtures to our building. It's competition and competition is not bad. It's nice to have diversity in what you eat and you routine."

The food truck rally will take place at the parking lot on the west side of the Fisher Building that is bordered by West Grand Boulevard, Third Street and Lothrup Street. It will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. Among the food trucks that will be there are Treat Dreams, Concrete Cuisine and El Guapo Fresh Mexican Grill.

Source: Christina Dibartlomeo, asset manager for Farbman Group
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Fisher Building adds comprehensive free Wi-Fi for patrons

Model D Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Farbman Group is making the Fisher Building and its neighboring New Center One more new economy friendly by adding free Wi-Fi and other amenities meant to encourage more knowledge workers and creatives to pop-open a laptop in the city's bustling office buildings.

"We have these beautiful buildings and these days people don't just want to work in their offices," says Andy Gutman, CFO of Farbman Group, which manages the Fisher and New Center One buildings. "They want to work from these common areas."

The Fisher Building is renowned for its art deco architecture and ornate interior. The circa-1928 skyscraper is home to a number of boutique retailers and eateries, such as Pure Detroit and Stella International Cafe. The common spaces in the building already have a handful of chairs and tables but Farbman Group wants to add more comfortable furniture that matches the character of both buildings by this fall.

"We're trying to keep it inline with the historical character of the building," Gutman says.

Source: Andy Gutman, CFO of Farbman Group
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

New Center Stamping goes for 60 percent energy savings with lighting project

Model D Tuesday, February 28, 2012

New Center Stamping is renovating its facility on Milwaukee near I-75 as a way to significantly cut its overhead expenses. The automotive service parts manufacturer is switching out its older, inefficient lighting with some new fluorescent and LED lights.

"We're replacing 1,000 watts with 400 watts," says Doug Braun, environmental manager for New Center Stamping. "It will probably cut our light bill by 60 percent or more because each light will have a motion sensor on it."

New Center Stamping operates out of a 220,000-square-foot industrial space built in the 1930s. The company is spending $250,974 ($62,744 comes from a SmartBuilding's grant from the city of Detroit) to switch out older 300-plus incandescent lights on its factory floor, replacing them with fluorescent lights. Another 40 exterior lights will be replaced with LED lights.

About two-thirds of the interior lights are done and the entire project is expected to be wrapped up by mid March. The company will also replace some windows to gain some more energy efficiency.

"We got involved in this project by trying to clamp down on some of our expenses, like electric and heat," Braun says.

Source: Doug Braun, environmental manager for New Center Stamping
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

SmartBuildings program award grants for building across city

Model D Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The city of Detroit's SmartBuildings program, overseen by the Detroit Economic Growth Corp, has approved 19 building improvement grants across the city worth $762,272.

The SmartBuildings program focuses on providing funding for energy-efficiency projects that improve commercial buildings. Among the recepients of this latest round of grants are a handful of buildings controlled by Focus: Hope and the Wayne County Community College District. The DEGC recently increased the coverage area of eligible buildings from the downtown area to commercial corridors throughout the city, including on East Jefferson, southwest Detroit and the city's University District.

"We expanded the area to cast a bigger net," says Scott Veldhuis, senior project manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp.

The SmartBuildings grants, which are capped at $100,000 per building, will leverage $3.8 million in outside investment from building owners. Focus: HOPE is using its $320,662 grant as part of a $1.36 million umbrella project for nine buildings on its campus on Oakman Boulevard. The improvements will install insulation, high-efficiency lighting, low-flow bathroom fixtures, and other mechanical upgrades.

Wayne County Community College District received $200,000 in grants for energy-conservation updates to the Central Administration Building and the Downtown Campus Building on its downtown campus as part of $2.25 million project. Southwest Housing Solutions is leveraging$78,812 in grant funds toward $315,250 in projects that include reflective roofing and high-efficiency water heaters at the Harwill, Cole and Harrington buildings at 1453 Hubbard, 4516 W. Vernor Highway and 465 W. Grand Boulevard, respectively.

Other projects include the Hellenic Museum of Michigan (67 E. Kirby), New Center Stamping (950 E. Milwaukee Ave), Hacienda Mexican Foods (6100 Buchanan) a walk-in store at 5564 Woodward.

Source: Scott Veldhuis, senior project manager for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Bizdom U grads launch Krysalis Fit direct sales fitness company

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

A new direct sales company, focusing on providing fitness options women can use at home, has opened in the offices of Tech Town, north of Wayne State University.

Krysalis Fit uses the direct sales model pioneered by companies like Avon or Mary Kay, a scaleable business launched by Bizdom U grads' Jennine Hynes and Dionna Coy. But instead of selling makeup and jewelry, they encourage Krysalis consultants to hawk a healthy lifestyle and exercise equipment. "Krysalis Fit consultants are in business for themselves, not by themselves," said Canoy. "At a time when it's often difficult to find employment, we offer a great way for enterprising women to receive support, connect communities, and have fun doing it." The company is currently hiring consultants and provides training.

Shopping is also online, thanks to the Krysalis company catalog, which offers a variety of resistance training, yoga and exercise equipment, ranging in price from $15-$100. They also print exercise cards with step-by-step instructions, and emphasize that all their workout equipment is meant for the home.

"Many women want to get fit, but most don't make a commitment to healthy living because they don't have time," says Hynes. "We show women it's possible to get in shape by offering exercises and activities they can do at home anytime."

Visit the website for more information.

Source: Jennine Hynes and Dionna Coy, co-founders, Krysalis Fit
Writer: Ashley C. Woods

North End Studios shine a light on E. Grand Blvd.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

The artist-run collective behind North End Studios has quietly created a hub for sculptors, painters, music producers and bands on W. Grand Blvd. near New Center. Housed in a 100-year-old building with three stories and a tremendous pedigree (it was designed by the architectural firm owned by Albert Kahn), North End Studios has rented out all but two of its offices and studios. On a recent Saturday, a film crew heaved equipment through the lobby, a producer successfully recorded a new band in his second-story studio, and artists wandered the halls looking for conversation.

Two second-story studios in the collective are still available for as little as $250/m. The third floor is a gallery that showcases the works of the 20-or-so rotating members. But it's not just rent they're after -- community members help paint the walls and preserve the building's architectural touches.

North End Studios currently rents the building. "We've had a lot of scares," says Craig. "People have wanted to buy the building -- it was all over the internet." Two prospective buyers even told her, "Sorry to crush your dreams." She says they're putting together a contingency business plan, with lots of optimism for the future. "We could turn it into a contemporary urban artists' vault," she says. "We could have a collection, we could do shows, do workshops, do exhibits, and there's so much space here that we could keep art here permanently. That's really where our business model is headed."

It's hard to miss the North End building -- it's home to the Illuminated Mural designed by CCS grad Katherine "Katie" Craig, who's all of 27 years of age. The vivid public piece is, says Craig, "blasted with colors that stream down from the sky like falling tears." Light boxes and a sensory garden that's under construction are helping transform the parking lot next to the building into a bonafide community space.

Interested in grabbing one of the final spaces in this DIY creative hub? Contact North End Studios here. It's located at 2937 W. Grand Blvd.

Source: Katherine Craig, co-founder, North End Studios
Writer: Ashley C. Woods

Grants, Kickstarter and a lot of hard work bring art park to Lincoln Street

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Down at the newly-imagined Lincoln Street Art Park, bridging New Center and Woodbridge, the Oct. 29 dedication ceremony will be both a celebration of local funders and believers, and a chance to find out what lies ahead for one of the city's most exciting new community spaces.

The Lincoln Street Art Park is a collaborative project between Detroit Synergy, Recycle Here! and Midtown, Inc., funded with the help of a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (not to mention 44 art-lovers who ponied up Kickstarter funds to help make the park a possibility). This community space, designed by James Willer on land donated by Recycle Here!'s Matthew Naimi, will feature plenty of recycled and re-imagined materials, not to mention the works of Lincoln Street Art Park's founding artists -- Marianne Burrows, Amanda Box, John Suave, Lindsay Harnish, Sarah Gavie, Carl Oxley III, and graffiti artists Fel3000 and BrownBag -- from murals and paintings to sculptures, and even a garden of wishes.

"Lindsay Harnish did this installation/exhibition at Figment on Belle Isle this year, where she made this handmade paper with wildflower seeds in it, and invited people to write wishes on the paper," says Michelle DiMercurio of Detroit Synergy, who serves on the park planning team. "Then, for Figment, she strung them up on a tree, so she had a tree of wishes. So we took the wishes, and we actually planted them in the garden."

The dedication ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 29 kicks off at 4:30 p.m., though the bonfire will last till 10 p.m. Make sure to drop by for hot apple cider, s'mores and the inside scoop on plans for the park's second phase of development.

"It's a chance to do something permanent and have that be something that people can enjoy," says DiMercurio. "And it's a way to establish connections between the neighborhoods," she says, noting that the Lincoln Street Art Park is a "connection point" between many other local green spaces, like the Woodbridge Community Garden, New Center Park, Anna Scripps Park and Sprit of Hope. "It's connecting dots on the map that are about a mile and a half to two miles apart, so it makes this little chain of green spots throughout the neighborhoods."

Click here to RSVP to the dedication on Facebook.

Source: Michelle DiMercurio, Detroit Synergy
Writer: Ashley C. Woods

Detroit Bike Project seeks to link Detroit's greater downtown

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Bike-sharing companies, which offer 24-hour access to bicycles for short trips around cities, have popped up in Europe, and along the East Coast; DC, Boston and New York City. If three CCS grads have their way, Detroit will be the next city to offer visitors and residents a network of two-wheeled transportation stations throughout the greater downtown district.

The Detroit Bike Project is the brainchild of Victor Quattrin, Stephanie Lucido and Jenna Przybycien. The three college friends have spent the past year working on the first phase of their plan, which they will submit to Hatch Detroit by the Sept. 1 contest deadline. No matter what happens with Hatch, the three say they're committed to launching the company within the next year.

Their plan involves building park-and-ride bike stations in the Renaissance Center, Wayne State's campus, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Woodbridge, New Center, Grand Circus Park, Corktown and Eastern Market, as a public transportation alternative "Sometimes, there's a little distance between the main veins of Detroit," says Quattrin. "Nothing is really that walkable," says Przybycien, comparing Detroit's layout to that of more densely-populated cities like New York. "If someone parks downtown and wants to head up to Wayne State, it takes a lot of time to get there. Bike sharing allows you to see a lot more of the city, and to get places quicker, because it's so spread out."

With a swipe of a credit card, customers will be able to rent a bike from any station and take a spin through the city -- then drop it off at the closest bike rental facility upon completion.

The Detroit Bike Project will operate as a nonprofit, and they hope the promise of increased mobility from residents and visitors throughout the greater downtown will inspire local companies to lend their support, through advertising or sponsoring a bike station on their properties. They're also committed to purchasing bikes made from recycled materials. The team estimates they'll need $137,000 in investment dollars to launch the first phase of the program.

Lucido says the team is encouraged by the immediate feedback, all of it positive, from the first 48 hours of their viral campaign, which launched last week. "In the first 48 hours, we had 500 page views on our website and 150 likes on Facebook," she says. "We know this can work."

"Our goal is to not let them down, and make things happen," Przybycien says.

Become a fan of the Detroit Bike Project on Facebook, and read more about the team's proposal here.

Sources: Jenna Przybycien, Victor Quattrin and Stephanie Lucido, co-founders, Detroit Bike Project
Writer: Ashley C. Woods

New Center's Piquette Square veterans' home wins national brownsfield redevelopment award

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The redevelopment of the old Detroit Studebaker plant into permanently supported housing for once-homeless veterans has won Southwest Solutions the nation's premiere award for brownfield redevelopment. Upon winning the 2010 Phoenix Community Impact Award for Excellence in Brownfield Development, Southwest Housing Solutions satisfied a need -- providing a stable home and social services to a portion of the estimated 4,000 veterans on the streets of Detroit -- while utilizing cutting-edge environmental and architectural design.

New Center's Piquette Square living facility, located on the corner of Piquette and Brush, completely filled its 150 units within 60 days of opening in July 2010. But opening the living facility, at a cost of $23 million, was itself a 5-year process. The land, which housed the Studebaker factory before a 2004 fire, was contaminated with an oil pit, underground utilities, petroleum products and volatile organic materials. Meeting a residential use standard required removing over 50,000 tons of contaminated soil and installing a sub-slab ventilation and vapor barrier system.

"Location is key. In order to find a piece of land like that, which was three acres or more, in close proximity to the John Dingell VA Hospital for services. You can't just shove a bunch of potentially homeless people in the middle of nowhere," says Southwest Housing Solutions' Steve Gabrys. "They've got to be integrated in the area, with the potential of job opportunities and so forth. What it comes down to, we had to redevelop a brownfield."

Cleaning up a contaminated site isn't Piquette Square's only nod toward environmental sustainability. The building itself is powered by a geothermal heating and cooling system, which Gabrys says reduces both environmental waste and dependency on public utilities. There's also a light reflective roof, insulated walls, and floors made of recycled material. "It's maintaining your operating costs going forward, and it's also about doing the right thing," Gabrys says.

"At the end of the day, it's not the real estate on this one, it's the people who live in the building," Gabrys says.

Source: Steve Gabrys, Real Estate Development Director, Southwest Housing Solutions
Writer: Ashley C. Woods

Simply Suzanne granola line expands offerings

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

After acquiring a second commercial kitchen facility in Westland and expanding their product line to include snack bars and a new flavor, Detroit's Randy's Granola relaunched as Simply Suzanne.

"We officially launched to stores last week under the Simply Suzanne name and the new brand, and it was extremely well received -- it's very exciting," says Suzanne Vier, co-founder of the homemade granola line.

She's received aid from an international distribution company based in the Metro Detroit area that mentored her through the company's growing pains and rebranding efforts. Vier also recently received word that select stores in Michigan's Whole Foods family will now carry her product lines.

Vier says she's focused on expanding the company's regional distribution to the entire Midwest, as well as the Northeast Corridor.

"We launched our newest flavor, which is our dark chocolate and coffee, and we're hoping to start focusing on the bars and snacks side of things," she says. "We're very happy with our product line representation, and we're still going to do really unique things locally, like at Eastern Market, creating new flavors and local snacks."

While Vier, a Detroit native, is often on the road and refers to Manhattan as her second home, she's adamant that Simply Suzanne's roots are firmly planted in the city of Detroit.

"Our headquarters are here, we have a warehouse here in the New Center, which is really our hub -- it's where all of our shipments come out of. We committed to a kitchen in the greater Detroit area," Veir says. "What's really amazing about our local kitchens are that they allow us to start testing the bars and snacks and do some of the unique things that we have planned. For example, when we test out new products, we pre-launch them at places like Kim's Produce and Mudgie's Deli and Eastern Market, to get feedback from the customers, and they help us tweak it, fine-tune it."

Find out more here.

Source: Suzanne Vier, owner, Simply Suzanne
Writer: Ashley C. Woods

M1 Rail Progress Report: draft Environmental Impact Statement released, presentation set for Feb. 12

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

In August, US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood came to Detroit to announce that funding was secured for Woodward Light Rail stretching from the Detroit River to Eight Mile -- and the forward progress continues with the completion of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). "It really is the most amazing thing, how quickly this has moved, five months (to get) this entire pretty massive analysis completed," says Megan Owens, executive director of transit advocacy organization Transportation Riders United. "For a project of this magnitude, it's quite fast."

The document is available for review online at WoodwardLightRail.com, and a technical presentation is scheduled for February 12 at 11:30 a.m. and again at 4:30 p.m. at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Ave.

The release of a DEIS is the first of several hurdles the project must leap before construction can begin, with the final EIS, expected to be ready in May, next on the list. The EIS process is required for the release of Federal funds to the project. If all goes well, construction is slated to begin later this year on Phase 1, which would run 3.4 miles from Downtown Detroit to West Grand Boulevard.

EIS is somewhat of a misnomer, as the process looks at potential impacts of all kinds, not just to the environment. "It looks at (whether) noise or vibrations from the train will have any impact on historic buildings, it looks at archeological sites, minority and low-income and transit-dependent communities," explains Owens. So far, the results are promising. "The impacts are largely positive or mostly neutral."

One of the major debates regarding the rail line is its alignment, both down Woodward and within downtown. Owens speculates that decision will be made over the next few months. "Moving into what's called the engineering and design phase, (they're) really getting into the nitty gritty: exactly where each station will be, how traffic flow may shift," she says. "That's what will be worked on over the spring and summer, the detailed engineering work."

TRU is involved with hosting six community engagement meetings this month that are of a less technical nature than the one to be held on Feb. 12. "What is light rail, how does it work, what does it look like, where will it go?" are the kinds of questions to be addressed, says Owens. The forums are set for locations that roughly correspond to planned transit stations.

Palmer Woods: Feb. 16, 7-9 p.m. at Detroit Unity Temple, 17505 Second Ave.
Boston Edison: Feb. 21, Details TBA
Highland Park: Feb. 22, at the Highland Park Recreation Center
Midtown: Feb. 23, 6- 8 p.m. at the Detroit Main Public Library
Grand Boulevard: Feb. 24, Details TBA
Downtown: Feb. 28, Details TBA

On March 2, an event will be held downtown to summarize and conclude the public forums. For more information, contact Owens at MOwens@DetroitTransit.org.

Public comments on the DEIS are accepted through March 14 via email to woodwardlightrail@detroitmi.gov or by post to: Ms. Tricia M. Harr, AICP; U.S. Department of Transportation; Federal Transit Administration Headquarters; 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE; East Building � E43-105; Washington, D.C., 20590.

Source: Megan Owens, TRU
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Development News Extra: Detroit lands $21.5M in grants, loans and investments for Woodward Corridor

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Detroit got some national love in the past week -- and not just just in the media. Living Cities, a collaborative of 22 of the world's largest
foundations and financial institutions, has selected Detroit as one of five cities for its new Integration Initiative and Mayor Dave Bing has been named as a 2010-2011 fellow for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Daniel Rose Center for Public Leadership in Land Use.

Let's begin with the money. The Integration Initiative will provide $2.75 million dollars in grants, $4 million in investments and $15 million in loans to support the Woodward Corridor. The project has four goals: to create a new framework for solving complex problems such as unemployment and vacant land; to challenge obsolete conventional wisdom based on outdated assumptions; to drive private markets to work on behalf of low-income and under-served people; and ultimately, create a "new normal" in which systems and practices work more effectively on behalf of urban residents.

The program works across traditional boundaries with involvement from the philanthropic, non-profit and business communities. It's all the heavy hitters at the table -- a partial list of Living Cities members include Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.

Yeah, that's some big bats.

The commercial loans can be used for acquisition of land and property, construction and preservation of affordable housing and development of mixed-use facilities. The funds also will provide working capital and real estate loans to businesses. "These funds will induce private investment and find ways to leverage additional private sector money," says Robin Boyle, chair of Wayne State University's Department of Urban Studies and Planning.

Money will also finance charter schools; create a community land trust; pay for a business development strategy that promotes "live local, buy local and hire local;" facilitate land-use planning and the streamlining of small-business services at the City of Detroit; and, via Data Driven Detroit, create a database of demographic information that can be easily accessed by the public. The University Cultural Center Association will coordinate the money with the Kresge Foundation and the Skillman Foundation.

This operational support is critical, says Boyle, who notes that this type of funding is often difficult for organizations and municipalities to obtain. "It's important for the city and important for Midtown," he says Boyle. "This is about hiring the people and setting up the systems necessary to get the Midtown area up and running and moving ahead."

The other four cities participating are Baltimore, Cleveland, Newark and the Twin Cities region of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

In complimentary news, Mayor Bing has been selected as one of four American mayors selected for a Daniel Rose Fellowship. The year-long program has a core curriculum of real estate market economics and creative public finance tools. The mayors' home turfs benefit from technical assistance provided by urban development and design leaders on a local land-use challenge.

Each mayor brings a team along for the Rose ride; Bing's includes Karla Henderson, group executive for Planning and Facilities for the City of Detroit, Marja Winters, deputy director of Planning and Development for the City of Detroit and Olga Stella, vice president of business development for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.

Stella says that the timing of the fellowship is perfect. "This is a real opportunity to get national real estate development experts into Detroit at a time that it is really pivotal," she says, hoping the end result is "some realistic short-term commercial revitalization opportunities while the city has embarked on this historic Detroit Works initiative."

Charlotte, Houston and Sacramento are the other three cities whose mayors and teams will be participating in the fellowship.

Sources: Robin Boyle, WSU and Olga Stella, DEGC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Restaurant Round-up: City Wings, Raw Cafe and Harmonie Garden now serving

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

A trio of establishments have opened their doors to Detroit diners. All the details fit to print follow:

City Wings is at 2896 W. Grand Blvd., just east of the Lodge Freeway in New Center. With the specialty chicken wings, a variety of sauces are offered, including "KO" and curry, and several sides are available. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. Call 313-871-CITY (2489).

The RAW Cafe is located in the space formerly occupied by C-POP and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 248-790-6111. Read more about the restaurant and its owners, LaKeta and Lee McCauley, here.

Finally, a local favorite is back: Harmonie Garden has reopened on Third Avenue/Anthony Wayne Drive just north of Forest. The Middle Eastern restaurant has previously occupied two Downtown locations and another in Midtown that is now occupied by Byblos. Hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 313-638-2425.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

WA3 offers facade, streetscape grants along Woodward corridor

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Buildings and the streetscape of Metro Detroit's "main street" are being targeted by two grant programs administered by Woodward Avenue Action Association.

As a Detroit ONCR (Office of Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization) district, WA3 is able to provide matching facade improvement grants to Woodward-fronting businesses located between McNichols and Eight Mile. Two of the first to take advantage are La Dolce Vita, which is receiving $15,000 and chipping in that same amount towards exterior improvements, and Prime Medical, for which plans are being finalized.

Nicole Brown, WA3's outreach and promotions director, says that ONCR work has also led to an unprecedented collaboration of area stakeholders. "What you're seeing now hasn't really been seen in the last 30 years, the gathering of all these entities together," she says. "To the west, there is a tremendous amount of investment, while on the other side is a high level of disinvestment, so it's wonderful for us to be able to work with the business owners that are left."

Another grant program focuses on municipalities and nonprofits and is available along the entire stretch of Woodward from the Detroit River north to Pontiac. Grants will be awarded in the amounts of $5,000 to $15,000 for projects ranging from crosswalk and pedestrian accessibility improvements, district or community signage or wayfinding, historical identity elements, benches, bike racks and trash receptacles.

Brown says that a great example of a small but meaningful streetscape improvement is the trash cans that line Woodward in the New Center area. "There is significantly less trash along that part of the corridor."

The total $40,000 allocation was provided through Federal Highway National Scenic Byway funding. Applications are available here or by contacting WA3 executive director Heather Carmona at 248-288-2004. They will be accepted until Nov. 12.

Source: Nicole Brown, WA3
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Michigan's largest graffiti mural to grace exterior wall of Russell Industrial Center

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Midwest's largest art mecca, the Russell Industrial Complex, will now be sporting the state's largest spray paint mural. Artist Kobie Solomon is hard at work painting the 8750 square-foot piece, which he conceptually describes as a "Chimera composed of elements of each of the four major sports teams, aspects of Detroit industry and at least some graphic representation of the majority of the creative activities going on at the Russell on a daily basis among the artists there. His mane is made out of brushes, pencils, files, x-acto knives, chisels, pens...the whole shebang. His tail ends with a glass blowers' torch."

Eric Novack of the Russell Industrial says the mural will act as "a big welcome sign to Detroit." He also points out that the Russell Industrial Center's somewhat unlikely fate as an auto parts manufacturing facility retooled into a creative arts incubator makes it the perfect home for a Chimera, the meaning of which is "impossible dream" or "foolish fantasy."

Solomon kicked off the commissioned work at the People's Art Festival and expects it to take two months to complete. The artist is currently working to open a tattoo parlor in River Rouge.

Sources: Kobie Solomon and Eric Novack, Russell Industrial Center
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Commercial tenants being wooed to CCS Taubman Center - and Tim Hortons becomes the first to sign on

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

The 760,000-square-foot, 11-story Taubman Center for Design -- AKA the Argonaut Building -- is home to a second College for Creative Studies campus and an arts- and design-oriented high school. But the gigantic structure still has room for 130,000 to 150,000 square feet of commercial tenants.

Part of that space is being programmed as an arts incubator/accelerator by the Detroit Creative Corridor Center, but some of it will serve as retail for the student, faculty and New Center neighborhood population.

This fall, the first commercial tenant to sign on the dotted line, Tim Hortons, will open. It will be located on the ground floor across from a campus grill, bringing two dining options to fruition. "The agreement was just executed and the build-out is just beginning," says Eric Larson of Larson Realty Group. "This is a very exciting addition to the Taubman Center in the way that we serve the building population and in the way that we serve the surrounding area."

While storefront retail was considered, Larson says that interior space along the building's main ground floor corridor was selected to draw the community into the building. "(We consider it) a public boulevard as much as an internal one," he says, mentioning the John Chamberlain sculpture that is a focal point for visitors. "(We want) vibrant and public activity on the ground floor."

Larson says there has been a "fair amount" of interest from other commercial tenants -- think creative companies, like graphic or engineering design firms -- but no other leases have yet been secured.

Source: Eric Larson, Larson Realty Group
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Foodie Round-up: On the Porch Fish Fry...CK Mediterranean...lunch @ 3rd St. Bar

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Craft brewing. Charcuterie. Pickling and fermenting. Homemade sodas. CSAs. Food trucks. All of these culinary trends are finding their way to Detroit. Finally.

And over the next couple of weeks, we'll highlight a few of them.

In Virginia Park, Mama Rukiya is cooking up fish and sides with her On the Porch Fish Fry enterprise. On Fridays only, orders can be placed starting at noon and no later that 20 minutes ahead of time.

Organic whiting, ocean perch, salmon croquettes, kentumere (fish and spinach in tomatoes) and eschovitch (fish spiced with Jamaican seasoning) are on the menu along with a rotating cast of sides like black-eyed peas and rice or collard greens. Entrees start at $8. Delivery is available, but waiting for an order on the front porch is definitely part of the experience.

Call 313-498-4281 to request a menu or to place an order. On the Porch is located at 7633 Woodrow Wilson.

While not exactly on the crest of a trend, it is still worth noting that CK Mediterranean Grille, a Middle Eastern eatery, is now open Downtown. The address is 119 Monroe St. Call 313-496-6666. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Delivery will be available soon.

Read more about CK here.

It hasn't been that long since we told you that Third Street Bar has a taco truck. But we would be remiss not to mention that it is indeed open for lunch at 11 a.m.

Third Street is located at 701 W. Forest at Third. Hours are now 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. Call 313-833-0603.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Piquette Square, 150 units of veteran housing, celebrates grand opening July 15

Friday, July 09, 2010

Last month, tenants began moving into the 150-unit Piquette Square that was developed and will be managed by Southwest Solutions. The official grand opening of the 106,000-square-foot mixed-use building will be celebrated on July 15. About 90 units are already occupied.

Piquette Square is located in the Milwaukee-Junction area of New Center on the site where the historic Studebaker factory was destroyed by fire in 2005. The four-story brick building is located at 285 Piquette. It includes 6,000 square feet of common area and 5,000 square feet of commercial space; the housing is targeted to veterans, to whom mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, on-site job training, computer labs and educational programs are offered.

Piquette Square is a $23 million project that is supported by federal, state and local government agencies; Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Corporation for Supportive Housing, City of Detroit, Wayne County, NeighborWorks America, The Salvation Army, Focus Hope, Michigan Veterans Foundation Detroit Center, American Veterans (AMVETS Detroit), the Detroit Housing Commission and Jewish Vocational Services, among others.

Homeless advocates estimate that there are more than 4,000 homeless veterans in Detroit. One of every three homeless men in Detroit and nationally is a veteran. Piquette is the second project of its kind in Michigan and is one of the largest in the nation.

Source: Steve Palackdharry, Southwest Solutions
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

State's phased approach to New Center intermodal station starts with parking lot

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Michigan Department of Transportation has long-term plans to build a $10 million intermodal station in New Center that will service Detroit Department of Transportation, SMART and Amtrak transit -- along with commuter and light rail (if and when that happens).

In the meantime, the agency has just $1.3 million of Federal Transit Administration monies allocated to the project -- at least for now. So as a first phase, they are clearing the lot they own that is bounded by Cass, Woodward, Amsterdam and the railroad tracks, installing ornamental wrought iron fencing and making the space available for future parking, potentially for Techtown's reuse of the Dalgleish Cadillac building just across the street. "This area did need to be cleaned up and it does cover the parking area for our final plan," says Therese Cody of MDOT's Office of High Speed Rail and Innovative Project Advancement. "It's a good first step ... we wanted to be good partners with the city of Detroit and the New Center area."

New bus shelters will be installed on Cass and Woodward, and pedestrian access is being improved through work being undertaken by New Center Council. "They've been a great partner with us to develop this project," says Cody. "They are working on a grant for improvements to the (railroad) underpasses."

Source: Therese Cody, MDOT
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Detroit says bye to Cityfest, hello to New Center Park

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Let's get the bad news out of the way: New Center's Cityfest has been canceled, for at least 2010. While the economy and accompanying reduced sponsorship levels have something to do with the cessation of a Detroit tradition, the reality is much more complex.

Now for the good news: Improvements to New Center Park have created a neighborhood venue that will be programmed four days a week. New Center Council president Michael Solaka says that is more conducive to realizing the organization's goal of community and economic development than is a festival that happens but once a year. "Our mission is to develop New Center into a thriving 24-hour neighborhood," he says. "(The park) is an economic development thing as opposed to an image-building event."

Phase I improvements to the park, which is located at the southwest corner of Second Ave. and W. Grand Blvd., were made possible through funding from the Kresge Foundation, the State of Michigan Cool Cities Initiative, and the United Way's Non-Profit Facilities Fund. They include a decorative perimeter fence, repaired concrete, re-graded landscaping for a larger audience viewing and event production area, a new brick paved patio, lighting and electrical upgrades, irrigation improvements, perimeter hedges, restroom access, and, most visibly, a 900-square-foot modern glass "conservatory" that will house equipment for food and beverage.

New Center Council now is moving forward with the design and construction of a permanent stage roof with an integrated presentation/movie screen, performance quality sound and lighting, and park furniture and food and beverage service equipment.

Programming will include Wednesday evening movies, Thursday after-work jazz concerts, Friday night rock and roll concerts, Saturday night "Camp Hi-Fi" and a harvest market on Sundays. "Basically it is Cityfest broken down into 80 days," says Solaka. "We're trying to get our arms around the community piece (of arts and cultural programming) and make people want to live here and open a business here."

The Council's acquisition of a nearby parking lot would also allow the production of "Block Parties" that would take place on an expanded site with the Park as their centerpiece.

Source: Michael Solaka, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Ya Digg Records opens at Russell Industrial Center

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Techno, house and hip hop heads now have a spot where they can search for the perfect beat with the opening of Ya Digg Records at the Russell Industrial Center. Proprietor Terri McQueen, better known to some as Whodat, became determined to open up a record shop because she was frustrated in trying to find records locally in the genres she herself spins. "There are lots of local artists here that have vinyl and you can't get it here," she says. "We have Archer (Record Pressing Co.) here, so you can get your record pressed here...and then you have to order it from Europe."

Initially, McQueen planned to sell records at the Russell Bazaar on weekends only, but then saw the benefits to a fully-stocked store instead. "Record shoppers like having a place to go hang out, especially people who really like to dig," she says. To accommodate customers, she's created a front lobby space with tables and chairs; a main retail area with the checkout counter, t-shirts, magazines and a television she plans to use for screenings of music and Detroit documentaries; a listening room with two turntables as well as hookups for shoppers that bring their own portable tables; and, of course, a room that will be filled with records.

The entire space is approximately 1,000 square feet and is located on the west side of Building 2. McQueen plans to put up signage at all the building's entrances. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 313-285-9988.

Source: Terri McQueen, Ya Digg Records
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Speaker series recap: Eating Green, from Garden to Grocery

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

It was a full house at Cliff Bell's for the Model D Speaker Series last Tuesday. Once again we teamed with Open City, and the event featured a panel that discussed some of the perks, quirks, and other challenges of opening and running a green food business in Detroit.

Panelists for the night included:

* Dan Carmody of the Eastern Market Development Corp.;
* Greg Willerer of Brother Nature Produce;
* Michael Solaka of Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe;
* Jason Kado of Sunflower Market; and
* Matt Naimi of Recycle Here.

Dan Carmody started the night off with a very informative overview of the current state of the country's food system. After noting several deficiencies of the food system, he stated that Detroit was poised to be a 21st century leader due to Michigan's vibrant crop production, the central distribution center of Eastern Market, and the necessity to create a new food infrastructure due to the city's lack of retail outlets. "Detroit is in a crossroads, at an opportunity to reinvent the nation's food system, which is in a state of dysfunction," he said. "We can do in Detroit what the rest of the county is going to need to do very soon."

Greg Willerer spoke of having his own 1.5 acre farm within the city. He said that he sells his produce to a number of local businesses in the area, something he sees as reflective of a systemic change beginning to creep into the food industry. Restaurants are moving toward more bio-diverse menus and away from the corn-based fare that has long been a staple of our culture, all while staying within a local economy. "If you take a look at those restaurants, they're committed to buying locally," he said. "They're not just buying from me but other local Detroit farmers."

Michael Solaka reminisced about the days his family originally owned Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe, saying that at the time the 3,000-square-foot store wasn't considered a gourmet grocer, though it did have its own unique goods and local products. Currently in the process of reviving the brand name at a new location (at the former Zaccaro's on Woodward), he said that he believes location and synergy will help the business succeed. "As soon as we signed our lease, two weeks later we found someone else was opening a store two blocks away," he said. "Which is exciting -- I'm not sure we have a food desert [in Detroit], but maybe we're a little parched." He said the city has 80 grocery stores, but it needs 80 more stores.

Jason Kado discussed his family's market business and the joys of connecting with customers. He said that one of the best aspects of being in the food industry can be the relationships formed over what people are eating and drinking. As his family is also currently involved in the process of opening up another store, he noted that one of the keys to success stems from the innovations made to be more accommodating to customers. An example? His family's new store will be opening up in the bottom floor of a Wayne State parking garage. "The university, with what they're doing with their parking structure, they're really trying to cater to their growing population," he said.

Matt Naimi talked a lot of trash -- literally. In addition to speaking about Recycle Here, he told the story of how his company, Michigan Green Safe Products, went from being a start-up to reaching the million-dollar-a-year mark in sales just three years later by greening large and small businesses alike. He showed that there are plenty of opportunities in the burgeoning green food industry and pointed out that it takes a certain way of looking at things to put them in perspective. "When you buy something, you're buying garbage," he said. "Obviously there's a product inside of it, but it's going to end up in the garbage or a recycling bin."

Writer: Ian Perrotta, Model D intern

Henry Ford eyes neighborhood south for expansion, mixed-use redevelopment

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Henry Ford Health System has released preliminary plans to invest $500 million to improve its West Grand Boulevard campus and create a 300-acre residential, retail and business development south of the hospital. The overall development strategy includes two plans and two sets of boundaries.

The first, which William Schramm, Henry Ford's vice president of business development, characterizes as "mission-related," could include research and ambulatory care divisions, a surgery center and educational facilities, in what might be termed a south campus of the hospital. Boundaries are W. Grand Blvd., Holden, the Lodge Freeway and Sterling. Properties are being acquired in this targeted area.

The second, which is larger, more ambitious and stretches outside of Henry Ford's core business of health care, is called Community Health Park, and would be bounded by W. Grand Blvd., 14th St., the Lodge Freeway, and I-94. The area would see residential, commercial and retail development, particularly in the areas of "health care-related support services," says Schramm. As for existing interests in the area, which include Recycle Here!, Caraco Pharmaceutical and Research Lofts, Schramm says, "We're not looking to displace...we will continue to work with them."

Henry Ford still needs board approval of the plan and to raise the funds -- both $500 million internally as well as an additional $500 million from outside developers.

Source: William Schramm, HFHS
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Green Space: NextCAT partners with Wayne to bring new biofuel technology to Detroit

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

TechTown start-up NextCAT has made a major stride in becoming a player in the world of biodiesel with the signing of an option agreement to produce technology engineered at Wayne State University. "Biodeisel been produced for a long time from vegetable oils commonly used for food, so the price is relatively high," explains NextCAT CEO Charles Salley. "This technology takes other biomass, other oils not in the food stream and converts them into fuel." Recycled cooking oil, algae and other plants not usable for food are examples of raw materials that this new technology can process into fuel.

Salley says that NextCAT is one of many examples of TechTown companies that are acting to commercialize technologies being developed at Wayne State. "It's a little-known fact about the robustness of research at WSU," he says. "(TechTown companies) are trying to ID leading research projects to help researchers find a market...help research get converted into a commercial opportunity."

If NextCAT is successful, biodiesel fuel could become more viable in the marketplace by lowering the cost by as much as a dollar a gallon. "Currently, people are reluctant to adopt environmentally friendly fuel, and we think we can bring renewable fuels down to parity with petroleum," says Salley, who calls the benefits to this a "three-fer": reduced emissions, price and dependence on foreign fuel.

Source: Charles Salley, NextCAT
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

D-Biz: Detroit Hardware stocks right tools for the job on Woodward Ave.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

When you're in the Midtown or New Center area and you need a quick fix, there's only one place to go: Detroit Hardware Company. Open for 85 years, this two-story emporium at the corner of Woodward and E. Milwaukee offers a full-range of products to suit any home improvement need.

Owned and operated by Emily Webster, the shop has been a family business since 1959, when her father purchased it along with a business partner after working as an employee for several years. Today, Webster's daughter Amy Buerr continues the family tradition of helping customers find what they need -- even when they don't know what they're looking for.

Walking through Detroit Hardware, it appears that not much has changed since it moved to its present location back in the 1930s -- and that's a good thing. Fastening hardware is still kept in wooden boxes that line the walls, nails are sold by the pound and screws by the piece. But the most classic feature of the shop is the customer service. The staff is not only incredibly knowledgeable, but willing and eager to help.

Though the business is nowhere near the size of its big box competitors, Detroit Hardware still matches them when it comes to having what you need. Whether it is a pipe to fix plumbing, some wire for electrical work, or that little piece that connects the one thing to the other, they've got it. You can even buy cast-iron cookware and mason jars.

"We try to sell things that are either hard-to-get or hard-to-find," says Webster.

The Detroit Hardware Company is located at 6432 Woodward and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Source: Emily Webster, Detroit Hardware Company
Writer: Ian Perrotta

Grab a shovel: Greening of Detroit to plant 1,750 trees by June 5

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The arrival of spring heralds the digging of dirt, if The Greening of Detroit's ambitious 2010 schedule has anything to say about it. From April 10 to June 5, about 1,750 trees will be planted citywide in 14 separate plantings. Greening, in partnership with the City of Detroit's General Service Department, will plant 680 trees that will reforest neighborhoods affected by the Emerald ash borer infestation; And about a thousand trees will be planted with over 16 community groups and block clubs.

The schedule is as follows: April 10, University District and Annchester street tree plantings; April 17, Warrendale and E. Outer Drive; April 24, Trumbull and Corktown tree nursery; April 20, East English Village; April 22, Grandmont Rosedale tree nursery; April 25, Creekside; May 1, Boston Edison and Virginia Park; May 8, Beresford Block Club and Osborn Neighborhood; May 15, Hartwell and West Grand Boulevard; May 22, Ecclesia and Pallister Park; June 5, Ferdinand.

More than 1,000 volunteers will be needed; contact Greening at 313-237-8733 to sign up for a planting.

Greening's annual Tree and Shrub Sale will take place on Saturday April 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at Eastern Market's Shed #6. Trees are $30 and shrubs are $20, with special rates offered to Greening members. Pre-orders are being taken now; order forms can be found at www.greeningofdetroit.com.

The Greening's urban agriculture initiative, the Garden Resource Program Collaborative provides training and resources to individuals, community groups and families that grow vegetable gardens. Interested individuals should contact Lindsay Turpin at 313-237-8733.

Source: Monica Tabares, Greening of Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Tenants filling New Center's under-renovation Boulevard West building

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

New Center Council (NCC) acquired 2990 W. Grand Boulevard last summer, along with the adjacent park and parking lot just west. The agency has been renovating the commercial building suite by suite and the work is yielding new tenants. Project manager Jim Winter says that activating the building is good for the neighborhood -- which is exactly what NCC is tasked to do. "Being owned by a nonprofit, everything (about the building) flows out to the community."

Winter estimates that about a quarter of the building's 43,000 square feet of leasable space has been improved. Tenants include Lawrence Technological University's Detroit architecture studio, Connections for Deaf Citizens, Detroit Chiropractic, Enviromac and -- the newest and largest tenant -- SER Metro Careers for Life Center, which occupies the entire fourth floor.

Despite the 6,500 square feet occupied by Careers for Life, Winter says the building's smaller spaces are being snapped up more quickly.
"For the most part, people don't want to come in and take over 4,000 square feet, so we are downsizing, making smaller offices by breaking suites into two," he says. "That is our niche, (for smaller tenants) to still be able to have a professional building, with full security systems and a security team on staff."

Contact Winter at 313-872-0188 to arrange for a walk-through.

Source: Jim Winter, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Community development organizations release right-sizing strategic framework

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD) is comprised of community development organizations from across the city. They built houses before lofts were all the rage, paving the way for for-profit market-rate ventures and, now that the housing market is kaput, they've turned their sights on talking about what's next for Detroit. About a year ago, they formed a Futures Task Force, and the first deliverable is a document entitled "Neighborhood Revitalization Strategic Framework." It looks at the concept of right-sizing, down-sizing or reinventing Detroit -- whatever you want to call it -- and makes a set of recommendations that, hopefully, will guide policy-makers, elected officials and the funding community when they start tackling the heated issue.

"(The strategic framework) is about reinventing Detroit so that it is a better place for people to live in," says Tom Goddeeris, executive director of Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation and a Futures Task Force participant. "It's how to think about how to improve it in a way that recognizes that there is lots of vacant land, (there are lots of) vacant buildings and we don't have the population that we once had...We wanted to put forward an idea about the city that says that it can be a better place, a greener place, a more economically viable place."

The community development community has always operated on the notion that rebuilding a city means building more houses. The strategic framework they've released abandons that principle, instead looking at numerous different ways -- be that open space, greenways, urban farms or even traditional neighborhoods -- that Detroit might evolve. "These are concepts to get people thinking a different way as opposed to going back to some previous time where (success meant) more people and more businesses," says Goddeeris. Along with drawing other stakeholders into the conversation, he says a goal of the collaborative is to show that "there can be a vision for reinventing the city in a way that is looking to make it a better place, not as an exit strategy or a sign of defeat."

While the concept of right-sizing holds allure in some camps and -- shades of Poletown -- horror in others, Goddeeris stresses the point that much work can be done before relocation is even close to a reality. "There are parts of the city that we can immediately start strengthening and some that we can immediately start greening without having to displace a bunch of people," he says.

Source: Tom Goddeeris, Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp. and CDAD
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Intensive property survey captures state of Detroit housing, vacancy

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

The Data Collaborative, a joint effort by the Detroit Office of Foreclosure Prevention and Response, Community Legal Resources and Data Driven Detroit, has completed a landmark survey of residential properties in Detroit, and the results indicate that 86% of the city's single-family homes appear to be in good condition and another 9% generally only need minor repairs -- meaning that more than 218,000, or 95%, of the city's single-family homes appear to be suitable for occupancy.

While this number sounds heartening, Heidi Mucherie, executive director of Community Legal Resources, urges some restraint in interpreting the numbers. "We have some good-condition housing stock, an asset that we don't fully realize as an asset, and I'm glad that the study substantiates that," she says. However, she points out that large areas of the city have nowhere near these statistics. "This is a citywide aggregate number, and while we might be tempted to say things aren't as bad as we thought they are, (conditions have) changed over the last 10 years, even in traditionally stronger neighborhoods, and I worry about the aggregate figures painting too rosy of a picture."

A statistic that bears out Mucherie's temperance is that 26% of the city's residential parcels -- or 91,000 lots -- are now vacant. But she believes that knowing the good and the bad of where the city currently stands is empowering. "The way I've been thinking about it is that it paints a picture of a moment in time. ... It's only the start, not the ultimate answer," she says. "(These communities are) changing daily, especially neighborhoods hit by foreclosures."

Mucherie says the data collected is only as good as its upkeep and the community's buy-in, as in getting the "community engaged to collect updated information and track how it changes over period of time," she says. "One snapshot in time is not going to provide the answer for very long, but I'm excited about it changing the conversation."

Interested in checking out information about your house, block and neighborhood? Information is easily accessed by visiting www.detroitparcelsurvey.org and typing in a residential property address.

Source: Heidi Mucherie, Community Legal Resources
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

BizdomU grads launch insurance licensing training company at TechOne

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Antonella Solomon and Roger Williams met as students at Bizdom U, the entrepreneurial boot camp founded by Dan Gilbert. Combining her insurance background with his educational one, the team created Launch Learning Group LLC, a business that provides interactive training courses for individuals looking to become licensed insurance agents. The company, located in TechTown's TechOne, will debut its first 40-hour course on March 15.

If building a business around adults passing a singular industry's licensing exam sounds like Solomon and Williams are thinking small, the realities of the insurance industry beg to differ. The fact of the matter is that Michigan has insurance jobs to fill and that many adults looking for a career in the industry have trouble getting passing the licensing exam -- up to half fail on their first try. Launch's courses are designed to work for all types of learners and for people who might have not had a test to take in years or even decades.

Launch is targeting students through job search sites as well as through insurance companies directly, many of whom are forced to hire employees prior to becoming licensed and are thus interested in them passing the exam quickly. This relationship will also help Launch place students with those companies that have unfilled positions.

Locating in TechOne made sense for may reasons. Solomon calls it a "brain hub" where ideas get bounced around and "outside eyes can pick out issues." Plus, Bizdom U's relationship with foundations helped them keep start-up costs low.

Courses will be held in Detroit, Farmington Hills and Livonia and range from $180 for 20 hours to $275 for 40. Register on-line at www.launchlg.com or call 313-202-6700 for more information.

Sources: Antonella Solomon and Roger Williams, Launch Learning Group
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Dalgliesh Cadillac to house TechTown expansion

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

TechTown has purchased Dalgleish Cadillac at Cass and Amsterdam for an expansion of its TechOne business incubator, which is located nearby at 440 Burroughs. The 130,000-square-foot TechTwo will more than double the organization's space for small businesses and start-ups, bringing the total available square footage to approximately 200,000.

The building was built in 1902 as the first Cadillac plant, and the Dalgleish family has been selling Cadillacs there since 1964. The dealership was closed by General Motors in 2009, and they remain a tenant in it as "they wrap up business," says Henry Argasinski, TechTown's real estate and facilities manager. "We're looking at stepping into the building somewhere from 30 to 60 days from now."

TechTwo will be similar in character to TechOne, with office and lab space, with a "heavy emphasis on new entrepreneurial companies and SmartStart and FastTrac training (graduates)," says Argasinski. TechTown has already assembled a list of potential tenants comprised of some current occupants of TechOne that have outgrown their space as well as the aforementioned program graduates looking to hang a shingle in the neighborhood.

Companies interested in leasing space at TechTown should contact Argasinski at henry@techtownwsu.org or 313-483-1329. TechTown is sponsoring TechTown meets Hockeytown on Feb. 11 when the Red Wings take on the Sharks. Arganinski says the night will be chance to meet tenants in an informal setting. Watch a podcast interview in which he discusses the unique challenges of managing Michigan's largest business incubator here.

Source: Henry Argasinski, TechTown
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Acclaimed Mosaic Youth Theatre purchases New Center building

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Mosaic Youth Theatre has acquired a historic 40,000-square-foot building on Second Avenue in New Center, the former location of WTVS and WJBK. The plan is to renovate it as a permanent home for the program and a center dedicated to youth excellence with offices, studio and rehearsal space and a 180-seat black box theater. Mosaic is currently in discussions with several other organizations to partner in occupying the building. "This is really going to allow us to expand our programming," says Rick Sperling, Mosaic's founder. "This is going to change us from being a program to, really, an anchor organization for Detroit."

Mosaic is the only Detroit organization, out of 100 nationwide, to win the $25,000 Chase Community Giving "you decide what matters" Facebook campaign. Each of the selected organizations now advance to Round Two, where one organization will receive $1 million and the five runners-up will be given $100,000 each. For Round Two, participating organizations were asked to submit a "Big Idea" explaining how they would put the funds to use in service of the community; Mosaic's is the building renovation. Voting runs from January 15 to 22.

The building is located at 7441 Second Ave. Mosaic is working with Zachary and Associates to put together the package of state and federal historic, brownfield and New Market tax credits that will offset the overall cost of renovation.

A link to vote for Mosaic will be online beginning Jan. 15.

Source: Ricks Sperling, Mosaic Youth Theatre
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Historic tax credit legislation passes to benefit Broderick Tower restoration

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Local historic preservation efforts got a boost when Public Act 192 was signed into state law on Dec. 22, 2009. The bill, which was introduced by State Rep. Bert Johnson (D-Detroit), will provide historic rehabilitation tax credits for the redevelopment of, in Detroit, the David Broderick Tower downtown and the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education (formerly called the Argonaut Building) in New Center, as well as a rehab of Grand Rapids' Federal Building.

Johnson says he was inspired to sponsor the bill because of his belief that historic preservation is integral to a city's rebirth. "These projects really add to the fabric of a city," he says. "When I travel around the country, it's evident to me."

The Broderick Tower, known as one of the country's tallest vacant buildings, has had numerous development fits and starts since it became mostly vacant in the 1980s. Current plans call for a mixed use of rental apartments and retail and entertainment tenants.

The restoration of the Argonaut Building was completed by the College for Creative Studies in 2009. Read more about that project here.

Source: State Rep. Bert Johnson
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

TechTown keeps growing, lands two new tenants

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

TechTown ties up a busy 2009 with a bow with the recent announcement of two new tenants. Kansas City-based Kauffman Foundation and the Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center have established satellite offices there that will both work to promote entrepreneurship.

The Kauffman Foundation's Detroit office will focus solely on its Urban Entrepreneurial Partnership (UEP) program, which will operate under the name UEP Detroit 150. This name references its mission of providing 150 of Detroit's displaced minority auto suppliers intensive one-on-one coaching, with the idea of "retooling" their skills into other industries, including including aerospace, alternative energy, medical devices, military and homeland security. UEP will hire three to five locals to staff the office. The program is funded by a $3 million grant from the New Economy Initiative.

The Michigan Small Business and Technology Development Center provides counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures, existing small businesses and innovative technology companies. It has offices statewide.

Source: Allison Lumb, TechTown
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

New Center Council overhauls park into performance venue

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

New Center Council is well underway with a project that includes improving the pocket park at Second and West Grand Boulevard, as well as acquiring and upgrading the neighboring building and parking lot at 2660 W. Grand Blvd.

New Center Park is being outfitted as a performance venue with a stage, conservatory building for concessions, lighting, landscaping and wrought iron fencing. The Boulevard West Building is being improved with a new facade and signage as well as interior renovations; existing tenants will remain and the Council's operations will relocate into the building in 2010.

This project has been in the works for about five years, estimates New Center Council president Michael Solaka. The organization's goal, he says, is to "create some cultural events, some special events -- and to generate some revenue." He envisions regular concerts and movie screenings that will enhance New Center's livability.

Phase One is being funded by United Way Nonprofit Facilities Center, The Kresge Foundation, Detroit LISC and the State of Michigan's Cool Cities program. The project architect is Steven C. Flum Inc.

Phase two of improvements to New Center Park will include a roof over the stage, and sound, lighting and projection equipment. New Center Council is finalizing details of this phase and will begin raising funds shortly.

Source: Michael Solaka, NCC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

New Northend mural 'illuminates' E. Grand Blvd.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

In August, artist Katie Craig and a crew of young people began working on a mammoth (100-feet-by-125-feet) mural on a nine-story vacant building on E. Grand Boulevard at Beaubien. The North End building was selected because it "kind of links Youthville, Vanguard (Community Development Corporation), the new CCS and Russell Industrial," says Craig. "It's in the middle of things happening in that neighborhood."

The mural, entitled "The Illuminated Mural," is nearly complete; the dedication is set for Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. with a reception to follow at Vanguard's offices. Craig says its design is intended to "translate to all people in the neighborhood." It utilizes drips of paint flowing down the wall into "abstract explosions of paint spatters and cross-hatching." The mural is "about action and movement, (which) represents the North End: it's a constantly going neighborhood, there's a real fast pace up there," she says.

Craig and some other artists are now occupying the ground floor of the building as studio space, all with the cooperation of the building's owner, the Boydell Group. A recent graduate of CCS, she is also currently teaching art classes to youth at Vanguard. "We're really trying to teach them the business of painting murals and also give them skills," she says. "Everything around us at one point -- except for nature -- was a drawing, someone's concept. (We're teaching them to) create their own surroundings."

The Illuminated Mural is part of the community+public arts:DETROIT (CPAD) program. Other CPAD projects include installations at Rouge Park, Gigante Prince Valley Supermercado, Patton and Clark parks and, in Brightmoor, Talking Fence. It is facilitated by College for Creative Studies.

Source: Katie Craig
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Office of Foreclosure Prevention and Response marshals resources to keep Detroiters in their homes

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Detroit Office of Foreclosure Prevention and Response has a tough job: keeping residents in their homes during an unprecedented mortgage meltdown coupled with record unemployment. In the years 2005 to 2008, it is estimated that 51,000 1- to 4-unit residences completed the foreclosure process in the city. "It's not over yet," says Diane McCloskey, the initiative's director of community initiatives. "We're hoping we are through the worst."

To accomplish its goal the Office of Foreclosure, while working closely with banks and community funders like Skillman Foundation and Detroit LISC, aims to be the Detroit clearinghouse for all things foreclosure-related, meaning research, advocacy and relationship- and capacity-building for other community groups helping their residents avoid foreclosure.

A top priority is letting people know their options, which is where ForeclosureDetroit.org comes in. McCloskey says the website is intended to be user-friendly for people of varying levels of computer savviness. "Foreclosures affect people of all economic, racial and social backgrounds," she says. "People make assumptions that people know where to go (for help), but they have no idea where to reach out (to) -- we needed a way (to give them information) quietly, in the privacy of their own home...sitting at a friend's house or the library."

The site details resources for people in various places on the spectrum of foreclosure trouble -- from someone who hasn't even missed a mortgage payment yet to someone who has already lost their home.

Community meetings on the foreclosure issue are headed to various Detroit neighborhoods in the coming months, with planning underway for a larger summit before the end of the year.

Source: Diane McCloskey, Office of Foreclosure Prevention and Response
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

College for Creative Studies' 2009 school year begins at revived Argonaut

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

"It just feels terrific," says College for Creative Studies president Rick Rogers. What is he so happy about? School is in session at the college's redeveloped Argonaut Building in New Center.

The floors and halls of the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education, as it has been renamed, have been bustling since its opening on September 8. "The first day of school was actually a really emotional experience," says Rogers. At an assembly in the gymnasium, undergraduate and graduate CCS students gathered with the middle and high school students attending the Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies, which also housed in the building. "It was an entirely new experience for me...all these years I've been running a college, not a middle school or high school!"

Although the educational component of the complex is active, there is still work to be done on some of its other aspects. "There are number of features that will act to draw the public into the building in the near future, including retail activity on the first floor and a conference center, that will be completed by the end of December, that is going to be available for outside organizations to use for big events," says Rogers. "Also, a couple of organizations are pondering possibly developing a creative business accelerator -- there are some pretty serious conversations under way."

The reach of CCS is poised to expand significantly with the opening of this campus, explains Rogers. "If we can tie some professional business activities into the creative and educational activities already going on in the building, we could have a really powerful model... of what might be able to be developed in terms of innovation, a generation of new businesses, products, research, collaboration and mentoring," he says. "It's going to be very beneficial to Detroit's economy as well as to the educational needs of Detroit students."

Read about the capital campaign for the Argonaut redevelopment here and watch a Model D TV piece here.

Source: Rick Rogers, CCS
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Community Development Advocates of Detroit propose comprehensive land use strategy

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD) is a trade association for the city's more than 60 community development corporations. At the end of 2008, the group decided to create an emergency task force to help its members deal with the financial crisis through advocacy, resource identification and technical assistance.

Growing from that work, the committee, now called the Futures Task Force, has released a set of land use recommendations for Detroit that include some concepts that are being discussed by many -- such as the repurposing of vacant land -- but with an added focus on the importance of community development organizations in the work to be done. "What we're saying is not radically different (than what others are saying)," says Tim Thorland, CDAD's chairperson and executive director of Southwest Housing Corp."(Our vision) is nuts and bolts, what organizations with resources that they have identified think they can accomplish based on practical ideas from people that live in these neighborhoods."

CDAD's recommendations call for a bold new vision for Detroit, one that targets resources into denser neighborhoods and requires unprecedented collaboration. And what community development corporations bring to this table, besides a proven track record of real estate development, is the voice of the community, says Thorland. "(It's) necessary to the success of whatever plan you want to implement and it's the one asset we have that nobody else does," he says. "It's in an honest and meaningful way, not window dressing...We've been doing this for 30 years in the best interest of the community, what the community has told us that they want."

CDAD plans to shop its plan to city officials and foundations. Read the entire set of recommendations here .

Source: Tim Thorland, CDAD and Southwest Housing Corp.
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

CCS launches capital campaign for redevelopment of Argonaut with 65% of $55M already raised

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The College for Creative Studies (CCS) has launched a $55 million capital campaign to support the redevelopment of the Argonaut Building called "Advancing the
Creative Spirit."

The good news? They've already raised $36 million, or 65 percent, of that total. The building will be named the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education after the campaign's largest donor to date, A. Alfred Taubman, who has chipped in $15 million. Other large donors that have stepped to the plate are the Benson and Edith Ford Foundation ($5 million), Kresge Foundation ($4 million), New Economy Initiative ($3 million) and Compuware ($1 million).

CCS president Rick Rogers has high hopes for the capital campaign because of the far-reaching impact the reuse of the Argonaut will have on the city. "This is about more than just CCS, it is really about the future of Detroit," he says. "It's about renewing Detroit, creating jobs, revitalizing the New Center area, creating new educational opportunities for kids in Detroit and being a springboard for the development of the creative economy."

Both CCS and the art- and design-oriented high school to be housed in the Argonaut will open on September 8, 2009. Beth Marmarelli, public relations manager for CCS, says that the college's major focus is on getting the main educational components of the building open, with other accessory components such as retail coming on line after that date.

Read Model D's most recent report on the Argonaut here and watch a Model D TV piece here.

Source: Rick Rogers and Beth Marmarelli, CCS
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

New Henry Ford ICU largest in state, completes $310M in capital improvements at hospital

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Today, Henry Ford Hospital will open the second floor and final phase of a two-story addition that expands its Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The 24 new ICU beds on the P5 floor, as it is dubbed, bring the hospital's total number available to 156, the most of any hospital in Michigan.

P5 is 32,000 square feet, houses 16 private medical surgery rooms and is the final linchpin in the campus' three-year $310 million capital improvement campaign. The other floor in the addition, P6, opened last December and added 80 private patient rooms to the hospital. Collectively, the two floors were constructed for $32 million.

72 new jobs, mostly critical care nurses, were created by Henry Ford Hospital with the addition of P5.

Each ICU room boasts the ability for medical professionals to quickly access electronic medical records; a sleeper couch and recliner chair for families to sleep over; patient-comfort technology, including wireless access, flat-screen TV and remote-control window treatments; and attention to privacy and quiet.

Other phases of the hospital capital improvement campaign included a simulation center and an emergency department upgrade.

Source: Sally Ann Brown, Henry Ford Health System
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Org Contemporary Gallery takes up residence at Russell Industrial

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

A trio of young artists have opened a gallery at the Russell Industrial Center. Chris Samuels, Ian Swanson and Lindsey Yeo initially set up Org Contemporary in March as a temporary gallery in conjunction with a Russell Industrial open house in March -- but ended up with a permanent space. "We took an opportunity and ran with it," says Yeo.

Org Contemporary will primarily mount solo shows. "We want to give artists the opportunity to come in and stretch their muscles," says Swanson. As for style or genre, the focus is unconventional art that "pushes boundaries, not just work that we think can sell," says Samuels.

The current David Flaugher show closes on July 25. Next up is a collaborative exhibition with Detroit Industrial Project for the People's Art Festival in August. Upcoming solo shows include Vagner Whitehead , Kevin Beasley , and Lauren Rice .

Org Contemporary is located on the third floor of Building 2 at Russell Industrial Center, 1610 Clay St. The gallery is open by appointment on Saturday; e-mail Samuels to set one up.

Sources: Chris Samuels, Ian Swanson and Lindsey Yeo, Org Contemporary
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

LISC invests $3M over 3 years into Detroit community development orgs

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation will invest $1 million annually for three years into the city's community development organizations. Its motivation? The current economic situation and its impact on the community development industry.

LISC wil offer $25,000 in operating support grants to over a dozen organizations. Several of the organizations will then receive additional financial support, technical organizational assistance and business planning assistance.

LISC hopes to help CDCs become recession-proof by strengthening, adapting, changing or merging -- whatever it takes.

For one of the grantees, Greater Corktown Development Corporation the grant has been a welcome infusion, but it has also meant they've had to evolve. "LISC offered up technical assistance, (helped us look at things in an) entrepreneurial approach to sustainability," says executive director Tim McKay. "We got included in their $3 million initiative to help us reorganize our office, to sustain us through this kind of difficult time, to give us a business plan and to strategize to develop a revenue stream -- which was much needed and much welcome."

Other community development organizations awarded operational funds are Bagley Housing Association, Southwest Detroit Business Association and Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (formerly Neighborhood Centers, Inc.) in Mexicantown and Southwest Detroit; Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation; Creekside CDC and Jefferson East Business Association on the lower Eastside; Messiah Housing Corporation in The Villages; Warren Conner Development Coalition and U SNAP BAC on the East Side; Vanguard CDC, Central Detroit Christian CDC and New Center Council in the New Center/Central Woodward area; Detroit Community Initiative in the Van Dyke/Eight Mile area and citywide agencies Focus: HOPE and Wayne County Child Care Coordinating Council.

Source: LISC and Tim McKay, GCDC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

State of Michigan invests $7M into Cadillac Place upgrades in New Center

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The State of Michigan has invested $7 million into New Center's Cadillac Place. The improvements run the gamut, from boiler and elevator upgrades to flooring and facade repairs. The work was funded through maintenance allowances in the state's lease agreement.

Additionally, employees from three departments -- Department of Human Services, Department of Labor and Economic Growth and Gaming Control Board -- have been consolidated into Cadillac Place. These moves increased the total number of employees in the building from 1,650 to more than 1,800.

Department of Management and Budget director Lisa Webb Sharpe says the investment and consolidation are meant to live up to a governor-issued 2003 directive that instructed DMB to move personnel into urban areas whenever possible and to move from leased to owned space whenever possible. "We are trying to make urban areas more vibrant," she says.

Webb Sharpe also notes that the boiler upgrade will allow for significant utilities savings and that Gaming Control's relocation to Detroit from Lansing moves that department "closer to the casinos that they regulate."

Source: Lisa Webb Sharpe, State of Michigan DMB
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

LISC accepting nominations for CDC of the year

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Is your neighborhood a better place because of the efforts of your local community development corporation? If so, nominate it for Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation's (LISC) 9th Annual Detroit Community Development Awards.

The first category, CDC of the Year, will go to a comprehensive organization that builds houses and maybe even takes on commercial development. It delves into community issues of all stripes and probably is involved in a park or greenway project.

The second category, Community Champions, is for ordinary citizens that go to extraordinary lengths to improve their neighborhood. There will be five winners of this award, one in the following geographic areas: Central Woodward, East, Northeast, Northwest and Southwest. Additionally, three organizations will be designated as Community Champions.

Nomination forms and additional information are available at www.detroit-lisc.org . They are due on Friday, July 17 and will be handed out at the awards ceremony in September.

Source: Detroit LISC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

WDET, Model D partner on series looking at how Detroiters are facing the foreclosure crisis

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

This week, public radio station WDET 101.9 FM launched a special series, "Facing the Mortgage Crisis: Home Is More Than Our House," that will air over the next seven weeks. Starting next week, Model D will also present a series of stories on the topic. The media partners will join together on June 24 for a Speaker Series that will delve into the subject matter from yet another angle.

Model D publisher Brian Boyle sees an opportunity for the local coverage to reveal individual neighborhood responses to the crisis. "In this market, with everything being so cheap, you don't have to wait for a program," he says. "Individuals are doing some of the more innovative things."

Listeners and readers will learn about volunteer opportunities and other ways to take action. WDET also will host a blog at on its web site that will compile all information reported on-air.

Sign up for the Model D speaker series here, and follow WDET during its news programs like Detroit Today for more from the series.

Source: WDET and Brian Boyle, Model D
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Map outlines greenways progress around Detroit

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

The Detroit Greenways Coalition has released a nifty map and guide to greenways that exist and are planned in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck. Entitled "Building Pathways that Unite a City," the brochure unfolds to a full-color map that reveals off-road and on-road routes all over town, some denoted as existing, some as planned and a few that are merely conceptual at this time.

There are ten main greenways described:

Conner Creek Greenway: Nine miles of pathways that will roughly follow the route of the former Conner Creek on the eastside, from the Detroit River to Eight Mile. Two miles are complete.

Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink: 16.25 miles that will connect Corktown and Mexicantown to each other and to the West Riverfront. The plan is complete and community groups are hoping to see construction begin this fall.

Dequindre Cut: This two-mile rail-to-trail project will run two miles between the East Riverfront, Lafayette Park and Eastern Market up to Mack. 1.2 miles of it are complete and open to the public.

Detroit RiverWalk: A stretch of public river access targeted to pedestrians and cyclists that will eventually stretch 5.5 miles between the Ambassador Bridge and Belle Isle; 2.7 miles are complete.

Downriver Delta Greenways: Located in the 48217 zipcode on the lower Southwest side of Detroit, this 2.5 mile greenway will run along Fort Street into Downriver when built.

Hamtramck Trail: This 1.5 mile route will connect Hamtramck's downtown to its parks. Eventually, hopes are to tie it into the Dequindre Cut on its south end.

Inner Circle Greenway: Mostly conceptual at this time, the vision for the Inner Circle Greenway is a 20-mile route that would make use of the abandoned Detroit Terminal Railroad right-of-way. Picture a Dequindre Cut that take a roughly half-circle route through Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park.

Lyndon Greenway: This 1.5-mile route will connect Eliza Howell and Stopel Parks in Brightmoor. Ground was broken in April.

Midtown Loop: Work is expected to begin this summer on this two-mile loop through the Cultural Center. Future plans include connections to New Center and Downtown.

Southwest Detroit Greenway: This 3-mile greenway connects Woodmere Cemetery, the West Vernor business district, Patton Park and Dearborn's Lapeer Park. Hopes are to run it further east to Clark Park in Mexicantown.

The purpose of the map is to inform, but also to "sell the vision," says Todd Scott of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, the organization that coordinates the Detroit Greenways Coalition. The target audience is residents, elected officials and funders.

Copies of the map will be available on the RiverWalk during the upcoming RiverDays event, June 19-21.

Source: Todd Scott, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Colin Hubbell Memorial Bike Ride set for June 20

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Ready to ride? Hopefully you will be by June 20, the date set for the inaugural Colin Hubbell Memorial Bike Ride. The ride will take off from Scott Fountain on Belle Isle and proceed on an 18-mile tour of the city. A shorter option is a 5-mile family loop of the island.

"This ride is meant to bring people together as Colin did when he was alive, while showing them some of the Detroit jewels that Colin held dear, including Belle Isle, the Riverfront, Eastern Market, Midtown, New Center and Downtown," says Bruce Hubbell, Colin's brother and one of the ride organizers.

Registration is currently available online at Active.com or on-site from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. At 9 a.m., bike decorating will begin for family bike parade participants.

Both rides take off at 10 a.m. and participants in the family loop will be entertained and informed by a bike rodeo at 11 a.m. Post-ride, everyone is encouraged to attend River Days at the Detroit International RiverFront.

The ride will cost $20 or $10 for the family ride. All proceeds benefit the Colin Hubbell Fund, which was established to benefit community organizations and start-up businesses in Midtown, the neighborhood in which Colin focused his considerable development efforts.

Applications for community mini-grants are currently being accepted. Download the application here . The deadline for the first round is May 31.

Source: Colin Hubbell Fund
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Progress Report: Construction at Argonaut Building on target for September completion

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Model D has been closely following progress at the Argonaut Building for some time now. Construction continues to progress on deadline, with opening scheduled for September 8, just in time for a new school year.

What's the plan? A $145 million redevelopment of the 760,000-square-foot, 11-story building for a second campus and student housing for the College for Creative Studies, as well as an art- and design-oriented high school.

Where does progress stand? Historically sensitive new windows -- 1,900 of them -- have been installed, the new parking structure is complete and the gymnasium is under construction. A new internal stairway and bank of elevators has been installed. Foundation work and an upgrade to the mechanical systems are mostly complete, work has begun on the Cass building entry and interior construction is chugging along.

Source: Beth Marmarelli, CCS
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

$2M in stimulus funds to prettify Woodward Ave. in New Center

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

More stimulus funds for Detroit mean more infrastructure improvements. This time, just under $2 million is headed to New Center for streetscape improvements along Woodward Ave. from I-94 to Baltimore Street and then from W. Grand Blvd. to Euclid Street. This project will essentially bookend the streetscape work completed a few years ago on Woodward just south of W. Grand Boulevard.

Streetscape elements will include trees with decorative grates, historic lighting, benches, trash receptacles and bike racks.

Karen Gage, vice president of New Center Council, one-third of the project team that also includes the city of Detroit and the Michigan Department of Transportation, says this project will "connect to the improvements completed along Woodward to downtown."

In a money-saving move, MDOT agreed to roll this project into a more-typical road resurfacing one they had initially planned, saving in design and engineering fees. "They tacked on some money to the agreement they had in place, and they completed the enhancement work at a significant savings to the state and the city," says Gage.

The exact budget for this Recovery Act project is $1,985,310; engineering and design was completed by CH2M Hill .

Source: Karen Gage, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

State land bank going green, offering vacant lots up as community gardens

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The State of Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority is making its inventory of nearly 7,000 vacant lots statewide -- 6,000 in Detroit alone -- available as community gardens via its Garden for Growth program.

"Our goals, in addition to finding productive uses for these vacant plots, is to support the Governor's Urban Food Initiative," says Carrie Lewand-Monroe, the Michigan Land Bank's executive director. "We're hoping to help allow folks in urban areas to access fresh, healthy food."

The way it works is that any community member can apply to garden a lot in the Michigan Land Bank for $50 for one year. At that point, participants are able to put in an application to purchase the land.

This lease-first approach is considered a "best practice" for programs of this type for two reasons: It allows time for the garden to be established and it keeps it tax-free for the first year. The Land Bank is willing to flexible with lease terms; it is working with The Greening of Detroit on five parcels that will be leased for five years.

Any kind of garden is eligible: native plants, flowers and vegetables -- even a park, says Lewand-Monroe. All gardeners will be connected with the Greening of Detroit's Garden Resource Program for classes and planting material.

Lewand-Monroe explains why 7,000 of the Michigan Land Bank's 8,000 properties are vacant lots: because they are all foreclosed properties that date back to 1999, which was when tax laws changed. "There aren't as many structures as the county would have," she says.

They also administer a Side Lot program for vacant lots that are adjacent to occupied residences. To search for a property, use the Land Bank's web site Search for Property feature. The application for the Garden for Growth program is also available on the site.

Source: Carrie Lewand-Monroe, Michigan Land Bank
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

DDOT will use $37.5M to upgrade fleet, signage, shelters

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The Detroit Department of Transportation will receive $37.5 million in economic stimulus funds, which will be used to update its fleet and facilities. In a statement, Mayor Ken Cockrel, Jr. pledged to "put the money to good use, making travel in Detroit a more enjoyable experience.�

The funds will replace 50 older DDOT buses with 50 new buses, including gas-electric hybrid vehicles. The money also will pay for new bus shelters; new bus stop signs, such as those at Woodward and Warren and Woodward and Mack; and the improvement of the Shoemaker Terminal and Garage at St. Jean and East Warren. (Model D writer and bus riding convert Terry Parris Jr. wrote about the need for better signage and shelters here .)

In other transportation funding for the city, the Department of Public Works will receive $37.5 million for road resurfacing. This $59.3 million package is the second for Detroit from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; the first was more than $30 million in weatherization funds.

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments will administer the distribution of any economic stimulus funds involving transportation in Southeast Michigan. The agency has indicated the transportation money for Detroit will be available by the end of the month.

Source: City of Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

LISC invests $30.5M into Detroit neighborhoods in 2008

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Detroit LISC invested $30.5 million into Detroit community and neighborhood development in 2008, which is the largest annual investment made in its 19-year history in the city. Most of this money was spread among 30 community development partners in its five targeted geographic areas: Central Woodward ($22.1 million); East ($980,000); Northeast ($614,000); Northwest ($346,000); and Southwest ($5.5 million).

Two prime examples of LISC's support include an equity investment of $12.5 million in New Market Tax Credits for the rehabilitation of the Argonaut Building in New Center and $4.2 million of Low Income Housing Tax Credits for two apartment rehabs in Southwest Detroit.

LISC is also providing operating funds to community development corporations with which it works -- helping to keep their doors open in tough fundraising times. "With the economic situation, which is just unprecedented, we have to be able to be nimble and flexible and work with our partners on the ground," says development officer Jacqueline Burau. "We are tweaking our financing to meet the need, to make things happen in the community."

Recoverable grants for predevelopment work have also been upped, which help projects get off the ground early in the process. Despite the state of the housing market, Burau says that LISC remains committed to their brick and mortar mission. "Most of our investment continues to go to physical development, whether that be housing or commercial," she says.

LISC is able to ride out the current funding storm because it raises money in three-year chunks, meaning that money they are spending this year was raised in 2007.

Source: Jacqueline Burau, Detroit LISC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

D-Biz: Looking for an example of creative industry in Detroit? Highway Press fits the bill

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

If Detroit's new economy rests on its ability to leverage an inherent industrial knowledge while attracting young creatives, the powers-that-be would do well to learn a thing or two from The Highway Press. The screen printing company has been combining design and the industrial process in its 4,000-square-foot corner of the Russell Industrial Center since 1996.

Highway Press deals in traditional screen printing and embroidery -- think tee-shirts and hoodies -- as well as fine arts screen printing. "We try to provide the services and quality that a bigger shop would offer at an affordable price for smaller people," says owner Tania Fogoros. "Not only do we deal with bigger companies, we try to keep in touch with the little guys too."

Fogoros sees a couple of competetive advantages to doing business in Detroit. "There's a little less competition, so you can do some different things, stand out a little bit more," she says. "I also like the industrial inner workings. I like being here with other companies doing manufacturing and building things...I look at bigger companies and it inspires me to try different techniques, to streamline."

The staff of six test-drive new processes on their own line of clothing that features the company's distinctive gas mask logo. Highway Press goodies are available at the Russell Bazaar on Fridays from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

Contact Highway Press at 313-872-7360. The shop is located in the northwest corner of the ground floor of Building 2 at Russell.

Source: Tania Fogoros, The Highway Press
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Progress report: regional transit's slow, steady walk towards reality

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

On March 18, John Hertel addressed a group of New Center stakeholders as to his progress on the regional transit front. As the Director of the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council for the past two years, he reports directly to the so-called Big 4 -- the county executives from Wayne, Oakland and Macomb and the mayor of Detroit -- and is charged with pushing a regional transit agenda forward.

In December 2008, the Big 4 unanimously approved a regional transit plan that calls for 406 miles of transit. Its estimated cost is $10.5 billion and Hertel projects that it will take 25 years to implement.

First up is arterial rapid transit, a.k.a. an improved bus system. There will be hybrid buses "honeycombing" the three counties. The improvements will include more lines serviced more often and stops with shelters that provide actual information.

The next service upgrade will be rolling rapid transit with articulated buses. These "wheeled trains" operate along a dedicated lane with control over traffic lights and stations with restrooms. RRT will be implemented along Gratiot initially, and then expanded to other areas.

Concurrently to Gratiot's upgrade, Woodward between the Detroit River and New Center will see light rail. Hertel pursued private dollars for this particular line because its implementation will "trigger" federal investment in the Detroit-to-Ann Arbor commuter rail line in much the same way that Denver jump-started its five-county system with a privately-funded five-mile line.

The Woodward line is 3.4 miles and will cost about $100 million, $72 million of which is already raised from private donors like Roger Penske, the Kresge Foundation ($35 million over four years) and the Downtown Development Authority ($9 million).

Another boost to the light rail line came from the state legislature, which voted to subsidize operating costs not covered by fares. To wit, typical transit systems only cover 40 percent of their operating costs through ridership, so this state law insures that any gap is covered.

Hertel hopes to see construction start on the M1-Rail project in 2010 and for operations to begin in 2012.

Meanwhile, the next important step in the overall system is the adoption of a Regional Transit Authority that the Big 4 must approve by June 2009 and that then must be adopted into state law.

The next big hurdle will be the adoption of some sort of tax mechanism to fund transit -- no easy sell in a state that many perceive as being overtaxed. "We've made more progress in the last year than in the previous 50," says Hertel. "There are still some big steps to get there."

Source: John Hertel, RTCC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

City hosts series of meetings to solicit resident input on foreclosure stabilization

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The City of Detroit is hosting nine meetings across the city to hear from residents about what to do with the $47.1 million it's been awarded by the federal government for foreclosure stabilization.

This is one of many steps the city has taken to demonstrate that the money will be properly spent. It first was developed by Planning and Development, then approved by both City Council and United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Now, it's coming to real live taxpayers. Two of the meetings have already passed, but seven opportunities remain. Each runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tonight, the focus is on Southwest Detroit. The meeting will be held at the OEDS Training Center at 1300 Rosa Parks.
March 25, it's Brightmoor's turn. Head to Leland Missionary Baptist Church at 22420 Fenkell.
The Osborn meeting will take place on March 26 at St. John/Conner Creek Village, located at 4777 Outer Drive.
East English Village and the Far East Side gets its opportunity on March 31 at the Samaritan Conference Center, 5555 Conner.
The Lakeshore Engineering Building at 7310 Woodward at E. Grand Blvd. will host Northend meeting on April 1.
North Central stakeholders will be heard on April 7 at Second Ebenezer Church located at 14601 Dequindre.
Lastly, the Herman Gardens area will meet at 16500 Tireman at the Boys and Girls Club.

To RSVP or for more information, call 313-224-3511. The plan can be downloaded at PDD's site.

Source: Sylvia Crawford, PDD
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The Green Zone Shoppe opens at Recycle Here!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

There's one more reason to schlepp your recyclables to Recycle Here! The Green Zone Shoppe, which carries Michigan Green Safe Products, has opened up inside. The recycling facility is at 1331 Holden Ave. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

The shop carries toilet paper and paper towel made from 100 percent post-manufacturer materials, all-natural soaps and cleaning products, biodegradable "plastic" bags of all sizes, as well as cutlery and utensils -- all those typically throw-away, chemically-laden products that households use.

Matt Naimi, director of operations of Recycle Here! and co-owner of Michigan Green Safe, says The Green Zone Shoppe's opening was all about demand.

Currently, Recycle Here! averages 600 drop-offs a week at its main Holden facility. Naimi hopes The Green Zone Shoppe captures those individuals and perhaps, encourages more people to make a trip.

The Green Shoppe additionally carries "Bee Green" merchandise, featuring the design of local artist Carl Oxley. Naimi says the shop would be open to selling locally-made green products if appropriate.

Source: Matt Naimi, Recycle Here!
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

$656,000 earmark targeted towards New Center infrastructure improvements

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

New Center Council is moving ahead with a number of infrastructure improvement projects intended to ready the neighborhood for better times. "These infrastructure projects are great right now because they create jobs and bring workers to New Center," says New Center Council vice president Karen Gage. "This helps struggling businesses that really benefit from the added population brought in by all these construction projects."

New Center is the recipient of a $656,000 federal earmark, part of which will be used to implement streetscape improvements along Woodward between I-94 and Euclid, sandwiching the improvements already completed near Grand Boulevard.

This project will be done in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Transportation's plans to resurface Woodward, which proved to be both timely and economical. "There's one bid, one contractor," says Gage. "There are a lot of savings by rolling this work into an existing project." Bids are expected to go out in the next two months with work finished by the end of summer.

Some of the earmark funds will be used to construct a surface parking lot behind the White Castle on Woodward at E. Baltimore. Gage says she hopes work will commence on the lot at the end of this summer and that the lot will benefit businesses along both sides of Woodward.

If any money is left over, New Center Council will put it towards improving the train viaducts that run over Second, Third and Cass. If not, Gage is determined to see that project forward even if the CDC has to raise other funds. "We are focusing on projects that make sense right now," she says. "And that's infrastructure projects that create a better environment for businesses, that makes New Center a better place to do business when the market pressure decreases."

Another project that Gage is currently raising money for is the implementation of a planning study that will focus on bike routes to connect New Center to Midtown and Woodbridge. She hopes to return Second Ave. to a two-way street at this time. "It's something we've been talking about for a long time," she says. "With all the new investments that have been taking place in New Center, its importance, from a safety perspective, is growing."

Before any bike lanes are constructed and after the planning study is completed, a traffic study, engineering report and construction drawings must be generated. New Center Council is working with Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corp., Henry Ford Health Systems, and University Cultural Center Association to develop the plan. "We hope to promote connectivity and mobility with bike lanes," says Gage. "We can't just do it in New Center."

Source: Karen Gage, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Model D & Open City unite for energy-filled discussion on location

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Nearly 100 people packed Cliff Bells last Tuesday for the first speaker series hosted jointly by Open City and Model D. It was a natural fit for the two groups, considering the former helps facilitate opening small businesses in Detroit and the latter likes to celebrate such businesses.

The topic of the forum was "Location, Location, Location." As in, you want to start a small business in Detroit and want to know in which neighborhood would be best to set up shop.

The panel, which was moderated by this writer, was comprised of five experts in five specific neighborhoods. Each of them, who works for the non-profit community development corporation dedicated to that area, demonstrated passion for their own specific community tempered with a clear spirit of cooperation.

Michael Solaka of New Center Council discussed some of the projects coming down the pipeline in his neighborhood, including the renovation of the park at the corner of Second and West Grand Boulevard and the rehabilitation of the Argonaut into an expanded College for Creative Studies. NCC's annual CityFest was cited as an example of a major event put on by a non-profit that can generate excitement -- and dollars -- for a small business.

Down in Midtown, Sue Mosey was representing the University Cultural Center Association. Mosey discussed some of the financial incentives available to small businesses interested in locating in the district as well as some less tangible manners of assistance, including navigating red tape at city hall.

Kathy Wendler from the Southwest Detroit Business Association talked about the growing immigrant population that is investing in the community and the number of strong grocery stores, making Southwest an ideal place to locate a food business.

Food is also an obvious strong fit for Eastern Market, and Dan Carmody of the Eastern Market Corp. encouraged those with a small idea to set up shop at the market on Saturdays to generate some buzz and test-drive a new product with a very low overhead -- as low as $60 per week.

Also on the small tip, Khalilah Burt of the Downtown Detroit Partnership discussed how a smaller size space can work for a start-up -- like Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes, rocking out in just 48 square feet. The DDP's Clean Downtown program means that businesses located in the Central Business District can expect clean, inviting sidewalks for their customers.

The next Open City will take place on March 17. Marketing is on the agenda.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Info sessions to inform developers, CDCs about neighborhood stabilization funds

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Nine Detroit communities have been targeted for $47 million in neighborhood stabilization funds the the City of Detroit Planning and Development Department secured from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The areas were chosen for an abundance of vacant, abandoned, foreclosed buildings. Four information sessions will explain to the for profit and nonprofit development community how to access these funds for community redevelopment activities, like housing rehab, as well as financing opportunities.

Each session will cover:

An overview of Detroit�s Neighborhood Stabilization Program;
Information on Detroit�s nine targeted ares: Southwest Detroit (which takes in Midtown and Woodbridge in its borders), Central Woodward (which takes in much of New Center), Brightmoor, Grand River/Greenfield, East English Village, Osborn, North Central and Kettering;
An explanation of the competitive selection process to receive NSP funding; and
NSP financing mechanisms and opportunities, including gap funding for �ready to proceed� projects.

The sessions will be held 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 18-19 from at the Northwest Activities Center, 18100 Meyers Rd at Curtis, Detroit. RSVPs are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be confirmed in advance. Call 313 224-3461.

Source: Sylvia Crawford, City of Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

D-Biz: Aretha's inaugural hat draws attention to New Center's Mr. Song Millinery

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Like it or loathe it, Detroiter Aretha Franklin's gray, felt bejeweled hat drew its fair share of national attention after her performance at last week's Presidential Inauguration. Ellen even wore a version on her daytime talk show.

The hat was created at Mr. Song Millinery, which has been located in New Center for 25 years. It's the kind of longtime Detroit business that you might drive by every day and never know exactly what goes on inside -- until one of its creations pops up on a national stage.

"Mr. Song is a great example of a neighborhood business with a regional draw," says New Center Council vice president Karen Gage. "We're currently working with them on improving their facade."

The facade upgrade is being funded through the city of Detroit's Office of Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization and designed by Hamilton Anderson Associates.
Mr. Song is located at 6513 Woodward Ave. Call 313-873-2540.

If you know an interesting, unique Detroit business deserving of a D-Biz profile, please email contact information to tips@modeldmedia.com.

Source: Karen Gage, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Courtesy Photo: Paul Sancya Associated Press

TechTown nets $750,000 construction grant from Wayne County Land Bank

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Wayne County Land Bank gave WSU's TechTown business incubator a $750,000 grant for construction at its TechOne facility.

The funds will be used to build out 10,000 square feet of office and laboratory space on the third floor, enough space for approximately six new tenants -- and there is a waiting list. Construction is expected to begin immediately.

When this phase is complete, the 100,000-square-foot building will be 80 percent built out. Long-term plans include developing two more buildings in the immediate area, which would make TechTown one of the country's largest business incubators.

Source: TechTown
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

West Grand Blvd's Lee Plaza building shopped to developers

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Lee Plaza may just see new life: Its owner, the City Housing Commission, is looking to work with a viable developer to build the financing necessary to revive the property. In the case that the numbers could be made to work, the agency would part with the building for $1.

Built in 1929, the 15-story Art Deco tower is located on West Grand Boulevard and has sat vacant for since the early 1990s. Mildred Robbins of the West Grand Blvd. Collaborative has hopes that a renovated Lee Plaza would be of great benefit to the neighborhood. "If something were to come of this, it could create a revitalized environment," she says. "It can mean jobs, sustainability, more community in terms of businesses, retail and housing."

Robbins envisions a mixed-use development that could also take advantage of adjacent parcels. "Because of blight in the area, there is actually some opportunity created by all the vacant property," she says. She also see a potential for cultural and educational aspects to the building's programming because of its proximity to Northwestern High School and Henry Ford Hospital.

Lee Plaza hit the news back in 2002 when terra cotta lions scrapped from its exterior turned up on a Chicago condominium complex. They have been returned to the city after efforts made by the FBI, but an estimated $2 million worth of damage was caused.

Source: Mildred Robbins, WGBC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Shop Detroit for last minute gifts on Dec. 13 and 20

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Detroit Synergy is back with Shop Detroit -- but this year it has grown from a one-day event to four days over four weekends with four distinct destinations. Two of the weekends have passed, but you still have a chance to participate on December 13 at the Russell Industrial Center and on December 20 in Eastern Market.

At the Russell, check in at the Russell Bazaar Food Court -- that's the easternmost building in the complex -- between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Shoppers can hit the Bazaar for a mix of eclectic goods, and Synergy volunteers will also provide a list of the many artists in the complex that will be on-site selling their work that day.

The following weekend, meet at Eastern Market's Shed 5, just south of Wilkins, between 11 and 4 p.m. Event organizer Alok Sharma anticipates up to 20 retailers will participate, giving lots of options for the rapidly approaching holidays. At noon and 2 p.m., Inside Detroit will give free guided tours of the Market's specialty shops, restaurants and lofts.

The first Shop Detroit day was held downtown on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. More than 100 shoppers turned out. This past weekend, the event moved up to Midtown in conjuntion with Noel Night and drew another 60. Sharma says feedback from retailers has been positive. "Stores said that people were definitely in buying mode when they showed up," he says.

The event is free and registrants receive a Shop Detroit tote bag.

Source: Alok Sharma, Detroit Synergy
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo: Marvin Shaouni

D-Biz: Berg Muirhead celebrates 10 years of spreading the word about Detroit

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

A decade ago when public relations firm Berg Muirhead opened its doors in the Fisher Building, General Motors was still HQ-ed in New Center � now it�s a State of Michigan, College for Creative Studies and TechTown neighborhood.

While many things have changed in the last ten years, Berg Muirhead has stayed constant in its devotion to trumpeting all things good in Detroit. And while that may seem like a natural act for a PR company, Berg Muirhead has found a niche in talking about what is truly good to continue to grow.

Co-founders Bob Berg and Georgella Muirhead both have municipal backgrounds; they first worked together in the Coleman A. Young administration. Later down the road, they joined forces to handle the logistics and press when the Mayor passed away � and the experience helped them decide to go into business together. �We started the agency not just to start a business, but to become part of the community, a contributing member of the community,� says Berg.

The firm�s 13 employees are kept busy with clients like Youthville, the Skillman Foundation, St. Vincent de Paul and Adult Well-being Services. Two of their clients, Strategic Staffing Solutions and The Grand Hotel, have been with them since day one � �I hope that means they�re happy,� laughs Berg.

Source: Bob Berg, Berg Muirhead
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo: Marvin Shaouni

CCS moving full steam ahead with Argonaut Building redevelopent

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

The largest development project in Southeast Michigan is proceeding in New Center as we speak. And by proceeding, we mean moving really, really quickly.

In September 2009, the redevelopment of the Argonaut Building will be finished and will open as the home of the College for Creative Studies' undergraduate and graduate programs in design, additional student housing and a design-oriented middle and high school.

With that looming deadline, many tasks have already been completed, including remediation, complete demolition of a parking structure and selective interior demolition. All new windows will be installed starting this week, foundation and mechanical systems work is underway, and interior buildout and construction of a new parking structure and gymnasium are just over the horizon.

Up to 200 tradespeople have been onsite at any given day through the current phase of construction; that will now begin to ramp up considerably. Eric Larson of Larson Realty Group, the project's development manager, estimates that up to 400 per day will be kept working until the project wraps up in July.

Larson is managing a large and diverse group of talent to complete the task at hand, including architects-of-record Albert Kahn Associates; general contractor Walbridge Aldinger; parking garage contractors Colasanti Group and consultants Rich & Associates; architectural design consultants, San Diego-based Luce Studio; Preservation Development; and Jones Lang LaSalle.

That's the kind of team needed to pull off a $145,000,000 restoration of a 760,000-square-foot building. "This is an important project and a big project and a very dynamic project in what it is doing to restore a piece of Detroit history and what it can do in terms of going forward, by helping to change Detroit's economic engine," says Larson.

Read more about the specific uses of the building here .

Source: Eric Larson, Larson Realty Group
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo: Marvin Shaouni

Kellogg grant to promote Detroit's tourist nodes

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

The Kellogg Foundation has granted the Tourism and Economic Development Council $75,000 to support "Developing the D," a plan to build a "Destination Districts" initiative that will attract and retain residents, draw new visitors and spur investment in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Monroe counties.

In the city proper, TEDC director Jim Townsend says the aim is to leverage and support existing developments -- like the RiverWalk -- and to ultimately link them.

The program's targets are tourists as well as current and potential residents. He says the same amenities that make a visit to a city enjoyable also make it livable. "It's really interdependent and kind of symbiotic," he says. "People travel to urban destinations for many of the same reasons that people move to or stay in an urban area."

Initiatives that TEDC will be looking at connecting and promoting include transit, housing, greenspace and greenway developments. He says great cities and cool neighborhoods offer "walkability" and "unexpected great moments."

"Detroit has bones, pockets, of the same experience, there are some isolated successes, but to really achieve our goal for talent and tourists, we've got to build out and link and effectively market," he says.

Ultimately, Townsend hopes that each distinct district -- those being Greater Downtown, Dearborn/Wayne, Macomb County and North and South Oakland County -- work in collaboration and support with one another, rather than in competition. "They're all quite different," he says.

Source: Jim Townsend, TEDC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo: Marvin Shaouni

Goodwill Industries to 'flip the script' at new facility

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Goodwill Industries has relocated its "Flip the Script" program from its headquarters near the Motor City Casino Hotel to the Grand Boulevard/Woodward area, giving it double the capacity.

Flip the Script works with males aged 16 to 30, specifically in terms of work-readiness. Since its establishment in 2003, 80 percent of the program's graduates have engaged in meaningful careers, many in the world of construction. The new space, located at 7700 Second Ave., will allow 180 men to participate in the 16-week program each year.

The expansion will also allow for two program extensions: an �In School Male Youth Flip� program for boys and girls ages 12 to 17 in an after-school and evening curriculum and the establishment of Detroit's Annie E. Casey Center for Working Families.

The Annie E. Casey Center is a collaborative effort between Goodwill Industries, the United Way and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). "This is part of a national initiative that has now found its way to Detroit," says Keith Bennett, Flip the Script's program manager. "It will work with low- and moderate-income families and start getting them involved in some real financial literacy."

Bennett calls the program's new space "very, very aesthetically nice," and has noticed the effect that its other professional tenants have had on his clients. "As soon as they hit the doors, it makes their behavior go up a couple of notches -- it's a different environment than high school or middle school -- we're here to take care of business."

Funding for the Flip the Script expansion comes from the Kresge Foundation, the Skillman Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and LISC's �Neighborhoods Now" program. The program currently occupies just under 9,000 square feet of the building's fifth floor, but an option to expand an additional 6,500 square feet is possible.

Source: Keith Bennett, Goodwill Industries
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

SDAT wrap-up: A look at what's next for AIA's sustainability audit

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Austainability experts from around the country joined with local architects, planners and other interested parties in Midtown Detroit for an SDAT, or Sustainable Design Assessment Team, charette, recently.

Given estimates that Detroit will continue to shrink -- down to about 500,000 or 600,000 residents by 2025, they looked at what to do with 88 square miles of land that is essentially excess.

The group looked at developing the core 50 square miles of livable space developed as a series of densely populated urban villages -- looking specifically at Southwest Detroit, Corktown, Downtown, Eastern Market, Woodbridge, Midtown and New Center -- each with housing, recreation, entertainment and work opportunities, and each linked to each other and the main urban core.

From this base, SDAT worked at making policy and design recommendations in five areas, all of which intersect and feed into the urban villages concept: community development, transportation and transit, open space, economic development and local food systems and community gardens.

Some points of note: Many ideas centered on one of the city's greatest assets, the Detroit River -- for example, "blueways" were discussed as a mode of transportation; the importance of incorporating wind turbines into Detroit's energy system was stressed; Eastern Market was lauded as "the best farmers market in the country" by Edwin Marty, the executive director of Jones Valley Urban Farm in Alabama; reduction of energy costs for individuals was stressed as a method of creating wealth; and local food production within each urban village node was recommended.

A strategy was developed for the creation of 75,000 jobs over 10 years by leveraging new green industries as well as existing employment leaders like health care.

Next step: implementation. Local SDAT leaders will begin working with organizations and institutions to move its strategies forward. Funding from Kresge Foundation has been secured to undergo this process, and State of Michigan Energy Department funds will be used to conduct energy audits and technical assistance.

For more information, check out Zachary and Associate's web site or contact Zachary at 313-831-6100 or WARM Training Center at 313-894-1030.

Source: Diane VanBuren Jones, WARM
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

$47.1M neighborhood stabilization plan presented to Council

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

One month ago, Housing and Urban Development awarded the city of Detroit $47.1 million to stabilize housing in light of the current foreclosure crisis.

Before spending it, the city must develop a plan that is approved by Detroit City Council and then HUD. Last week, Planning and Development took the first step and presented the plan to Council's Economic Development Committee.

The plan focuses on three things: reversal of the decline of neighborhood housing values; significant elimination of blighted and abandoned structures; and stimulation of investment in and around targeted neighborhoods.

The plan can be downloaded at PDD's site; public comment is welcomed until November 20 at 313-224-6380 or NSP@detroitmi.gov. On Nov. 21, it will go to the full Council followed by submittal to HUD on Dec. 1.

Read more about the grant, the process and guidelines here .

Source: Sylvia Crawford, PDD
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Henry Ford Health System opens TechTown lab

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

On Nov. 5, Henry Ford Hospital celebrated the grand opening of its three clinical and research labs that were recently moved to TechTown in New Center.

The labs will allow room for the hospital's genetics department to grow by providing dedicated lab space for DNA and cytogenetic diagnosis. Additional room for a drug discovery laboratory will explore new options for cancer treatment of solid tumors. The TechTown space on TechOne's fourth floor is nearly triple the size that was occupied on Henry Ford's main campus.

Dr. Barry Wolf, the chair of Henry Ford's genetics department, says that while the space issue was the primary reason for the move, a secondary one was talent and personnel opportunities that TechTown can offer.

Approximately 40 to 50 Henry Ford employees have made the move. Read more about the development here.

Source: Dr. Barry Wolf, Henry Ford Hospital
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Round-up: Angelina is indeed open, as is Peaches and Greens

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A few morsels for the nibbling:

Angelina Italian Bistro is officially open for lunch seven days a week and dinner every day but Monday. Downtown's newest entrant to the dining scene is already getting rave reviews. Read more about the restaurant here.

Back in September, we were a bit premature in reporting that Peaches & Greens was open. Sorry, we were just excited that a neighborhood produce market was coming to town. But anyhoo, now it is open, six days a week, and you can read more about it here.

If lack of wi-fi access was keeping you from a visit to Mercury Coffee Bar, have no fear -- the shop now offers it. Read more here.

Greening of Detroit is having its last planting of the season on November 15 and could use some volunteers. The plan is to plant 65 trees at Delores Bennitt Park in the Northend Neighborhood from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call Monica Tabares at 313-237-8733 to sign up.

And finally, happy birthday to the fabulous Fisher Building, today celebrating its 80th. Commissioned by the Fisher brothers, and designed by Albert Kahn, it is inarguably one of Detroit's most beautiful structures. Sto Lat!

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

New Amsterdam offers lofts, retail space to rent in New Center

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Loft-hunters, take note: the Lofts at New Amsterdam are now leasing. There are one-, two- and three-bedroom units as well as ground-floor retail space available for rent in Detroit's New Center area.

Residential units range in size from 720 to 1,600 square feet and in price from $875 to $1,750. The largest unit is three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The rest of the units have one bathroom; there are two with three bedrooms, 34 with two and 13 with one. "These units are nice and spacious, and the windows are beautiful," says leasing director Judy Jonna. "There's a lot of character in this building."

The retail space has a mezzanine and can be subdivided into up to four distinct offices or shops.

Developed by Jonna Detroit, New Amsterdam is thick in the middle of TechTown and just south of the New Center commercial district. Its location is what Jonna thinks will be a big selling point to prospective tenants.

"We're kitty-corner from One Ford Place and less than a block from the State of Michigan building," she says. She also points out that the Henry Ford Hospital shuttle stops right in front of the building.

The Lofts at New Amsterdam are located at 6200 Second Ave. at Amsterdam. Viewing by appointment only; call Judy Jonna at 313-832-0200.

Source: Judy Jonna, Jonna Lofts
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

Greening of Detroit plants Christmas tree farm in Northend Neighborhood

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Greening of Detroit's latest tree nursery includes not just shade trees, but Douglas Firs as well. "This one�s a little bit different," says president Rebecca Salminen Witt. "We will grow these little trees up as Christmas trees, which will actually generate revenue for the neighborhood and fund replanting the next batch of little trees."

The nursery was planted on Oct. 3 at 600 King Street, a vacant lot in the Northend neighborhood -- where the 100 shade trees will ultimately be planted after three to five years of growth. A total of 200 trees, including those destined to become holiday decorations, were planted in total by more than 100 volunteers.

Witt hopes that a few of Greening's planned 120 nurseries around Detroit will be Christmas tree farms -- and that they might inspire budding entrepreneurs. "We hope someone might see this as a good little business for them," she says. "This is about economic development as well as vacant space redevelopment."

From an organizational standpoint, the nurseries have a big job to fill. Greening is working to some day grow all the trees they plant right here in Detroit. "It's a way to reinvest these dollars rather than sending dollars out to Iowa for trees grown out there," says Witt.

The planting was supported by the Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative and volunteers from the Ford Business Unit of the Yazaki Corporation as well as residents from Holbrook-King and Alger Street Block Clubs. "It was nice -- folks came out on their porches and then filtered in," says Witt. "It was the perfect example of a community project."

Source: Rebecca Salminen Witt, Greening of Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

Model D Radio: Public weighs in on private transit plan

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Frequency. Quality. Reliability. This is what people tell John Hertel, local transit czar and a speaker at our next Speaker Series event, they want. He has been taking public input on the plan crafted by the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council.

The plan, among other things, would put light rail on Woodward between Jefferson and Grand. Hertel talked with concerned residents at as series of meetings, the last of which was at TechTown last week.

This radio program also can be heard on public radio stations across the state, including WDET 101.9 FM in Detroit. It is sponsored in part by Model D and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

For more on Michigan NOW, click here.

City Council adopts non-motorized plan that calls for 400 miles of bike lanes in the Motor City

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Detroit City Council has adopted a non-motorized transportation plan as well as a resolution urging Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. to implement it. Among other things, the plan calls for more than 400 miles of bike lanes, as well as other improvements to pedestrian and bike facilities. The Michigan Department of Transportation funded the plan's development; the city brought on Giffels-Webster Engineers as consultants to design it.

Scott Clein of Giffels-Webster says that the adoption of the plan means many things to proponents of non-motorized transportation. For starters, MDOT will now attempt to incorporate its recommendations into any future roadway projects it undertakes in the city, such as the reconstruction of Michigan Avenue.

It also does the same for city departments like the Department of Public Works. "DPW is now in charge of supporting and, hopefully, implementing portions of the master plan," says Clein.

The adoption of the plan means that community groups working to establish bike lanes know that the government, at least on paper, is on board. Clein cites Greater Corktown Development Corporation's Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink as an example. "Now they know that the city will be supportive instead of obstructionists," he says.

DPW is in the process of writing a letter of conceptual support to MDOT, a step necessary for the project to capture funds the state committed to it a few years ago.

Besides bike lanes, the plan looks at pedestrian safety via the separation of bikes and pedestrians and the continued improvements of sidewalks.

Read more about the plan here .

Source: Scott Clein, Giffels-Webster
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

New Center targets infrastructure near Argonaut with $656,600 earmark

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

New Center just landed itself a $656,600 federal earmark that will be used to improve infrastructure in the area near the Argonaut Building, which is being developed to house the College for Creative Studies' graduate programs as well as student housing.

New Center Council had initially envisioned $3 million worth of infrastructure improvements, but scaled the plans back according to the funding received to date. "With CCS announcing their expansion to New Center we decided the best use of the funds would be to augment the areas that would support the new development," says Karen Gage, NCC's vice president.

The railroad viaducts at Woodward, Second and Cass will be cleaned up and lit. Art installations, with support from CCS and Summer in the City, also will be added. "Our hope is that we can finally clean up this dividing line between New Center and Wayne State University, and open the flow of pedestrian traffic between these areas," says Gage.

The earmark will also fund the construction of a 120-vehicle parking lot behind the White Castle on Woodward at E. Baltimore. "This is a retail parking lot that, hopefully, will spur development in the retail strip along Woodward," says Gage. The lots will be richly-landscaped and enclosed with a wrought iron fence. "We would like to make this lot a model -- set the bar for other lots in the area."

The remaining money will fund a traffic study looking at what's needed to restore two-way traffic to Second and Third Avenues between Grand Boulevard and Palmer. At the same time, bike lanes for Second Avenue will be designed.

New Center will hire a firm to produce the plans this winter. Read more about the future of the Argonaut here.

Source: Karen Gage, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

T-PLEX celebrates 100 years of the Model T, unveils new facade

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The historic Ford Piquette Avenue Plant has a completely renewed facade. The facelift was unveiled Sept. 27, on the 100th Anniversary of the Model T, appropriate because the first 12,000 Model Ts were assembled at the Ford Piquette site.

The front facade has undergone extensive work to return it to its original 1904 appearance, including window and masonry repair and replacement and the restoration of the original arched entryway that had been replaced by a garage door.

The restoration efforts were handled by architects Quinn Evans of Ann Arbor and contractor Grunwell-Cashero of Detroit. Work went on throughout the summer, and was funded by a $250,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The anniversary was commemorated by a parade of 50 Model T's that also proceeded to Ford World headquarters, Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, The Henry Ford Estate - Fair Lane and The Henry Ford.

Source: Pat Liebler, Liebler Group and Marcia Pilliciotti, T-Plex
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

Hit the town by bike during upcoming Tour de Troit event and Wheelhouse tours

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

There are some great opportunities coming up to see Detroit from the luxury of your own, or a rented, bike. The best part of these tours is that they take you into the city's neighborhoods at a pace that affords participants the chance to admire the architecture and get a real feel for the places.

The annual Tour de Troit is Saturday, Sept. 20. Take in 40 miles of the city at a leisure pace with several hundred of your closest friends. It's a police escorted ride through Downtown, Eastern Market, Brush Park, Boston Edison, University District, Palmer Park, Old Redford and Grandmont-Rosedale.

Last year 600 people participated. Advance registration is strongly encouraged to guarantee a T-Shirt. Register by Sept. 13 to ensure you'll get one. Advance Registration is $25, $15 for students. Day-of-ride registration is $35 from 8:30-9:30 a.m.

But wait, there's more. Wheelhouse Detroit, the city's newest bike rental and repair shop, is also offering weekly tours of Detroit's neighborhoods. Each week, they feature a different portion of the city, and most rides are around 15-25 miles. Upcoming tours include Southwest Detroit (9/13), The Villages (9/27), Boston Edison (9/28), Creekside (10/04) and the Conner Creek Greenway (10/5). Wheelhouse also offers weekly tours of Downtown and the Woodward corridor, offered in conjunction with Inside Detroit. For more information and pricing, check their web site.

Sources: Wheelhouse Detroit, Tour de Troit
Writer: Clare Pfeiffer Ramsey

South Beach Pizza Bar brings gourmet 'za and nightclub to Fisher Building in New Center

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Frank Taylor has revamped his New Center space. The former Motown Soul Food Cafe is now the South Beach Pizza Bar, located inside New Center's iconic Fisher Building.

As would be expected by the name, the restaurant includes an element of clubbiness in its decor and focus, making it more than just a pizzeria.

To wit, there are three VIP rooms; one is dubbed the white room for its color scheme and offers bottle service. There's also a cigar room and an elevated DJ booth swathed in LED lights and wrapped with plasma screen televisions.

As for the pizza, there is an open kitchen with a brick pizza oven. Thin crust, regular crust and deep dish are all available and custom pies include margherita, BBQ chicken, Grecian and Tuscan vegetarian.

Taylor also owns several Detroit hotspots, including Seldom Blues and the Detroit Breakfast House and Grill downtown.

South Beach is open Monday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Source: Omar Mitchell, South Beach Pizza Bar
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

D-Biz: Westcott Displays stays creative in New Center for almost 90 years

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Greg Campbell's grandfather Allan, who founded Westcott Paper Products in 1920 with partner Fred Westcott, would likely be proud that the company was still thriving in a lukewarm economy.

But then again, he knows a little something about tough times: he bought out Westcott during the throes of the Great Depression and grew the company by pioneering point-of-purchase advertising using steel diecut advertising displays.

Westcott Displays, at it is now known, is headquartered in a 100,000-square-foot facility in New Center on Amsterdam and also operates a packing and storage facility on W. McNichols. The company employs 55 as well as 20 to 100 temps on any given day.

Campbell says the company has managed to keep its head well above water by diversifying its client base geographically. "We�ve had to go out and bring in business by nationally expanding our sales base," he says. Locally, Westcott works with advertising agencies like Campbell-Ewald and Team Detroit and printers like Tepel Bros.

The New Center area has been Westcott's home since 1940, and Campbell likes the direction in which the neighborhood is heading. "They've done a good job of blending new residential areas with established industry, too," he says. "And we feel really safe here, really secure � we feel like it�s the best neighborhood in all of Detroit."

Westcott is at 450 Amsterdam and can be reached at 313-872-1200.

Source: Greg Campbell, Westcott Displays
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Wayne County land bank to release 7,000 properties

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Today, the Wayne County Land Bank will release a list of their inventory of 7,000 tax-reverted parcels. Qualifying non-profit organizations and adjacent residential landowners will be able to purchase property for a nominal fee as long as they adhere to certain criteria that includes maintaining and/or rehabilitating the property.

Properties will be disposed of on a first-come, first-served basis to qualifying entities.

The Land Bank is a collaborative effort between County Executive Robert Ficano and Treasurer Raymond Wojtowicz. The process begins today at 3 p.m. with an informational session for qualified non-profits. Further information is available at the Land Bank website.

Source: Jill Ferrarri, Executive Project Manager, Wayne County
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Recycle Here! expands reach throughout city, adds drop-off locations

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Recycle Here! is expanding its reach, making it easier for residents from various neighborhoods to drop-off their goods. New drop-off sites are located in Southwest Detroit, East English Village and Palmer Park.

In its first 18 months of operation, the program has reached more than 20,000 participants and has collected more that 1.3 million pounds of recyclables.

Its main facility, at 1331 Holden, is open every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The full schedule of rotating drops sites is as follows:

1st Saturday of every month:
Eastern Market, Wilkins and Russell, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

2nd Saturday of every month:
Corktown, Roosevelt Park, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
East English Village, E. Warren Ave. and Farmbrook, 8 a.m. to noon

3rd Saturday of every month:
Palmer Park, swimming pool lot, from 8 a.m. to noon
Rosedale Park, Christ The King Church, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

4th Saturday of every month:
Southwest Detroit, Clark Park, 8 a.m. to noon
Creekside, Jefferson and Chalmers, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Source: Matt Naimi, Recycle Here!
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

CCS firms up plans for Argonaut, to include student housing, retail and artsy middle and high school

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

A $145,000,000 investment will transform the Argonaut Building into a second campus for the College for Creative Studies. The building will house undergraduate and graduate programs in design, community outreach activities, student housing, research and professional activities in the design fields, and an art- and design- oriented charter middle school and high school. It will open in fall 2009.

The significant development will impact the college, the New Center neighborhood and the city as a whole. "This is going to transform CCS, operating on two sites with double the square footage. We're going to be operating a graduate program and operating a middle and high school," says president Richard Rogers. "It's a new educational model that we're pursuing, and I think it's going to enhance the college's stature in arts and design education and it's going to enable us to have a much more significant impact on the well-being of the city."

CCS will occupy approximately 70 percent of the 11-story Albert Kahn-designed Argonaut Building. Its design-based majors -- Transportation, Product, Interior, Graphic and Advertising -- and its Master of Fine Arts degree programs in Design and in Transportation Design, which will launch in 2009, will be housed in the facility.

The New Center site will also be home to CCS�s Community Arts Partnerships program, its Continuing Education department, 300 beds of student housing, a conference center with a 400-seat auditorium and a 360-seat dining hall.

CCS is partnering with the Thompson Educational Foundation and Henry Ford Learning Institute to operate the middle and high school. "Creativity will be built into the curricula of the schools along with the standard curricula," says Rogers. "The college and the school are going to interact in a number of ways." For example, CCS art education students will be able to do their student teaching in the lower schools.

The Argonaut will also be home to Detroit Renaissance�s new creative economy initiative which is intended to provide rental space and support services to fledgling creative businesses.

Rogers sees the college's use of the Argonaut as a fitting one. Originally built as a research facility by General Motors, it became home to the automotive industry's first design department. "The activities that the building originally contained are very close to the ones that CCS teaches," he says. "It's really great that a building that's this old can be repurposed in a way that will essentially make it brand new and just as useful as if we'd started from scratch and built a brand new building."

Rogers says the 760,000-square-foot building is in wonderful structural shape and that its loft-like design is well-suited to CCS's needs. The design architect on the project is, fittingly, Albert Kahn Associates .

Source: Richard Rogers, CCS
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Round-up: Lefty's is pouring, New Center nets Firewater, changes in store at Riverfront 4...and more

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Some news from around town:

• Lefty's Lounge on Cass, inside the Belcrest Apartments, is now open. There are 15 large screen TVs, food -- 1/2-pound burgers, pizza, chicken wraps and salads -- and 15 beers on tap. Read more about Lefty's here.

• Speaking of food and drink, the East Side's Firewater Bar & Grill has opened a second location on Milwaukee in the New Center area. Full bar, dine in and carry-out with a menu dabbling in fish, pork and lamb chops as well as a myriad of sandwiches and salads.

Firewater is at 107 E. Milwaukee St. just south of E. Grand Blvd. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week, although they usually open a bit later on the weekends. Call 313-872-0812.

• Birmingham's Palladium cinema let the cat out of the bag on their web site: They are now operating the Riverfront 4 Theatres at the Ren Cen. For now, everything has pretty much stayed the same, but expect some changes. Model D will let you know when they are confirmed.

• Gourmets take notice: Zaccarro's Market on Woodward has some new offerings: cooking classes, which start July 8, and Sunday brunch, starting July 13. Molly Motor will be the chef for brunches; expect strata, quiche and frittatas ranging from $7.95 to $12.95 served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-line registration is open for the first class, which will teach summertime Tuscan four-course meals. Future classes will include sauces, appetizers, Tapas, healthy desserts and children's cooking. Classes will range in price from $40 to $55.

• The Detroit Institute of Arts dedicated the Alexander Calder sculpture, "Young Woman and her Suitors," on June 23. The distinctive piece stood for more than 30 years at Michigan and Cass. It recently underwent a move, total restoration and was installed on the DIA's lawn.

• Finally, Wayne State University's Police Department celebrated the grand opening of its new head-quarters. The department's 54 police officers and 44 civilian employees have relocated to the building located at Cass and Burroughs. There is a new high-tech dispatch center, an electronics repair shop, K9 indoor/outdoor quarters, holding cells and a gymnasium. Read more about the renovations to the historic Kahn building here.

Email tips to kellibkav@issuemediagroup.com.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

D-Biz: Pure Detroit celebrates 10 years, launches organic line, relocates inside Ren Cen

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Can you believe that Pure Detroit is 10 years old? Yup, and the company, that is perhaps the most "D-Biz" of them all, is launching a special line of tees and totes to commemorate it.

Pure has grown its Detroit boosterism into a viable business, which is an accomplishment in and of itself. Along the way, it has inspired new business owners, supported local artists and events and become an instantly recognizable brand.

The three Pure Detroit locations occupy a trio of landmark Detroit structures: the Fisher Building, the Renaissance Center and Guardian Building. Pure is wrapping up a move from the Ren Cen's Wintergarden into Tower 400, which co-owner Kevin Borsay characterizes as "a great location, highly visible."

Other news includes the launch of an organic line of tees and totes.

Model D would like to wish Pure Detroit a very happy birthday. Thanks for all the great stuff you do for our fair city.

Source: Kevin Borsay, Pure Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Southwest Solutions to develop 150 units of housing for vets in New Center

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

On June 2, ground will be broken on Piquette Square, a 150-unit four-story mixed-use development in Milwaukee-Junction, east of Woodward and south of E. Grand Blvd. The $20 million development includes 6,000 square feet of common area -- space that will house supportive services such as job training -- and 5,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space.

"Piquette Square is an important piece of a major collaborative commitment to address the growing problem of homeless veterans in metropolitan Detroit," Tim Thorland, executive director of Southwest Housing Solutions, which developed the project and will own and manage it, said in a statement.

There were 3,596 homeless veterans in the Detroit area in 2005, according to the city�s Ten-Year Plan To End Homelessness. Homeless advocates now estimate that number to be more than 4,000. One of every three homeless men in Detroit and nationally is a veteran.

Piquette Square is situated on the site of the historic Studebaker factory that was destroyed by fire in 2005. The project is being financed through a combination of tax credits, bond funding, MSHDA chronic homeless funds and various grants. The project is expected to be completed and operational in the spring of 2009.

Source: Steve Palackdharry, Southwest Solutions
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Detroit preservation group releases list of 10 endangered buildings, announces name change

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

In an effort to instigate a citywide dialogue about historic buildings that are in danger of demolition, Preservation Wayne � now called Preservation Detroit � has released a list entitled Endangered Buildings List 2008. It includes iconic structures like the Michigan Central Station, Lee Plaza Apartments, Forest Arms and the Vanity Ballroom.

The list also draws attention to several broader categories such as religious buildings no longer in use, retired schools and foreclosed single family houses.

"These are widespread issues that will require widespread solutions," says the organization's executive director Francis Grunow. "A wholesale approach is a better approach."

Conversation about endangered buildings was a focal point of the group's annual membership meeting that was held on Thursday, May 22 at the Detroit Boat Club on Belle Isle -- another structure on the list.

At the event, which was attended by 150, Grunow also made the announcement that the organization was changing its name to Preservation Detroit. "It's exciting and very long overdue," he says.

Preservation Detroit host an awards ceremony on September 25 at the Colony Club on Park Avenue and are inviting nominations, which are due on June 13 and can be downloaded here: http://www.preservationwayne.org/docs/Awards_Nomination_2008.pdf.

Source: Francis Grunow, Preservation Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Second University Prep elementary school to open this fall in TechTown

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

University Preparatory Academy will open its fourth school this coming fall. The 50,000 square foot elementary school, located on Antoinette just west of Cass, will house 384 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. In TechTown, it joins a high on Antoinette between Second and Third and another elementary school on Holden at Fourth. UPA's middle school is located on St. Antoine, near the intersection of Warren and I-75.

The school system draws students from across the city and inner ring suburbs who are selected in a blind lottery. Its focus is strong basic learning skills with an eye towards graduation rates that are comparable with those seen in affluent suburbs.

So far, they are on track: last year, more than 90 percent of the UPA high school's first graduating class went on to a institution of higher learning. Doug Ross, the superintendent expects to hit that goal again with the class of 2008.

He attributes some of UPA's success to its heavy presence in TechTown. "We want to give the students real world experience in business and professional settings," Ross says. "All of our students, beginning in middle school, spend a great deal of time doing unpaid internships."

Ross observes that TechTown is home to numerous "interesting" businesses including start-ups at TechOne, Henry Ford Health Systems, NextEnergy, Dalgleish Cadillac and Wayne State University. "New Center is packed with businesses of all kinds," he says.

New Urban Learning, the non-profit parent of UPA, will launch a second school system this fall focused on science, math and technology. Ross will step into the role of CEO in July.

Read more about the University Preparatory Academy Science and Math Middle School here.

Source: Doug Ross, UPA
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

New Detroit greenways coordinator will boost efforts to create city trails

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance has created a new position dedicated to furthering a network of trails in Detroit.

The new Detroit greenways coordinator, Todd Scott, will coordinate maintenance, fundraising, security, programming, promotions and development for the eight greenways under various stages of planning and development within the city.

Scott comes to the position with a great deal of experience in cycling advocacy. He is the former director of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association and has been involved with numerous other initiatives, including the citizen�s committee for Michigan State Parks, MDOT Metro Region Nonmotorized Advisory Committee, City of Ferndale Bicycle Committee and the League of Michigan Bicyclists.

"Todd�s skilled advocacy, wealth of knowledge about nonmotorized transportation and recreation, and understanding of and enthusiasm for the revitalization of Detroit are key ingredients that he brings to this project," stated Nancy Krupiarz, Executive Director of MTGA.

Scott is currently acclimating himself to the various greenways projects on the table, including the Midtown Loop, Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink and Connor Creek Greenway. "The greenways in Detroit have so much variety in terms of where groups are at," says Scott. "I'm finding that there are similar challenges and different challenges."

Finding affordable liability insurance for the nonprofits sponsoring the various greenways was Scott's first task. He also hopes to work on integrating Detroit's burgeoning trails network with the larger regional one and has some ideas about encouraging on-road cycling. "One thing that I really bring to the table because I ride so much is that I know how to get around," he says. "We can make connections between these trail networks."

Source: Todd Scott, MTGA
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

48 units of senior housing to break ground in North End

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Cameron Court Senior Village, a 48-unit, senior housing complex, will break ground on April 25 at the corner of Cameron and Alger in Detroit's North End. The project is being developed by Vanguard Community Development Corp. and is located just blocks from the organization's Melrose Square Homes.

Eighteen of the units are 655-square-foot, one-bedrooms and 30 are 855-square-foot two-bedrooms. Amenities include computer, exercise, community and fellowship rooms. The building itself is three stories and is vinyl-sided with brick elements on the facade. It is L-shaped and includes a porch wrapped around the rear.

The project is being funded with MSHDA tax credits syndicated by the National Equity Fund, a Charter One construction loan and a bridge loan from LISC. The apartments will be rented to seniors over the age of 55 that earn 30 to 60% of the area's Average Median Income.

The ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Please RSVP your attendance to 313-872-7831 or SADavis@VanguardCDC.org by Wednesday, April 23.

Source: Scott Alan Davis, Vanguard CDC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

D-Biz: Counting 21 businesses in 19 neighborhoods, and we want more of your faves

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

In October 2007, Model D kicked off a recurring series called D-Biz that is designed to draw attention to small businesses in Detroit that are unique or fill an important niche in their community.

Part of the reason we wanted to start this series was to highlight businesses that are not new but still deliver important services to Detroiters. The city's small businesses are a big part of what make Detroit's neighborhoods liveable, but they don't often get media attention.

As of last week, D-Biz has covered all of our featured neighborhoods. Here's a look at the 21 businesses in 19 neighborhoods that we've covered in the last six months, from bike shops to optical shops, from coffee shops to photo studios, and even a tennis racquet repair shop:

Central Woodward: Mr. Fo Fo's serves infamous sandwiches.
Corktown: Downtown Mobil is known for fair auto repair.
Downtown: Andiamo in the Ren Cen tops the entire chain.
East Side: Get your bike on at Bike Tech.
East Riverfront: Office furniture refurbished and re-purposed at Franklin.
Eastern Market: Gabriel Imports stocks the best in olives and feta.
Grandmont Rosedale: Sweet Potato Sensations perfects the art of baking.
Hamtramck: Art and culture is highlighted at Polish Art Center.
Highland Park: Black Whole Collective encompasses a community.
Jefferson East: Trek Computers gets the east side on-line.
Lafayette Park: Neighborhood plaza serves LP residents.
Mexicantown: Fresh tortillas are the house specialty at La Jalisciense.
Midtown: Fred's keys up the neighborhood.
Near East Side: Atlas keeps Detroit plumbed.
New Center: Java Exchange, Dittrich Furs and Howrani Studios all have it going on.
Southwest Detroit: Sophisticated specs spied at El Valle Optical.
University Commons - Palmer Park: Get strung up with Professional Racquet Services.
The Villages: Independent music lives at Pearl's.
Woodbridge: Dogs and cats find loving care at Patterson.

D-Biz will continue, and Model D encourages readers to share their neighborhood faves to be considered for coverage. Email kellibkav@issuemediagroup.com with your ideas.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Greening of Detroit expands Corktown offices, plans busy spring season

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Greening of Detroit is spreading its roots: it has expanded its Michigan Ave. office space by a third, to 3,000 square feet. The extra room was desperately needed: the organization will grow from nine employees in 2007 to 25 by the end of 2008.

The additional staff will be busy this spring planting season. Its core mission is reforesting the city, and tree plantings are scheduled weekly from April 19 through June 7, with an estimated 1,500 trees going into the ground.

Planting so many trees requires plenty of volunteers; call the office at 313-237-8733. A special call is out for hands at a May 17 planting in East English Village, for which 250 slots still need filling.

Greening is also a partner in the ever-growing (no pun intended) Garden Resource Program, which supports urban agriculture in the city. Last year, over 5,500 residents participated in 220 family, 115 community and 20 school gardens. More than 120 tons of food were grown, and Greening is anticipating a 20% increase in both participation and output this year.

Little marketing is done to promote such an increase, says Greening's Ashley Atkinson. "It is literally growing down the street from house to house," she says. "It's really cool, committed people that we are attracting, and that's encouraging." Visit GRP's website to find out how to sign up and when plant pick-ups and workdays are scheduled.

One last thing: Greening's annual tree sale is scheduled for April 19 at Eastern Market, but Atkinson recommends reserving plants ahead of time. With just a month to go, half of the 1,400 trees, bushes and shrubs are already sold.

Source: Ashley Atkinson, Greening of Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photograph: Marvin Shaouni
Marvin Shaouni is the managing photographer for Model D & Metromode

Henry Ford's genetics division to occupy 14,000 sf in TechTown

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Henry Ford Health System is killing two birds with one stone with its latest development. The relocation of a portion of its genetics department -- from its main West Grand Blvd. campus to TechOne -- will afford the hospital space to continue to grow research and clinical operations on-site.

Build-out has begun on the cytogenetics and DNA labs, which will occupy 14,000 square feet on the fourth floor. William Schramm, the hospital's vice president of strategic business development, estimates the space will be ready for business "on or around July 1."

Having a presence in TechTown has other potential upsides, says Schramm. "There will be other similar, related kinds of health sciences, and informal exchanges may begin to take place." He also posits a future relationship with Wayne State University along with other TechOne tenants as a result of their proximity.

The lab build-out will cost $3 million, and is being jointly funded by Henry Ford and TechTown.

Source: William Schramm, Henry Ford
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Detroit one of 9 cities chosen for AIA sustainability audit, planning session

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

The American Institute of Architects has selected Detroit as one of nine cities that will receive a sustainability audit from a Sustainable Design Assessment Team later this year.

Teams of volunteer professionals like architects, urban designers, planners, hydrologists, economists and attorneys will come to the city for a three-day charette and team up with local architecture and engineering students, along with government officials, community groups and other stakeholders.

Diane VanBuren Jones of WARM Training spearheaded the SDAT application and is now coordinating the assessment itself. She says the out-of-town experts will arrive with "a national eye on how sustainability will work in your community."

Jones is particularly interested in mapping the city's energy systems. "We will take it down to the level of each business," she says.

The group could look at a tortilla factory, for example, she says. "It brings in corn and wheat -- some of it from Ohio instead of Michigan -- and the production uses a ton of natural gas. There is people energy and transportation energy and energy to heat and light the building." A map of all such systems would allow experts to close some energy loops. "How much would be spent on all of those energy systems if we got smart about it?" she asks.

The process is motivated by the environment and economics. Money saved by increased energy efficiency can create prosperity and new jobs, says Jones.

Which is why her next task is identifying funding sources for entrepreneurs, neighborhoods and developers interested in investing in green technologies such as solar panels or anaerobic digesters.

Jones anticipates that the SDAT will focus on areas with a framework for environmental initiatives already in place, like Southwest Detroit, the Woodward Corridor and Eastern Market.

Jones is currently working with several universities, including Wayne State, Michigan State and University of Michigan, to select the date for the SDAT.

Source: Diane VanBuren Jones, WARM Training
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

City looking for developer to create 4,000 units of permanent housing for homeless

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The City of Detroit has released a request for proposals for the development of 4,000 units of service-supported rental housing targeted to the homeless. The NEXT Detroit Permanent Supportive Housing Initiative is looking for developers teamed up with service providers to deliver such a product.

The city, along with partner organization Detroit Collaborative to End Homelessness Together, recently completed a ten year plan for the elimination of homelessness that calls for a three-pronged strategy: the development of permanent housing called for in this RFP along with prevention and rapid re-housing.

Elterro Carroll, deputy director of the planning and development department hopes that this first round will generate 250 to 500 units over the course of the next two years. He anticipates that applicants will be both teams of developers and service providers as well as single organizations, such as Southwest Solutions, that already do both.

The RFP is deliberately vague as to the size and scope of proposed developments, leaving the door open for large projects sited on large parcels as well as smaller ones; types of housing called for include units designed to serve families, youth and the chronically homeless.

Prospective applicants can pick up an RFP from PDD's Welcome Center on the second floor of Cadillac Tower. They also can view and download the RFP at the City�s Website, www.detroitmi.gov/pdd. On Feb. 27, applicants are invited to attend an RFP information session at 10:30 a.m. in the department�s 23^rd floor conference room. Completed proposals are due on March 28 and development teams selections will be announced on May 1. For more information call 313-224-1538.

Source: Elterro Trent Carroll, PDD
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Knight Foundation grants $7M to city initiatives

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has granted nearly $7 million to eight Detroit initiatives. "These grants are supporting the city�s efforts to become the Next Detroit. We are supporting the city plan for neighborhood revitalization while partnering with other foundations and local leaders in order to move the city forward," said Brenda Price, Knight Foundation�s program director for Detroit, in a statement.

The monies have been allocated to the following programs, which cupport Detroit neighborhoods and its arts community:

$3 million to Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), to support its Neighborhoods NOW Initiative.

$1.25 million to the Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative, which will be used to implement land-use strategies for more than 4,400 properties in the Northend neighborhood. It will also help transfer land to private developers.

$250,000 to Detroit Renaissance to develop an asset map of Southeast Michigan's creative sector.

$200,000 to the Arts League of Michigan to launch the Design Detroit Initiative which will work to attract 1,000 creative professionals to the city.

$100,000 to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to conduct a feasibility study on a summer home on the riverfront for the orchestra.

$250,000 to the Detroit Institute of Arts to support the museum's pilot project of providing visitors hand-held informational devices.

$1.3 million to Holy Cross Children's Services to stimulate employment for African-American males in the Northend neighborhood.

$200,000 to the Child Care Coordinating Council to increase Internet access in Northend and provide computer training to residents.

$240,000 to City Connect to help the numerous Northend grantees communicate and work together.

Source: The Knight Foundation
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Recycle Here! takes in more than 350 tons of recyclables in first year

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

After one year of Recycle Here!, the number of Detroit residents recycling per week has grown from the wee range of 45 to 60 to anywhere from 200 upwards to 500.

At the main Recycle Here! drop-off facility on Holden, which is open two days a week, 9,073 participants dropped off 618,746 pounds of recyclables in 2007. The four mobile facilities � located in Rosedale, Corktown, Creekside and Farwell � netted another 111,125 pounds from 1,804 participants.

John Francis of Capital Waste, one of Recycle Here!'s partner companies, is hopeful that the program's continued growth will help convince city officials to expand it.

"We're hoping that this morphs into targeted curbside recycling," he says. "It is impossible to start citywide -- we'd have to target certain areas first," he says. "Then that would grow, hopefully, to the whole city -- or even half, or three-quarters. We're hoping this is the nucleus for that."

The zip codes of recyclers are collected in order to ascertain what neighborhoods would be most likely to use such a service. So far, records indicate that New Center, Eastern Market, Corktown, Grandmont-Rosedale, Southwest Detroit and Midtown are leading the recycling revolution in Detroit.

Recycle Here! is also looking into a second permanent drop-off site and a key-card reward system that would equate drop-off poundage with points redeemable at local merchants.

Recyclables can be dropped off at 1331 Holden, Recycle Here!'s main facility, Weds. from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Sat. from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. A list of accepted materials can be found here.

The three companies that comprise the Recycle Here! group are Recy-clean, Detroit City Recycling and Capital Waste.

Sources: John Francis, Capital Waste and Matt Naimi, Recy-clean
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Photo by Dave Krieger

D-Biz: For 30 years, Howrani Studios takes Detroit's picture

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Ara Howrani's father, Ameen, set up a photography studio 30 years ago in a rented space near Woodward and Baltimore. At that time, he was a steady freelance photographer for commercial clients including Motown � even traveling with Marvin Gaye.

When that building burned to the ground in 1982, he bought the old Jam Handy building at 2820 E. Grand Blvd. and renovated it into studio space and four residential lofts. From there, he expanded the scope of his clients to include businesses, politicians and nonprofit organizations.

When Ameen's health declined in 2005, Ara moved back to Detroit from Los Angeles to run his father's successful business.

Despite the cutbacks in the automotive industry � Ara Howrani estimates that 30% of Howrani Studios' work is indirectly related to the Big Three � the business has managed to continue to grow.

"I came in after things had shifted," he says. "Fortunately, a lot of small businesses are staying afloat."

The studio employs three and currently is seeking to add a project manager to its team. Clients include K-Mart, Cambell-Ewald, General Motors, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Source: Ara Howrani, Howrani Studios
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

TechTown lands $1.5M grant for ongoing renovations

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

The Kresge Foundation has awarded TechTown a $1.5 million grant that will be used for ongoing renovations at TechOne, the business incubator's Burroughs St. headquarters. Some of the funds will also be used for operating capital.

The bulk of the funds will be used to build-out a floor of TechOne, which will give the building an additional 20,000 square feet of usable space. This is imperative to TechTown's success, says executive director Randall Charlton, since only one-third of the 100,000-square-foot building is currently occupied. "Last year we had over 100 firm inquiries from entrepreneurs that wanted to come to TechTown." If start-ups cannot find space at his facility, "They'll go elsewhere," he says.

Construction will begin immediately and will include office and laboratory space. "It is crucial as we try and build this community of entrepreneurs that we get as much space as possible ready for occupancy," says Charlton. "This is a very exciting next stage in TechTown's development."

TechTown is currently home to more than 30 entrepreneurial, technologically oriented companies, including NextEnergy, whose 45,000 square-foot facility is located across the street from TechOne. Another significant tenant includes Asterand, which has become an international, publicly traded company.

Source: Randall Charlton, Techtown
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

D-Biz: A Detroit legend, Dittrich Furs has been in fashion since 1893

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

The timeless television commercials of Dittrich Furs are instantly recognizable to Detroiters of all ages. Who can forget the glamorous skiier schussing down the slopes with a fur coat streaming behind her? Or the luxurious equestrian draped in a mink?

That's the point, says Hall Dittrich, the company's CEO. "The whole idea for all the commercials has been to create a fantasy for people that would make them want a fur," he says. "It's things people don't really do in daily life -- very much things that make them want to fulfill a fantasy."

Dittrich's family has owned the company since 1893. Its New Center location was opened in 1967 � a time that saw many other businesses flee for the suburbs. "My dad and grandfather and everybody was born and raised in Detroit," says Dittrich. "I think we just felt loyalty." His sons are poised to be the fifth generation to run the business.

Dittrich sells furs of all shapes and sizes and offers its customers lifetime service. There are generally 3,000 furs in stock at any one time. Most are imported from around the world, but the company manufactures approximately 250 of its own pieces each year.

Current trends include shorter coats, coats made of multiple types of fur, shearlings and slimmer profiles. "Everything is nice and supple and more lightweight than it used to be," says Dittrich. "People are more and more interested in quality."

Dittrich Furs is located at 7373 Third Ave. just north of W. Grand Blvd. Call 313-873-8300. Hours are typically Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. but they are open Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. through Christmas.

Source: Hal Dittrich, Dittrich Furs
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

D-Biz: Java Exchange celebrates one year of bringing coffee and financial literacy to TechTown

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Ramone Crowe is not your typical coffee shop owner. He is interested in not just the success of his business, but also in seeing others prosper. Which is why the name of his cafe, Java Exchange, is so apt: It acts as a place for people to meet, network and exchange ideas.

Java Exchange just celebrated its first anniversary in its TechTown location. Crowe counts Henry Ford Health System employees and NextEnergy and TechTown staff and visitors among his regular clientele. "The building as a community has really been growing," he says. "I've watched companies start from one or two employees and grow to five or six or seven -- and some even up to 15 or 20!"

The Java Exchange hosts entrepreneurship forums with brokerage firm Edward Jones as well as group viewings of "The Big Idea" with Donny Deutsch. After watching the struggles of now-successful entrepreneurs, the group discusses issues and solutions for their own businesses.

Crowe has also worked with Wayne County Community College's Entrepreneurship Institute and banks to offer seminars and forums. "The Java Exchange is a destination for resources," he says. "It's an environment where you can go and learn outside of a real institution -- we can provide the same information in a relaxed environment."

Although the Java Exchange has free parking, Crowe is looking forward to increased foot traffic in the area when Wayne State University's police department relocates nearby and University Preparatory Academy opens a middle school next door.

Java Exchange hosts poetry Friday night and was named the best place to hear poetry by Metro Times readers for 2007. A Wi-Fi hotspot, it's located at 440 Burroughs Street and can be reached at 313-822-6456. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon. through Thurs. and 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Fri.

Source: Ramone Crowe, Java Exchange
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Henry Ford Hospital adding $35M, two-story expansion

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

A two-story addition to the Henry Ford Hospital's West Pavilion is going up now and is slated to open in the spring of 2009. The $35 million, 62,000-square foot expansion includes 20 intensive care unit beds and 60 medical-surgical beds, all private.

The West Pavilion was built in 1998 and it was always assumed it would one day grow. "The builders who built our West Pavilion actually had the foresight that, if needed, the building could hold two additional floors," says Anthony Armada, president and CEO of the Henry Ford Hospital and Health Network.

"This was natural for us -- as we have continued to grow in the last several years, and anticipate continuing to do so -- to capitalize on our building infrastructure."

The addition is part of a five-year, $300 million expansion and renovation of the hospital campus that includes an already-completed overhaul of the emergency department as well as a new simulation center.

Other major components include a $40 million wireless electronic medical record system, the expansion of existing operating rooms ($10 million), the $33 million redevelopment of the outpatient tower and $50 million of infrastructure improvements, among other enhancements.

Armada says the hospital is committed to its New Center neighborhood. They occupy three floors of the New Center One Building, their athletic medicine center houses the popular Fitness Works facility and there are plans to collaborate with TechTown on research and development ventures.

Source: Anthony Armada, Henry Ford
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Social Compact study findings make powerful statement about Detroit's growing core

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Washington, D.C.-based Social Compact has released initial findings from its study of Detroit demographics. The numbers revealed by their DrillDown approach paints a wealthier and more populous picture of Detroit than does the Census.

This is good news for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., which plans to use the information to attract retailers to the city. The findings include:

The resident population of Detroit is 933,043, nearly 62,000 more than projected by the current Census population estimates.
The average income of a Detroit household is $48,000 as opposed to the 2000 Census estimate of $40,900.
There is $800 million of informal economic activity in Detroit's economy each year. This is income like tips, side-consulting, baby-sitting and the like that do not register on traditional market measures.
The aggregate income of Detroit households, $15.8 billion, is $2 billion greater than indicated by 2000 Census estimates.
At least $1.7 billion of resident retail spending is being leaked outside the city limits.

Traditional census methods tend to undervalue older urban cities for several reasons, one of them being a bias towards new home construction. "The bureau assumes that a certain percentage of homes built before 1940 are retired each year," says Social Compact president and CEO, John Talmage. "The burden rests on the city to prove otherwise."

Immigrants and intergenerational households are also often under-counted.

"This really creates better information for actual business people, developers and brokers," says DEGC project manager Olga Savic. The organization will work to educate these entities, along with government officials and community development corporations, as to how these numbers can be used to leverage commercial investment.

There will also be more surveying at the neighborhood level, which has the potential to reveal even more residents and income. "The numbers are good enough to go after grocery stores now," says Talmage. "It's just going to get better."

Download a copy of the report here .

Source: John Talmage, Social Compact and Olga Savic, DEGC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Networking group launched to encourage new Detroit businesses

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Any slightly-observant Detroit resident -- or even an intermittent Model D reader -- has likely noticed that new businesses are sprouting up all around the city. It's just not happening quickly enough for a couple of local entrepreneurs who have started Open City, a networking group for would-be Detroit business owners.

Over 60 people, a mix of aspiring and actual business owners, attended the group's kick-off meeting at Cliff Bell's on September 18. "We wanted to introduce people to the concept of having a group whose purpose is simply to encourage them and educate them about opening a business in Detroit in an informal manner," says co-founder Liz Blondy of Canine to Five Detroit Dog Daycare.

Blondy and her cohort, Clare Nelson of The Bureau of Urban Living, realized that there were plenty of hurdles standing in the way of starting up a business in Detroit, such as red tape, the perception that the city is unsafe and is not a place where money can be made. Start-up financing is also an issue.

They think the effort is worth it. "People will be so appreciative. They will notice it more then if you open in the suburbs," Blondy said in her opening remarks. "You�ll get more PR for opening in Detroit. Detroiters crave new exciting businesses. Being located in Detroit will help distinguish your business. A high end modern furniture store in Birmingham? There are like four of them. In Detroit, it is unique."

Detroiter Dave Mancini has been contemplating opening up a pizza parlor in the city for several years. "I gave up on Detroit, to be honest," Mancini says. "It was difficult to get in touch with the type of people I needed to get in touch with, and I was having trouble finding space that was not prohibitively expensive to rehab." He attended the meeting as a last-ditch effort at the urging of a friend.

He's glad he did. "There was such good energy from so many people," Mancini says. He was greatly encouraged by keynote speaker Jackie Victor of Avalon Breads. "Having talked to her made me feel better about my prospects down here," he says. "Since the meeting, I've been making more calls. I realize that I haven't turned over every rock yet."

Open City's next meeting will take place October 16. For more information, contact Blondy at liz@caninetofivedetroit.com.

Source: Liz Blondy, Open City
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Henry Ford Hospital unveils $5M simulation center

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

The largest health care simulation center in the Midwest, at 12,000 square feet, was unveiled last week at Henry Ford Hospital's New Center campus.

The center will enable doctors, nurses and other health care providers to fine-tune their skills without actually performing surgery. It includes two operating theaters, a $1.6 million da Vinci robot system, six clinical rooms, a minimally invasive procedure lab with more than 30 stations and two classrooms.

The Henry Ford simulation center will work collaboratively with other area centers at Wayne State University, Beaumont, University of Michigan and Michigan State University to share best practices.

The improvement in technology will translate to better patient care for the entire Detroit area, says simulation center director Dr. Craig Reickert. "This is a major recruiting gemstone for stimulating the best and brightest students, residents and faculty to come here to train," he says. "This will improve the quality of care in the community."

Reickert says the center's ability to cognitively train professionals is key. "We can run through difficult medical problems," he says. "For example, if there are multiple medical problems but one acute problem, like a heart attack." Cognitive training helps health care providers to critically think through such instances and also better communicate solutions to their team. "This has the potential to improve patient care much more directly than learning how to sew and tie knots," he says.

The simulation center was built in the space where the hospital once stored its paper medical records.

Source: Craig Reickert, MD, Henry Ford Hospital
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Image courtesy of Henry Ford Hospital

Motown Kabob opens on Woodward in New Center

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

A new restaurant will keep Detroiters from having to trek to Dearborn for quality Middle Eastern cuisine.

Motown Kabob has opened on Woodward just south of W. Grand Boulevard, serving up schwarma, falafel and fresh raw juice. The restaurant is both carry-out and dine-in, with seating for about 30.

Owner Mike Sleiman is new to the restaurant business, but his brother and partner, Haysan Sleiman, is no stranger. "He's run seven La Shishes," says Mike. The third partner, Wissam Majjar, also has extensive restaurant experience.

The trio chose New Center for their restaurant because of the potential they see in the area. "There's a lot of new attractions," says Mike Sleiman.

Karen Gage of the New Center Council, the area's community development corporation, couldn't agree more. "Motown Kabob adds to the growing variety of restaurants in New Center," says Gage, NCC's vice president. "It's a healthy option for residents and visitors, and we are glad to have them in our community."

Mike Sleiman, a lifelong Detroiter, is keen on the rebirth of the entire city. "All my life, my dream has been to see Detroit prosper," he says. "I'd like to be a part of it."

Motown Kabob is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sources: Mike Sleiman, Motown Kabob and Karen Gage, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Renovations underway at new WSU police facility

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

A move by the Wayne State University's police department to a building at the north end of campus is another example of the school's growing commitment to the community.

The move to a more visible location at Cass and Burroughs will enable the WSU police to expand its purview, says Andrea Burg of the university's Facilities, Planning and Management department. "It was a strategic thought to move toward Techtown," Berg says "It is really part of us, too."

The $5.64 million project includes stripping dropped ceilings and paneling to expose the ornate plaster and historic features that were covered by the building's previous tenant. "I am wowed by the stuff that is in there," says Burg. "I'm actually jealous that the police are going to have that space."

Burg says she sees the redevelopment as part of WSU president Irvin Reid's commitment to opening the university up to its surroundings. "When he first came here, he thought we showed our back to the community. Now we are showing everyone our front, welcoming everyone into our space," she says. "A building that is going to have glass in the front -- that's pretty welcoming."

Construction started in spring and Burg hopes to have it wrapped up by the end of the year. There are no immediate plans for the police department's existing building located on Hancock St. between Woodward and Cass avenues.

Source: Andrea Burg, WSU
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Vanguard CDC completes 24 units of housing, 57 more in the works

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Detroit's North End is getting a boost from three citywide initiatives that target specific geographic areas. Bounded roughly by E. Grand Boulevard, Woodward Avenue, Clay and I-75, the North End is a NEXT Detroit Neighborhood, a LISC Neighborhoods Now area and a Skillman Foundation Good Neighborhood.

In December of 2006, Vanguard Community Development Corporation completed Melrose Square Homes, 24 single-family rental homes that are tax-credit subsidized. Next up are a 48-unit senior apartment complex and 27 market-rate townhouse condominiums. Plans call for a groundbreaking in spring of 2008.

In the meantime, Vanguard is conducting a series of free classes intended to boost home ownership and entrepreneurship. Beginning on September 8, a "do-it-yourself" class, conducted in partnership with WARM Training, will cover topics such as basic electrical and plumbing, wall repair, painting and carpentry in once-a-week sessions through October 20.

Also on September 8, a real estate investors class will be offered. "We want people interested in getting into development to learn how to do it by working in tandem with the community," says Vanguard's housing development director Scott Alan Davis. The course will run one Saturday a month through December.

A home-buyers class will start on September 22, scheduled once a month for three months.

The organization is also working with area small businesses and potential entrepreneurs via its Milwaukee-Junction small business center.

Of the three city-wide initiatives with which Vanguard is involved, Davis has been working with the Neighborhoods Now program for the longest period of time. "Working with LISC has brought us great exposure and the ability to leverage more funding," he says. "Now, all three are potentially going to do that."

To learn more about any of these initiatives, contact Vanguard at 313-872-7831.

Source: Scott Alan Davis, Vanguard CDC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo courtesy of Vanguard

Rice Bowl opens second location, third in the works

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Get your chopsticks ready. Rice Bowl Asian Kitchen has opened a second location in the Grandmont-Rosedale area. Its first location is in the New Center One Building and it will open a third in the Millender Center in January of 2008.

Owner Paul Kado is pleased to add a location in the city's northwest side, at W. Outer Drive and the Southfield Freeway. "It is an established area in a more affluent part of the city," he says. An added plus is its proximity to Henry Ford Health Systems medical center and Sinai-Grace Hospital. The restaurant seats 45 and is located in the College Park Commons shopping center.

Although Kado had hoped for his downtown location to be open by now, the overhaul of the Millender's HVAC system has delayed the date. "The Central Business District needs a quality Asian fast-casual restaurant. There is a demand for it," he says.

Source: Paul Kado, Rice Bowl Asian Kitchen
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Hotel St. Regis reopens with 125 boutique rooms and restaurant

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Get ready, Detroit, here it comes. After one year of renovations, the Hotel St. Regis has reopened with 125 guest rooms and a full-service bar and restaurant, La Musique. Renovations were also made to the lobby, banquet hall and other common areas of the building.

The hotel will cater to the upscale business traveler. In order to also appeal to the leisure traveler, the St. Regis will offer sports packages that include game tickets and romance packages that include theater tickets.

La Musique is a Cajun steakhouse that will feature live entertainment every day of the week. Members of the Four Tops, the Supremes and the Miracles are partners in the development, so you can expect a little Motown soul and inspiration with your dinner. "The name pays homage to the French theme, with a musical twist," says managing partner Marc Johnson. A grand champagne brunch will be served every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Phase Two of the development will add 75 guest rooms and a day spa, as well as ten exclusive penthouse condominiums. Johnson says construction will get underway in the next two months and it will take a year to complete. Total project cost for both phases is $9 million.

Source: Marc Johnson, Hotel St. Regis
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Construction begins on mixed-use Milwaukee-Junction condos

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Interior demolition has begun on the Milwaukee Junction Project, a mixed-use building on Milwaukee at Brush. Developer Patrick Thompson estimates construction will run 12 to 18 months and says, "We are going to take our time and do it right. This is a self-funded development, so we want to go slow and not make any poor decisions."

The building has 8 residential units and three ground-floor commercial spaces. The residential condos range in size from 600 to 1,0000 square feet and, although buyers will be able to combine units if they prefer, Thompson says he and partner Christopher Damico are emphasizing streamlined European residential design. "There will be a well thought-out, unique design -- small is smart."

There is a carriage house behind the building that creates a rear courtyard. Thompson plans to eventually renovate that structure into one or two more units of housing.

The pair chose the building because of its size and price-point but also, for its proximity to the Fisher Building and TechTown. Thompson says, "It's a little off the beaten path, but there's already a little neighborhood carved out. Being close to the Model T plant appeals to us, the post office, a little grocery store that has been there for 75 years."

Source: Patrick Thompson, Thompson Damico Group, LLC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

26 more neighborhoods to receive NEZ tax breaks

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

On July 25, Detroit City Council approved the list of 26 neighborhoods -- including Woodbridge, West Village, Midtown and New Center -- that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick recommended to receive Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax cuts for fifteen years starting in 2008. Last year, another 25 became eligible. Deputy press secretary James Canning explains that legally, up to 15% of the city can be designated NEZ and that only homestead homeowners are eligible. This is why the neighborhoods that were selected were those with the "densest homestead homeowner properties, where the most people have the potential to benefit."

As for revenue loss to the city, Canning says, "We don't see it as a loss, we see it as an investment. It will give more people the potential to buy a house." The city estimates it will lose $6-8 million a year and has factored that into the budget. However, they estimated the same amount of losses for this year, from the first 25 neighborhoods, and have only seen $2 million in losses because almost 80% of the 10,000 households eligible for the savings have not turned in an application. [Editor's note: What?!? And yes, applications are still being accepted from last year's group.]

Eligible residents will be mailed applications next week, which must be filled out and returned to the Assessor's Office. The application requires that the homeowner agrees to perform $500 worth of home improvements to the property within three years. If no proof is rendered within that time frame, NEZ status will be rescinded. Savings to the homeowner range from 18-35% of annual property taxes, as determined by the assessor. Any homestead homeowner that purchased their home since 1997 is eligible to apply.

Maps and a list of neighborhoods from both years are available here. A third and final crop of neighborhoods will be recommended again next year.

Source: James Canning, City of Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

DDOT seeking public input on 3 rapid transit lines

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The Detroit Department of Transportation will host four public meetings this week to ascertain public support for three possible rapid transit routes. The options, all of which include a three-mile stretch of Woodward between downtown and New Center, are:

Woodward to Eight Mile;

Michigan Avenue to Dearborn, near Fairlane Mall and University of Michigan-Dearborn; and

Gratiot to Eight Mile.

These three alignments were deemed worthy of further study for several reasons, including public support at an earlier round of public hearings, population, housing and employment density, major destinations, traffic volume, bus ridership, and concentration of car-less households. Modes being evaluated include bus rapid transit, light rail and upgraded traditional bus service.

The public meetings are being conducted under the auspices of the Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study (DTOGS) and are a step in the Federal Transit Authority-mandated process that must be followed in order to apply for federal funding.

DTOGS is expected to be complete by the end of the year, at which time the FTA will receive a recommended alignment and mode. The study's lead consultant is URS, a company that assisted cities such as Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Dallas, Denver and Portland in submitting successful transit grant applications to the FTA. If DTOGS's application is funded, construction could begin on a transit line by 2010.

DTOGS is comprised of representatives from Wayne County, Detroit, Dearborn, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Michigan Department of Transportation, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.

Technical Committee member Erik Tungate, who is Hamtramck's community and economic development director, stresses the collaborative nature of the endeavor. "This process has brought ties between us, just by virtue of us sitting down on a monthly basis together," he says. "We all know the spin-off positive effect transit would have on each of our communities, directly and indirectly, in terms of development."

Each meeting will begin with an hour-long open house that will be followed by a presentation and public comments. The meeting schedule is:

Wednesday, July 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Guardian Building
Wednesday, July 25 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wayne State University's Welcome Center
Thursday, July 26 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Wayne County Community College's Cooper Community Center
Saturday, July 28 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn

Source: Erik Tungate, city of Hamtramck
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Two homes in one day for North End

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

On July 12, two modular homes were erected on Delmar Street in North End Village in a demonstration of how quickly such homes can be erected. The homes are the first of a project that will eventually total 90 homes, 50 in the first phase alone.

The two homes -- one two-story and one ranch -- were intended to be models for the development, but have already sold. Developer Kenneth Lipshutz says, "We're way ahead of where we thought we were going to be." A third model, of a cape cod, will go up in a few weeks and Lipshutz says the next set will follow as soon as permits are approved.

The homes all feature attached two-car garages and full basements. They range in size from 1,740 up to 2,020 square feet and in price from $175,000 to $210,000. Of the modular manufacturers, Lipshutz says, "We worked really hard with Champion Homes and Rochester Homes to design model homes that were the most affordable, yet provided a lot more value than comparable properties. We are using factory built homes because they are quick, better, more affordable and offer a higher value for new home buyers."

Now that the bulk of the exterior work on the homes is complete, M & M Homes will complete finish carpentry, siding, front porches, utility hookups, roof shingling and garages within 30-45 days -- and families will be moving in right away.

Lipshutz says a big part of the reason North End Village is able to get off the ground so quickly is that it is building off the groundwork of Dave Bing and others, who did much of the pre-development work and completed nine homes that are all occupied. After establishing a partnership just a few months ago, Lipshutz says, "We had 90 lots all ready to get started on."

After these 90 homes are completed and sold, Lipshutz hopes to keep going. "There is an opportunity for 200 homes or more, just in the Northend." He says the group is working on master plan that might include additional home styles.

As a Next Detroit Neighborhoods, North End Village buyers are eligible for down payment assistance. For more information about the development, contact Dana Farrell at 313-685-7283 or northendvillage@sbcglobal.net.

Source: Kenneth Lipshutz, North End Village
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Detroit development is target for new ShoreBank loan fund manager

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

On July 2, John Schoeniger began work as Loan Fund Manager at ShoreBank Enterprise Detroit (SED), a nonprofit affiliate of ShoreBank Corporation . Most recently, Schoeniger was Vice President of Residential Real Estate Lending for ShoreBank in Cleveland.

Schoeniger will work primarily with small- and mid-sized developers and minority- and female-owned small businesses. Money from the fund can be used for predevelopment and preconstruction financing as well as predevelopment work such as appraisals, environmental assessments and architecture and engineering. "We want to fill gaps if there are any," he says. "We are willing to be creative and flexible, up to and including equity or equity-like deals."

The new position became necessary when SED received nearly $12 million in investments and loans from the Ford and Knight foundations in January. The fund's goal is specific: build and renovate commercial and residential properties in Detroit, particularly in Next Detroit neighborhoods. Schoeniger's goal is to have $2 million "out the door" in the twelve months.

He points out that funds from SED can be used to leverage conventional financing and/or to fill in any gaps that remain in a development portfolio. A developer, he says, "might have some of the money, but not all. We will try to figure out what they need and how to get it to them."

Schoeniger came to banking from a background in construction and real estate which, he says, helps him "communicate to all kinds of small- to mid-sized contractors and developers." He sees "rust belt" parallels between his experiences in Cleveland and the initiative he has undertaken in Detroit.

Source: John Schoeniger, SED
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Commemorate Woodward's 200th birthday with a bike ride

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Detroit Bikes! will commemorate Woodward's 200th birthday with a bicycle tour of some of its most historic sites. The 20-mile ride will take in Boston Edison, Arden Park, New Center, TechTown, Brush Park, Wayne State University and the Cultural Center and Downtown, including the riverfront.

The ride takes off from the Millennium Bell in Grand Circus Park at 10 a.m. on July 21. Helmets are mandatory.

The tour is planned as the first of two in a series.

Source: Detroit Bikes!
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Roundup: What's new all over town

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

In our last issue, Model D rounded up a few downtown newbies into one Development News article (see here). This week, we venture out a bit.

Up in New Center, things haven't stopped now that CityFest is wrapped up. A new clothing boutique, Rock & Soul, has opened up on Woodward just south of W. Grand Blvd. Check it out Monday through Friday 10 am to 6 pm or Saturday 10 am to 7 pm. The shop is at 6534 Woodward Avenue and can be reached at 313-758-0445.

In Hamtramck, a national restaurant chain called Johnny's Lunch -- an old-fashioned diner, complete with red hots, sliders and shakes -- will open a location in the Towne Center shopping plaza at Jos. Campau and Holbrook. Johnny's is currently located in Toledo and Jamestown, NY; the Hamtramck location is one of six planned for Michigan.

Kumon Math and Reading Center has opened in Mexicantown's Lithuanian Hall. The 1,500-square foot center offers remedial and advanced tutoring for students from pre-school to high school. Visit 3750 W. Vernor Highway or call 248-290-0450 x257.

Further Southwest, the National City bank branch at W. Vernor and Dragoon has opened its doors to the public. Click here for more information.

On Michigan Avenue in Corktown, the Zeitgeist Gallery and Performance Venue has installed some cool metal sculptures in the flower boxes in front of their building. Not coincidentally, it is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month -- with a laundry list of exhibitions and events. Definitely worth a look-see.

Meanwhile, back downtown, 1001 Woodward has really overhauled its website. Could concrete news about the condominium development be far behind? We'll let you know what we find out.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Michigan Green-Safe store open at Recycle Here!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Recycle Here! has added a retail component to its recycling operations: Michigan Green Safe. Matt Naimi, who is a partner in both companies, says that "being a recycling company, this was a natural extension for us."

Products include eco-friendly household cleaning solutions of all stripes made by Eco-Products, a national company with Green Safe as its only Michigan distributor. Additionally, the store sells disposable hot and cold cups, silverware, plates, take-away containers and trash and grocery non-plastic bags that are all made of renewable non-petroleum based products and are even compostable. There is silverware made from potatoes and some made from corn, for example. Prices are comparable to similar plastic-based products.

Green Safe also carries toilet paper, paper towels and napkins that are made from 100% recycled paper.

Naimi is currently working with local restaurants, including New Amsterdam Cafe and Java Exchange, with plans to to add more, including Avalon Bakery and Slow's Bar B Q.

Currently, Green Safe only sells its products on Wednesdays and Saturdays during recycling hours, but Naimi is looking into a partnership with a local retailer to extend the products' availability.

For a price list or to discuss bulk purchase for a business, contact Naimi's partner, Steve Harworth, at 313-871-4000 or at steve@recy-clean.com.

Source: Matt Naimi, Recycle Here! and Michigan Green Safe Products
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

LISC unveils $100M of "Neighborhoods Now" planned investment

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Detroit's Local Initiative Support Organization unveiled plans totaling $100 million for seven targeted areas. The plans were developed over the last two years by community groups and residents, says Deborah Younger, Detroit LISC program director. "No one knows best what a community needs than the folks that live there,"Younger says.

The seven areas fall under one of two targets: Strategic Investment Area or Regional Investment Initiative. The former groups community development corporations with service providers, residents, businesses, government agencies and other stakeholders to craft plans for their areas. The latter pairs CDCs from Detroit with partners from inner ring suburbs to attempt to bridge a gap between the cities and to address shared needs.

SIA areas include Southwest Detroit which will attempt to build on its cultural and historic heritage and increase market rate housing; Far East/Lower East Side which will develop mixed income housing and increase retail services; Northwest Detroit which will focus on infill housing and a strengthened commercial corridor; and Central Woodward which will focus on workforce training, mixed-income housing and retail.

RII teams paired up the Jefferson East area with Grosse Pointe; the South Fort/Visger Corridor with Ecorse, Lincoln Park, and River Rouge; and Van Dyke - 8 Mile with Center Line and Warren. RII was supported primarily by the Ford Foundation with the objective that similar efforts can be replicated across the country.

Now that general plans have been crafted for each of the areas, LISC will target fundraising efforts towards foundations and others that support each particular initiative a community has identified. Already $38 million has been secured; an estimated $100 million is needed to complete the initiatives. LISC will also continue to play a public policy role as well as connecting neighborhood groups with larger economic development initiatives.

Source: Deborah Younger, Detroit LISC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Stella International Cafe brings panini, coffee, grab-and-go to Guardian and Fisher buildings

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Two of Detroit's most spectacular buildings -- downtown's Guardian Building and New Center's Fisher Building -- are now each home to a Stella International Cafe. Owner Shawn Santo describes the general concept of Stella as a "Manhattan or Toronto-esque grab-and-go."

In the Fisher Building, Stella is a full-service coffee bar, serving Illy products. Santo also operates the Rowland Cafe on the Guardian's mezzanine level, where seating for Stella patrons is available.

Stella carries Alinosi ice cream, and cheesecake, cookies and pastries � all locally produced.

At the Guardian location, Stella expands on the grab-and-go concept. For breakfast, there is Ferndale-baked New York Bagels and breakfast sandwiches served either on bagels or grilled Avalon Bakery bread. Fresh-squeezed orange juice is also available.

At lunch, panini is the highlight. Inspired by their travels, Santo and her partner and husband Kevin Borsay are changing combos regularly and make use of fresh meats and cheeses from Eastern Market.

Santo, who also owns Pure Detroit and Vera Jane, will hold grand openings for the restaurants in the first part of June. Stella occupies the former Blend space in the Fisher and the former Karmic Cafe space in the Guardian.

Stella in the Guardian Building is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Fisher Building's Stella is open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. If there is a performance at the Fisher Theatre, it will stay open until 8 p.m. It is open 11 a.m to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sundays if there is a show.

Source: Shawn Santo, Stella International Cafe
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Biodiesel plant breaks ground in New Center

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

On Tuesday, May 15, Biodiesel Industries, in partnership with NextEnergy, celebrated the ground-breaking of a biodiesel production facility at John R and Baltimore. The 13,000-square foot facility will also be used for research, public outreach and education by the California-based company. This is its sixth U.S. plant, and it will be capable of producing 10 million gallons of biodiesel per year.

Significantly, the plant will be feedstock-neutral, meaning that it can make use of feedstock such as corn and soybean as well as switchgrass, rapeseed, sunflowers and crude, refined and recycled vegetable oils.

The building was designed by Albert Kahn Associates and will be built by DeMaria Building Company, both Detroit-based companies with experience in alternative energy design-builds.

Russell Teall, founder and president of Biodiesel Industries, credits the city of Detroit for its welcoming efforts to help make the project happen. He says that when reporters ask him, "'why Detroit?'" he answers, "where else?"

His efforts to promote biodiesel stem from what he calls "The Three E's" � environment, energy and economy � and he believes that true sustainability exists when "you take a good environmental idea into a commercial project and make it economically sustainable."

The plant will employ 20-25 people initially and construction is expected to be complete before the end of the year.

Source: Biodiesel Industries of Detroit, LLC ground-breaking
Rendering courtesy of Albert Kahn Associates, Inc.
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Construction begins on 62-unit New Amsterdam Lofts

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Construction has begun on the New Amsterdam Lofts, which will transform the Caille Brothers Building into 62 rental loft units. The building, located at 6200 Second Street, is the second phase of the Jonna Companies' two-phase loft development in the New Amsterdam Historic District of New Center.

The first phase, the 39-unit Graphic Arts Lofts, located at 44 E. Burroughs, is complete and is currently 48% occupied. One of the available units is a large ground-floor space that leasing agent Judy Jonna hopes to see used as a gallery or some similar retail use.

One of the New Amsterdam units is similarly ideal for retail. It is at the southwest corner of the building and includes a beautiful historic staircase to its mezzanine level. The north end of the building will be three floors of all residential units.

The Caille (pronounced kay-lee) Building has a rich history. The Caille brothers invented coin slot machines and the conveyor belt used in grocery stores. The building was added onto three times as the company grew.

Jonna says the best possible news for New Amsterdam is the continued growth of TechTown: "There are new companies, new people all the time." She says the Graphic Arts Loft has attracted a diverse group of professional tenants "that want to live in the city and want a nice quiet building."

Source: Judy Jonna, Jonna Companies
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

National Bike to Work Day hits the Woodward corridor on Friday, May 18

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

This year's National Transportation Week is being centered in Detroit, and there is lots going on to commemorate that fact. (Visit our sister site, metromode, to read more about transit and alternative fuel events happening all throughout the week.)

For its part, Detroit Bikes! will hold the local version of National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 19 along the Woodward corridor. From Royal Oak south to Campus Martius, with stops along the way in Ferndale, Palmer Park, New Center and Midtown, participants will roll into downtown just after 8 a.m.

Held both to draw attention to the viability of cycling as a means of transportation and to bestow a bit of group courage to the novice cycler, the event is free. Last year -- its first -- the Woodward Avenue Bike to Work drew 50 riders; event organizer Alexander Froehlich expects up to 75 this year.

On Monday, May 14, the organization held a similar ride along Michigan Avenue from Dearborn, though Southwest Detroit and Corktown, to Downtown.

They encouraged participants to ride home via bicycle or to hitch a ride on SMART buses, which are each equipped to carry two bikes.

Detroit Bikes! hosts group rides through the entire summer and fall. Check out the group's website to keep up-to-date.

Source: Alexander Froehlich, Detroit Bikes!
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

City tax incentives available for small businesses

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

The City of Detroit is promoting a program called "Owe Less to the IRS" to get the word out to existing and potential small businesses in Detroit about available tax incentives. Through both the Empowerment Zone (EZ) and Renewal Communities (RC) programs, businesses located in specific geographic areas are eligible for tax breaks ranging from $2,400 to millions of dollars.

The EZ has Southwest, Central and East areas and Renewal Communities is located in the northeast sector of the city. Maps are available -- for EZ, here and for RC, here.

Both programs include variations of the following programs:

employment credits, which gives a deduction to employers for employees they hire that live in the respective zone;
work opportunity tax credits, that are similar deductions for the hiring of employees aged 18-24 or others that have special employment needs;
an increased section 179 deduction on equipment that depreciates;
capital gains exclusions of up to 60% for small business stock investment;
academy bonds that can be issued at 0% interest to finance programs with public schools; and
facility bonds that can be issued at lower interest rates for construction costs.

The Empowerment Zone's Brian Watkins says, "We are making our push in tax time to put the word out, to get the word out. The city wants to save you real dollars on your tax burden." The ultimate goal of both programs is increased investment that leads to an increase in job opportunities for residents of the zones.

Both programs expire in 2009, although an extension is possible. For more information, call the Empowerment Zone at 313.224.1336 and Renewal Communities at 313.224.1281.

Sources: Brian Watkins, EZ and Loretta Rivers, RC
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Port Authority leverages brownfield dollars for Detroit jobs, investment

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

With the receipt of a $800,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority has provided critical pre-development environmental assessment activities for numerous Detroit projects. Over the last four years, their work has helped to leverage of $384,412,500 in private investment and the creation of 395 jobs.

John Kerr, DWCPA's director of economic development and grants management, says the receipt of the EPA grant has enabled his agency to do more than "traditional" port projects by moving "off the waterfront."

The Port Authority is able to assist developers with phase one and two environmental assessments and brownfield environmental assessments. Projects they have aided include:

@water Lofts, which will create 480 new residential units on the East Riverfront over two phases;
for Southwest Solutions, the restoration of the Lithuanian Hall in Mexicantown (pictured) and a new building for homeless veterans on Piquette in New Center that will include 24 residential units and associated transitional services;
Nailah Commons, 35 units of affordable housing in the Art Center; and
the Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink, a series of bike and pedestrian paths that will link the two neighborhoods to each other and to the West Riverfront.

DWCPA is able to coordinate their services with those from the city's Office of Environmental Affairs as well as with Wayne County. "It's one-stop shopping for brownfield services," Kerr says.

Although DWCPA is willing and able to work with for-profit developers, they have great interest in working with community development corporations, for which Kerr has the highest respect. "These non-profits are very sophisticated development agencies that often know much more about their community."

Source: John Kerr, DWCPA
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

80 of 82 units at Lofts at New Center sold

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

All but two of the units at the Lofts at New Center have been sold, bringing development near the Fisher Building tantalizingly close to selling out.

The 82-unit development features two- and three-story lofts on the west side of Woodward Avenue two blocks north of Grand Blvd. The two units left are brownstone-style townhouses overlooking Woodward. They are priced in the $190,000s.

"We�re obviously very motivated to sell them," said Jim Agemy, director of sales for the developer, Crosswinds Communities.

Each unit comes with 9-foot ceilings, open floor plans, a balcony, hardwood floors, jetted bathtubs and a two-car garage.

For information, visit crosswindsus.com or call 313.758.0042.

Source: Jim Agemy, Crosswinds Communities
Writer: Jon Zemke

Public input sessions held for Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The cities of Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park and Dearborn have retained transit consultants to identify feasible rapid transit alternatives within the four cities. The study's managing agency, the Detroit Department of Transportation, is hosting four open houses in the coming week to share ideas and solicit input on the project, called Detroit Transit Options for Growth Study.

Mar. 21, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Guardian Building
Mar. 21, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. at WSU McGregor Conference Center
Mar. 22, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. at U-M Dearborn, Fairlane Center
Mar. 24, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Samaritan Center on Conner

Two presentations will be given at each event by DDOT staff and DTOGS consultants, potential routes and modes will be on display and questions and comments from the public will be heard.

The study is the first step in the formal process established by the Federal Transit Administration in securing federal funds for rapid transit.

Please RSVP to Tim Roseboom .

Source: DTOGS

Cityscape event to discuss historic preservation's effect on state economy

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Cityscape Detroit will host an event entitled "The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation" on Mar. 20. The keynote speaker will be Kristine Kidorf, a preservation consultant and board member of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network.

Kidorf will discuss the recent MHPN "Report Card" study that analyzes the impact that historic preservation has on Michigan's economy; in 2002-05, the years the study was conducted, $1.93 billion was added.

Because of this enormous impact, the study recommends increasing the state tax credit for historic preservation to 25% which, when coupled with the federal 20% credit, adds up to a 45% credit for a rehab project. Kidorf points out that since the state of Missouri enacted such a credit, not one historic building in St. Louis has been demolished.

She says the study also demonstrates, "For every $1 in credit, there was $11 in economic impact added."

The study can be downloaded here .

The Cityscape event begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at SmartDetroit on the Penobscot Building's 13th floor. It is free and open to the public. RSVPs are preferred; email rsvp@cityscapedetroit.org.

Source, Kristine Kidorf, Kidorf Preservation Consulting and MHPN

Research Lofts sell 15 units in last 3 months

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

New Center�s Research Lofts have sold 15 units over the last three months, according to Georgette Johnson, the development�s media relations and marketing director.

Chadd Fox, a partner on the development, credits its success to its location. Near Wayne State, Tech Town, Henry Ford Hospital, and Woodbridge, all of which have seen substantial investment, Fox says, �We are in an emerging district right on the edge.�

He believes the substantial amount of investment and development going on around the Research Lofts is proof that the area�s resurgence is �independent of the auto industry,� and instead, is fueled by health care, technology and entrepreneurship.

The Research Lofts are located in the Crescent Brass and Pin Co. Building on Trumbull just south of West Grand Blvd. Its 38 condominium units are each completely unique and start at $140,000. Features include 15-foot ceilings, granite countertops and strict attention to preservation, including natural brick and original wood flooring. As an incentive to buyers, the developers are currently including cable and internet service, a laptop computer and a plasma-screen television in the cost of purchase.

Source: Georgette Johnson and Chadd Fox, Research Lofts

NextEnergy builds hydrogen fuel testing facility

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

NextEnergy has begun construction on phases 3 and 4 of its Alternative Fuel Platform on its Detroit campus. The work is $785,000 of a $4 million 5-phase project that will enable the organization to produce, refine, test and dispense hydrogen fuel.

The current construction, which is expected to be complete by May, will build a permanent hydrogen storage facility and a 5-bay testing platform�phases 3 and 4, respectively. NextEnergy's Dave McLean explains that the testing platform is "flexible in order to accommodate a lot of equipment we might see in coming years."

The first equipment to be tested there will be a methanol-hydrogen reformer that can convert liquid methanol to ultra-high purity hydrogen that can be used in fuel cell vehicles. Throughout the coming year, NextEnergy will test the reformer; the fine-tuning that results from that testing will produce the next generation reformer that will be delivered in March 2008 as the fifth and final phase of the project.

Phase 1, a temporary hydrogen storage facility, will be decommissioned after construction of the permanent one. Phase 2 is a BP hydrogen fueling station (pictured) currently used in Daimler Chrysler fuel cell vehicles driven by the Wayne State University police department. Mclean hopes to see the number of fleet vehicles using the pump ncrease over time.

The construction of the Alternative Fuel Platform was cost-shared by Next Energy and the US Department of Energy. Detroit�s DeMaria Construction was hired to build all four phases.

Source: Dave McLean, NextEnergy
Image courtesy NextEnergy

Boutique clothing manufacturing facility opens in Russell Industrial Center

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Sarah Lurtz and Sarah Lapinski, best-known as the duo behind fashion line Wound Menswear, have opened a small manufacturing facility in the Russell Industrial Center. The 800 square-foot space includes 13 machines and a large cutting table, enough equipment to complete, as Lurtz describes it, �small-run production of a clothing line.�

Lurtz, Lapinski, their business partner and one other employee staff Motor City Sewing, and are currently hard at work producing the next Wound line, comprised of 64 jackets, 64 pairs of pants and 32 shirts each of two styles. While still learning what the shop�s capacity is, Lurtz estimates that a small line such as Wound can be turned around in 4-6 weeks, �standard production time� for the industry, she says.

Services available to other designers from Motor City Sewing include pattern drafting, sample sewing, cutting, fabric and material sourcing and grading. Lurtz and Lapinski also offer consulting services to other designers to help get a idea off the ground and into production.

Lurtz says she and Lapinski were inspired to open Motor City Sewing after realizing there was a void in the market of a boutique-style quality clothing manufacturing facility in the Midwest region. She is proud that the care tags sewn in to each garment produced at Motor City sewing will read, �Made in Detroit, USA.�

Upcoming events at Motor City Sewing include a Sunday brunch open house on March 11 and a Wound launch party on March 30 followed by a trunk sale of the line on March 31.

Source: Sarah Lurtz, Motor City Sewing and Wound Menswear

City Council task force recommends recycling implementation by 2009

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Detroit City Council�s Solid Waste Recycling/Environmental Waste Task Force has released a plan recommending termination of the use of the incinerator by 2009, at which time the city�s debt obligation to the Greater Detroit Recourse Recovery Authority will be fulfilled.

The task force presents several reasons for the city to stop utilizing the incinerator that include:

Cost. Detroit is paying an average of $150/ton for its garbage to be incinerated while other cities are paying much less.

Jobs. Recycling creates more local jobs than incineration or landfill. The task force estimates that more than 1,000 jobs can be created by implementing a recycling program with a 50% participation rate.

Health. Toxic emissions from the incinerator can lead to an increased rates in asthma and cancer.

Energy. Energy produced by the incinerator is not clean, renewable nor cost effective.

The plan ultimately recommends curbside recycling, encouragement of composting, an education campaign and incentives for waste reduction.

A copy of the plan can be downloaded from the Ecology Center�s website.

Source: Solid Waste Recycling/Environmental Waste Task Force Future Solid Waste Plan

$400,000 awarded to arts community to establish Cultural Alliance of SE Michigan

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

The Cultural Alliance of SE Michigan has received $400,000 in start-up funding from the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan along with the McGregor Fund and the Hudson-Webber Foundation. The Alliance will work to increase collaborations between and visibility of arts and cultural organizations in the seven-county SEMCOG region.

The Cultural Alliance will represent the arts and culture community in regional planning efforts and will market the programs and amenities of member organizations to a diverse group of audiences.

The chairman of the Cultural Alliance�s board will be Steven K. Hamp, former president of The Henry Ford and Chief of Staff of Ford Motor Co. �The Cultural Alliance represents a new era for the arts and culture in our region,� he said in a release. �It embraces all dimensions of the cultural community: performing arts, visual arts, history and historic preservation, community cultural activities, arts education, science and nature, libraries and literature. Our goal is to foster innovation and creativity and enable our many and diverse cultural resources to contribute more dynamically to the people and communities of southeastern Michigan.�

All participating parties stress the Alliance�s inclusiveness, as organizations both big and small, fledgling and established, will have access to the collective�s resources and expertise.

More than 60 organizations from across all seven counties participated in an 18-month planning process to develop the Cultural Alliance, and several hundred will be invited to participate.

Source: CFSEM

More options offered for recycling in Detroit

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Recycle Here!, a joint venture between recy-clean, recycleDetroit, Capitol Waste and Detroit City Recycling has begun offering twice-weekly recycling at their drop-off site on Holden south of West Grand Boulevard. The Recycle Here! facility has replaced the previous city site located at Chene-Ferry.

Over 175 cars dropped off their recyclables at the Recyle Here!'s first Saturday of operation, Jan. 6.

The collaborative has also been contracted by the city to develop a long-term recycling plan for the city that recy-clean�s Matt Naimi believes will ultimately consist of a mix of �drop-off centers, buy-back programs (in apartment buildings and other high-density users) and curbside.� Furthermore, Recycle Here! will begin operating monthly mobile drop-off sites in each quadrant of the city beginning in June.

RecycleDetroit and recy-clean have already been working with neighborhood-operated monthly recycling ventures like those in Rosedale Park, Corktown and Midtown. They also do pick-ups at schools and universities (CCS and WSU), businesses and loft buildings, but this contract with the city will allow them to expand the educational component of their work, helping them reach more schools and small businesses that may not be aware how affordable and easy recycling can be.

Both Naimi and Kubik see nothing but growth in the Detroit recycling industry and have learned first-hand, by joining forces in 2005, the power of collaboration. �In 15 months, we created a service that has been needed for 20 years,� says Naimi.

Kubik points out that Recycle Here! is wholly Detroit resident-owned and -operated, and says that they are all committed to �creating a local economy that uses local services.�

Recyclables will be accepted at 1331 Holden, recy-clean�s headquarters, Wednesdays from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Information on what will be accepted can be found here.

Source: Sarah Kubik, Recycle Detroit and Matt Naimi, recy-clean

Photograph by Dave Krieger

NextEnergy offers biofuel incentives to gas stations

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

NextEnergy has received a $150,000 Biofuels Infrastructure Incentive Grant from the State of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth � Energy Office. The agency will be awarding grants to gas stations for new or converted delivery systems of E85 or B20 fuel.

Funding is available at three levels, none to exceed 50% of total project cost. The incentive for the installation of a new E85�85% ethanol�pump cannot exceed $12,000, and for a new B20�20% biofuel�pump, the incentive cannot exceed $4,000. The conversion of an existing pump to either fuel blend can net an incentive of up to $3,000. NextEnergy�s Dan Radomski says that because ethanol is an alcohol, many components of E85 pumps must be made out of non-corrosive metals such as stainless steel, hence their higher installation cost.

Criteria for selection include distance from other biofuel stations, proximity to interstate highways, established fleet relationships and promotion plan. Grant applications are due December 15, 2006. More information can be found at NextEnergy�s web site.

Source: Dan Radomski, NextEnergy
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Six civic groups come together as 'One D' to seek regional solutions

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

The leaders of six regional organizations have announced a new collaboration, called One D, that aims to address pressing issues in Southeast Michigan.

The heads of United Way for Southeastern Michigan, the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan, the Detroit Regional Chamber, New Detroit and Detroit Renaissance said Tuesday morning that they will work together to focus on:
• Economic prosperity;
• Educational preparedness;
• Regional transit;
• Race relations;
• Regional cooperation;
• And quality of life.

No government agency specifically was represented among the six leaders of the alliance, but Michael Brennan, CEO of the regional United Way, said the group's make-up is significant because private sector leadership plays an important role in growing and uniting the region. "There is no mayor of Southeast Michigan, no county executive of Southeast Michigan," he said. On the other hand, the groups say their boards represent more than 250 local businesses, as well as countless nonprofits, community agencies and cultural groups.

One D member Shirely Stancato, CEO and president of New Detroit, said the group would present a specific agenda that includes a report card for the region at the chamber's Mackinac Conference in late May next year.

Brennan said that it's imperative to work together and show a united front for working regionally. During interviews for a recent United Way survey, respondents were asked to name a regional organization affecting change. "More often than ot we got a long pause," he said. The One D coalition hopes to fill that void, he said.

Residents can learn more about the One D project during a special 30-minute broadcast on local PBS station WTVS (Channel 56) at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20.

Writer: Clare Pfeiffer Ramsey
Source: One D

Preservationists sign on to unified vision

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

The Greater Detroit Historic Preservation Coalition ratified a "Vision for Detroit" document on October 17. The GDHPC is comprised of more than twenty organizations that believe that preserving Detroit's built environment is integral to its overall redevelopment. Member organizations include Preservation Wayne, Cityscape Detroit, Detroit Synergy and Riverfront East Alliance.

Francis Grunow, Preservation Wayne's executive director, credits the National Trust for Historic Preservation for bringing the organizations together in the wake of the demolition of the Madison and Lenox buildings. He says, "This coalition-building process with the National Trust over the last year has the been the catalyst for bringing the Detroit preservation community together."

The Vision document states the coalition's commitment to preservation and explains it reasons for this commitment, which include: job creation, tourism, return on investment, the city's identity and social justice.

For more information, contact Preservation Wayne.

Source: Francis Grunow, Preservation Wayne

Java Exchange set to open in TechTown this week

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

The Java Exchange Cafe will open to the public this week inside TechOne at 440 E. Burroughs. Proprieter Ramone Crowe will be serving coffee drinks as well as soups, salads, sandwiches and snacks.

Crowe is also committed to financial literacy, so he has established a partnership with Edward Jones Brokerage to present seminars twice monthly and the coffee shop will be broadcasting Bloomberg and MSNBC all day. Java Exchange will also host poetry every Friday evening.

Java Exchange will be open Monday - Thursday 7 a.m. - 8 p.m., Fridays 7 a.m. - midnight and on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. The cafe is a wi-fi hotspot.

Five Detroit projects awarded 21st Century Jobs Funds

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

The state of Michigan awarded 61 projects a total of $100 million in its first round of the 21st Century Jobs Fund; five of the projects, totaling almost $6 million, are being undertaken by Detroit entities.

The jobs fund was designed to stimulate the state's economy by creating jobs in the targeted sectors of life sciences, alternative energy, advanced materials and manufacturing and homeland security. The Detroit awardees include:

The Karmanos Cancer Institute - $1,596,728 towards breast cancer diagnosis research and $2,606,786 towards improvements in patient care and monitoring.
TechTown - $776,676 for the creation of a comprehensive economic development plan for the state.
Wayne State University - $700,841 for advanced materials research and $302,761 for reseach in tool fabrication.

Together, these five projects are expected to create 445 new jobs.

Source: Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Detroit Orientation Institute to offer fall program

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Detroit Orientation Institute's fall session is set for three Tuesdays in October, and only a few spots remain available according to director Ann Slawnik. The session is intended to help attendees discover Detroit � whether they are recent transplants or lifers in need of a fresh lens.

A few notable aspects of the upcoming session include a session on Detroit's automotive history at the T-Plex Model T Automobile Heritage Complex; a tour of the city's Westside from WUOM news anchor Jerome Vaughn; and one of the Eastside from University of Michigan's Eric Dueweke. Channel 7's Chuck Stokes is slated to moderate the political panel.

The DOI also features a walking tour of downtown, a backstage tour of the Opera House, a panel on arts and culture and a visit to FocusHope.

To register, contact Slawnik at 313.577.0171 or visit www.doi.wayne.edu.

Wayne County to host Nuisance Abatement Seminar

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Wayne County's Nuisance Abatement Program, which can be utilized as a tool for community groups and individuals to deal with vacant and dangerous structures in their neighborhoods, will be explained at the "RAP with NAP" seminar and reception at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21.

"A lot of community groups call our office because they have problems with abandoned properties in their neighborhoods. Sometime we can do a wonderful job, sometimes we can't because [the property is] beyond our scope," says Wayne County's Mike Russell. "We will explain what the NAP program can do, what we cannot, and then give alternative resources to address the issue."

If a property is ultimately deemed a nuisance by the county, the first priority is to work with the owner to rehab the property or sell it to someone that can. "The court awards title to the county as a last resort," Russell notes. At that time, NAP places the property on its Web site in hopes of finding a new owner.

Russell hopes to see "developers, community activist groups and financers together in a nice atmosphere." The seminar will be at the Wayne County Building, 600 Randolph, in the Atrium.

For more information contact Mike Russell at 313.967.2203 or mrussell@co.wayne.mi.us.

Source: Mike Russell, Wayne County

Crain's to throw house parties at 40 Detroit homes

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Crain�s Detroit Business is hosting the Ultimate House Party at 40 private homes across the city to showcase the diverse range of housing options available in the city. The Sept. 28 invite-only event will start off with cocktails at each guest�s designated home. All guests will then converge for food, drinks and jazz at a downtown afterglow.

Crain�s publisher, Mary Kramer, says the goal of the House Party is to �introduce suburban professionals to a neighborhood experience.� Attendees will be directed to a particular house, which may be a historic home such as the former home of Henry Ford in Boston Edison, or a newer development like Shorepointe Village in Grayhaven on the riverfront.

The invitation-only event was nearly sold-out as of Monday, with at least 700 people expected to attend.

Kramer, who is a Detroit resident, says, �Many people come down to Detroit for entertainment, but far fewer get off the highway and experience a neighborhood.�

She hopes to grow the event into a weekend-long open house of properties for sale citywide.

Source: Mary Kramer, Crain�s Detroit Business

First phase of $300 million upgrades complete at Henry Ford hospital

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Henry Ford Health system has competed an upgrade of its West Grand Boulevard facility�s Emergency Department as the first phase of its five-year, $300-million investment planned for the campus.

The ER work includes a new lobby waiting area, sub-waiting rooms for family members of patients and additional patient bays, increasing capacity from 50 to 77 exam rooms.

Marco Capicchioni, vice president of real estate, facility and support services, describes the $10 million investment as integral to the hospital because �the ER is our front door. It�s where most people find their way into the hospital, so it is important that we have space to take care of them from the first moment.�

The next phase of work will start next spring and include an expansion of the Henry Ford II Pavilion, which will add two floors and a total of 160 private rooms.

Capicchioni notes that architect Albert Kahn�s original vision for the hospital called for all private rooms, �which was innovative at the time�it still is innovative.�

Aesthetic renovations have also begun in the 17-floor clinic tower, and will continue over the next four years.

Other upgrades to be started next year include:
• adding 18 beds to the Intensive Care Unit.
• adding three new operating rooms, thus allowing four of the total of 31 operating rooms to accommodate robotic surgeries.

Source: Marco F. Capicchioni, Henry Ford Health System

Tour de Troit ready to roll for 5th year of city bike ride

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

The Fifth Annual Tour de Troit is set for Saturday, Sept. 23, 2006; anyone who registers before Sept. 12 receives a free t-shirt.

Cyclists will complete the 35-mile ride at a leisurely pace of 10-12 mph, escorted by the Detroit Police Department Tactical Services Division. Sights will include downtown, Midtown, Woodbridge, New Center, Boston Edison, Arden Park, Lasalle Gardens and Southwest Detroit including W. Vernor Highway, Patton Park, Woodmere Cemetery and Clark Park. There will be a rest stop at historic Fort Wayne.

After the ride, cyclists will relax in Roosevelt Park, the start/finish point, and enjoy Slow�s Bar-B-Q, Oktoberfest Beer from Elite Brands of Detroit and music. Every rider will be entered into a raffle to win a free set of Maxxis bike tires.

The Tour de Troit is hosted by Greater Corktown Development Corp. as a fundraiser for the Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink, a series of bike and pedestrian routes intended to link the neighborhoods together and to the Detroit River.

Last year, more than 200 cyclists participated, with organizers planning for 250 this year. For more info or to register online, go to www.corktowndetroit.org.

Source: Greater Corktown Development Corp.

Nine shopping districts move ahead toward Re$tore Detroit designations

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

The Mayor�s Office of Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization (ONCR) has selected nine communities to advance to the second round toward designation as ONCR Re$tore Detroit! Districts. These communities were selected from the 17 applicants because of their organizational capacity and a demonstration of a broad base of neighborhood support, according to Marja Winters of the Planning and Development Department.

The three communities that receive final approval will receive grants of up to $600,000 over five years to strengthen their neighborhood commercial shopping district. The nine organizations still in the running will receive a $5,000 stipend to be used towards preparing their final application, which will include an economic assessment of their district and a long-term funding strategy that includes private sector investment.

The nine applicants that have moved forward include:

•   Community Planning Associate: Joy Road from Southfield to Grandmont
•   Focus: HOPE Revitalization: Davison Avenue from Dexter to Rosa Parks
•   Gratiot McDougall United CDC: Gratiot Avenue from McDougall to St. Aubin
•   Greater Corktown Development Corp.: Michigan Ave. from 6th to 20th
•   Michigan Avenue Business Association: Michigan Ave. from 53rd to Springwells
•   Prevailing CDC: W. Warren from Martin to W. Grand Blvd.
•   University Cultural Center Association: Woodward from Canfield to Temple
•   U-SNAP-BAC: E. Warren from Devonshire to Cadieux
•   Vanguard CDC/New Center Council: Woodward from Baltimore to Bethune and E. Grand Blvd. from Woodward to I-75

The evaluation and selection process will occur over the fall, with final section to be made in December.

Marja Winters, City of Detroit Planning & Development Department

Crain's 'Living in the D' guides still available

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Looking or a copy of Crain's Detroit Business' special Living and Investing in the D section but missed last week issue? The issue featured business opportunities and places to live in the city.

You can still purchase a copy from Crain's for a dollar each. Contact Crain's at
(888) 909-9111.

You can also view all the content online and download a PDF version at crainsdetroit.com.

Downtown residents' voices sought for residential market survey

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

The Lower Woodward Housing Fund is surveying downtown residents. In addition to demographic analyses, the effort will also survey downtown projects and provide an analysis of real estate trends.

The LWHF is especially looking for residents of the recently developed lofts, condos and other new housing � in the greater downtown area, from the river to New Center, including Midtown � to tell them about how they made their decision to locate downtown and what are their attitudes about the experience of living downtown.

The study is intended to establish a "baseline" understanding of how the downtown housing market is performing and will be updated periodically. It provides developers, investors and city economic development policy-makers an objective understanding of the downtown market. Results will be provided to the LWHF in September.

To take the survey, click here.

Source: Katherine Beebe & Associates

Detroit visitors bureau offers $50 gas card summer promotion

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

The Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau has created a summer city promotion offering a $50 gas card when two or more adults stay in select Detroit metro area hotels for two nights.

Carolyn Artman, media relations manager for the bureau, says it�s one of the largest city gas promotions in the country. To take advantage of the promotion, travelers to Detroit must register on the Visit Detroit website at http://www.visitdetroit.com/ and click on the free $50 gas card package.

Participants can choose from 13 select area hotels taking part in the promotion, and can customize and reserve their stay online at the Visit Detroit Web site.

�We want people to come see what Detroit has to offer,� says Artman.

Source: Carolyn Artman, Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau

Summer in the city kicks into high gear

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Get yourself out and enjoy Detroit. From the Riverfront to New Center, this is prime time to get out in the city, and there's no shortage of big events, outdoor music, festivals, picnic spots, etc.

A few ideas:

• Catch the International Freedom Festival fireworks Wednesday, June 28. Pick your favorite viewing spot (Eastern Market, Belle Isle, Hart Plaza, wherever) and pull up a lawn chair for the biggest, the best big boomers in Southeast Michigan.

• The Comerica Tastefest in New Center runs June 30-July 4. There's no better place to eat, drink, be merry, then eat some more. Plus there's a killer music lineup, too.

• Is anybody else unable to stop humming the circa 1984 "Bless You Boys" anthem? The Tigers are out of town, but catch the game in the shadow of the old stadium at Nemo's in Corktown, or in the shadow of the new one at the Hockeytown Cafe or Cheli's Chili.

• Get out to Belle Isle. Bike, swim, run, picnic, let the rugrats go on the Playscape. And there's a new Nature Zoo for the kiddies, too.

• By land or sea, listen to music on the Riverfront. Chene Park has national acts like Teena Marie and Brian McKnight. Plus GM's added a concert series in front of the Renaissance Center.

Grand Opening set for 30-unit luxury St. Regis condos in New Center

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

The St. Regis, new condominiums in New Center, will have a grand opening from 5-9 p.m. June 29.

The six-floor 30-unit luxury condos, being developed by Florida-based Bayview Financial Group, will feature 971- to 1,320-square-foot luxury condos, priced from the $200,000s.

The condos will take up half of the old Hotel St. Regis. The other half is being developed into a boutique hotel. The project has NEZ designation.

Units at the St. Regis at 3071 W. Grand Boulevard will have either one or two bedrooms with two baths, covered parking and hotel amenities available like housekeeping, valet, full-service restaurant, room service and more.

For more information, go to www.stregiscondos.com

New DET stickers show some Detroit love with Euro style

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Show some pride and Euro flair in the 'D' and display one of the new "DET" decals.

The white oval with black lettering is modeled after the stickers used in Europe to identify what country cars are from. In this country, Americans put replicas of the European stickers on their cars to identify their own European roots.

The Metro Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau has printed up 10,000 of the Detroit version, and they gave out thousands of the free stickers to kick off their Doors Open Detroit event in Campus Martius last Friday. While they last, you can request one by e-mailing DETpride@visitdetroit.com or calling 1-800-DETROIT.

"We want to blanket the community with them to show our civic pride," says Renee Monforton of the bureau.

Source: Renee Monforton, Metro Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau

Preservation Wayne celebrates 30 years of efforts, looks ahead

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Preservation Wayne is marking its 30th anniversary this week.

The nonprofit is dedicated to �promoting and protecting Detroit�s historic built environment.�

The group�s efforts aim to preserve as well as revitalize Detroit�s historic areas, promoting awareness through events, lectures and media, as well as advocating for policies and preservation-friendly development.

�We're looking to further the preservation ethic in Detroit and set the stage for efforts in Detroit for the next 30 years ... and we're looking to the community for help and input,� says Douglas McIntosh, Preservation Wayne's president.

The group offers popular walking tours of the city. The tours help introduce people to the city�s architecture, history and landmarks. For more information on Preservation Wayne, go to http://www.preservationwayne.org.

Source: Preservation Wayne

Five new townhomes going up in New Center

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Five new town houses are under construction at the I-94 Service Drive and Brush.

The Retsel Townhomes will be 1,200-square feet, with detached garages, backyard and front yard common areas, says developer Gil Opaleski of Detroit-based Platinum Building and Development. The homes will start at about $175,000 each.

Opaleski expects work to be done by September. Financing for the project was done by Sky Bank, he says.

For more information, go to http://www.platinumbldg.com/. You can also go to the sales trailer at 104 Edmund in Brush Park, another Platinum project.

Source: Gil Opaleski of Platinum Building and Development

Post-Super Bowl excitement leads to more city tours

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

The Tourism and Economic Development Council will offer tours each Saturday, May through September, due to heightened interest generated by the Super Bowl. Designed to augment Preservation Wayne�s tour schedule, the tours will begin at Campus Martius at 10:00 a.m. and will include several distinct options ranging from walking to bus to People Mover tours.

The new types of tours will be:

• People Mover Tours, which will take participants around the People Mover as well as into new loft developments and the Renaissance Center.

• City Living Tours are each a unique bus tour that will focus on living options in different areas of Detroit including the Riverfront, Lafayette Park, Downtown, University Commons-Palmer Park, Rosedale Park, North and South Midtown, the eastside, and New Center.

• �What�s New in the D� Tours will provide an insider�s view of recent developments downtown�including shopping, restaurants and bars, living options, and parks.

Tours range in price from free to $10. A complete schedule is available at http://www.theworldiscoming.com/tours.html.

Source: TEDC

Cityscape aims to educate Detroiters about national retailers

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Ever wonder why there isn�t a Linens �N Things in your neighborhood? Cityscape Detroit is holding a forum to help Detroiters understand what national retailers look for in deciding where to open their stores � and hopefully, �learn what Detroit can do to get more national retailers,� says Andrew Koper, senior officer of the organization.

The forum will take place Monday, May 8 at 6 p.m. Patty Formosa of MapInfo � a corporation that utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS), databases, and demographics to advise retailers and restaurants where to locate � will make a presentation tailored to the Detroit market followed by questions and answers and discussion.

The event will be held in the Bernath Auditorium of the WSU�s Adamany Library, located at 5155 Gullen Mall. Non-members are requested to make a $7.50 donation.

Through this and other events, Cityscape aims �to support the community of people in Detroit who are interested in urban planning, architecture, preservation and �the built environment,� and to attract people outside the city who are interested in urbanism�into [the] city,� according to Koper. For more information, visit www.cityscapedetroit.org.

Source: Andrew Koper, senior officer, Cityscape Detroit

Calling all urban explorers: Preservation Wayne walking tours set to begin

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Preservation Wayne�s Walking Tour season will begin on May 2, with tours happening each Saturday and Tuesday through Sept. 20. "(The tours) give people the touch and feel and taste of the city that I think people really respond to," says Preservation Wayne�s executive director Francis Grunow. "When you put a layer of history and interpretation with what people are seeing, they look with brand new eyes at what the city was, is, and can be.�

Tours of Downtown, Eastern Market, Midtown, and the Cultural Center begin each Saturday at 10 a.m. An Auto Heritage tour is given two Saturdays a month; it begins at the Model T Automotive Heritage Complex, or T-Plex, on Piquette Street. Tuesday tours are downtown-centric and focus on things like restaurants and bars, skyscrapers, architects Louis Kamper and Albert Kahn, or sculptures, fountains and public art.

Two one-off tours include a spotlight of Ferry Avenue held in conjunction with the Festival of the Arts on June 10 and 11 and the Theatre District on Aug. 12.

Saturday morning tours begin at 10 a.m. and Tuesday evening tours begin at 5:30. Click here or call (313) 577-3559 for more details.

Source: Francis Grunow, Preservation Wayne

City's second environmental forum to discuss quality of life issues

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

The City of Detroit is hosting a second Environmental Forum to identify actions that can be taken to address issues raised at the first forum held in March. The forum will be held on from 5-8 p.m., Wednesday, April 19, at the Northwest Activity Center at 18100 Meyers Road.

Air quality and illegal dumping ranked as priority issues based on analysis of the first forum. Other issues raised include recycling, water quality, abandoned buildings and lots, and green roofing.

Source: Lareina Reid, City of Detroit Department of Environmental Affairs

Hotel St. Regis' high-end condos get approved for NEZ status

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Florida-based Bayview Financial Group will transform half of the Hotel St. Regis from 105 hotel rooms into 30 large, high-end condominium units. Project Manager Kevin Jonas explains, �We got our NEZ designation, so we can now get moving forward in getting our construction underway.� Bayview hopes to see construction begin by mid-May.

The other half of the Hotel St. Regis has been purchased by Herb Strather, and will remain as a fully-operating boutique hotel. This combination of hotel and condominium will allow Bayview to offer its residents amenities that are generally associated with hotels such as housekeeping, valet, full-service restaurant, room service, sundries shop, a fitness center, private theater room, and banquet facilities. �We�re also looking to add lifestyle retailers such as a day spa and dry cleaners,� says Jonas. �We�re making this a lifestyle project�live, work, and play�and we�re trying to tie into the exciting things coming to New Center,"

The condos will range in size from 970-1,340 square feet and in price from $189,990-286,990. The project team includes BVH Architects and Global Group GMAC Real Estate, who is handling sales and marketing of the units. Jonas explains his confidence in the project by saying, �What will make our project successful is the fact that we�re offering amenities that you may not find in the marketplace.�

Source: Kevin Jonas, Bayview Financial Group and Chandra Broadnax, Director of Marketing & Sales, Global Group GMAC Real Estate

Time to sign up for next Detroit Orientation Institute

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Detroit Orientation Institute will offer a spring program on three consecutive Tuesdays, April 25, May 2 and May 9. The DOI is a Wayne State University program that is designed to give attendees a wide-reaching intensive look at Detroit�s history and current development activity, as well as its issues and challenges.

DOI Director Ann Cuddohy Slawnik promises the upcoming program will offer �something new and different.� It will include a morning session on arts and culture at the Detroit Opera House followed by a walking tour of downtown that will include a stop at 1001 Woodward, among other interesting developments. The program will also include a panel discussion on the auto industry to be held at the Model T Automotive Heritage Complex, or T-Plex, as well a bus tour of the westside led by WDET�s Jerome Vaughn.

The DOI offers programs each fall and spring and attracts people who have recently moved to the city or region as well as those who have lived here their entire lives but are interested in gaining a fresh perspective on their home. Registration is limited to 55 participants and the cost is $750. Background information, a CD-ROM, meals and transportation around the city are provided.

For more information, go to www.doi.wayne.edu or call Slawnik at 313-577-0171.

Source: Ann Cuddohy Slawnik, Detroit Orientation Institute

Greening of Detroit working to coordinate, link greenways projects

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

The Greening of Detroit, along with the city's Planning Commission and Planning and Development Department, is holding a series of events to coordinate greenways planning throughout the city.

The Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan�s Greenways Initiative has sparked "an explosion of excitement and enthusiasm for greenspaces,� says Greening of Detroit�s Ashley Atkinson. "Now a plan must be created to identify a unified vision and plan for linking greenways citywide.�

The Greening of Detroit is hosting an open house from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 14 at their office at 1418 Michigan Avenue. Any organization is invited to stop by to ensure that a copy of their greenway plan is included in the overall city inventory.

This inventory, combined with City of Detroit data, will be presented at two workshops at the Belle Isle Casino. The first, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, will present a preliminary greenways map. At this time, the public will be invited to identify missing projects and share ideas for future greenways.

The second workshop from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, is intended to allow city officials and other key stakeholders an opportunity to review and discuss the preliminary map.

Greenways currently being planned or under development in Detroit include the Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink, Southwest Detroit-East Dearborn Greenway, Midtown Loop, Dequindre Cut, Hamtramck Trail, the Lyndon Greenway Project in Northwest Detroit, Conner Creek Greenway, and the Electric Avenue Greenway in Southwest Detroit.

Source: Ashley Atkinson, Greening of Detroit

Coffeehouse to join Tech Town tenants

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Entrepreneur Ramone Crowe is opening a coffee house inside TechTown�s Tech One building, located at 440 Burroughs at Cass. Construction is set to begin on the Java Exchange the first week of March, with Crowe anticipating a grand opening in April. The cafe will feature coffee drinks, hot and cold sandwiches, veggie wraps, free wireless Internet and three desktop workstations.

TechTown, 12 city blocks bounded on the north by the Grand Trunk railroad, on the south by I-94, on the west by the Lodge Freeway and on the east by Woodward Avenue, is a high-tech business incubator. The research and technology park recently announced that five new tenants have signed leases in addition to Java Exchange, bringing the total number of resident companies to 21.

Crowe decided to relocate his business, the Wall Street Cafe on East Jefferson, because he liked how �the environment in TechTown is nurturing for start-up businesses."

"I like the incubator concept," he says. "I also like the demographics in the area: young, old, students, corporate�a mix of various fields. That kind of diversity will drive my business.�

The 1,600 square-feet space also boasts 133 free parking spots � part of the Techtown package. �My guests won�t have to fear the meter maid!� he says. The Java Exchange will be open Monday � Saturday 7:00 a.m. � midnight.

Source: Ramone Crowe, Java Exchange

Historic hardware store in New Center gets all spruced up

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Detroit Hardware, on Woodward between Milwaukee and Baltimore, is attracting a lot more attention these days because of a complete fa�ade renovation.

Historic transom windows and decorative brick have been exposed as part of the overhaul, which also included tuck-pointing and painting of the brick, new windows, signage, and exterior lighting, as well as roll-down mesh grates. �The last step was the awnings,� says Emily Webster, whose family co-owns the store. �We started working on it in fall of 2005 and the awnings went up just a couple of weeks ago.�

The store owners had planned to do some minor fa�ade work, �probably just siding, the least-expensive route,� Webster says, until New Center Council stepped in. Webster credits their matching grant as the key to the quality of the finished product. Furthermore, New Center Council brought BVH Architecture to the table, and also connected the owners to qualified contractors. �We couldn�t have done it without them,� she says.

Now that the work is complete, Webster says she�s getting more foot traffic. �Lots of new people are coming in; they noticed the scaffolding, the workers. Now they notice the store.� Detroit Hardware is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday.

Source: Emily Webster, Detroit Hardware

Grand City Grille to bring new spot for casual dining to New Center

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Southern Hospitality Restaurant Group partners Frank Taylor, Robert Porcher III and Jerry Nottage are adding to their portfolio of upscale restaurants in Detroit. The Grand City Grille at the corner of West Grand Boulevard and Second in the first floor of the Fisher Building is set to open on Jan. 21. �The market is good (for restaurants) in New Center, we wanted to help fill the void,� Taylor says.

The Grand City Grille will offer casual, American dining in an upscale atmosphere. �This is our first casual dining restaurant that caters more to families, it�s a casual grill,� says Taylor on the difference between the Grand City Grille and his other restaurants.

Much of the d�cor takes on the tradition of the Fisher Building, incorporating many of the original elements of the Albert Kahn-designed building and folding them into a modern, comfortable setting. Decorated in shades of copper, taupe, brown, gold and touches of blue, the space is designed to be classic in the front and have more of a pop culture effect in the back. A stone backdrop greets guests who enter from the Fisher Bldg entrance, which is repeated on the 16-foot wall adjacent to the floor-to-ceiling wine display. Interior columns will feature 44-inch torchiere lamps and anchor the original Art Deco-ceiling.

Grand City Grille chef Jerry Nottage�s menu features items like Asian tuna salad with �micro� greens, tatsoi, sprouts, daikon, enoki mushrooms and spicy peanut dressing, and shrimp grilled cheese served with tomato soup for dunking. Heartier entrees range from filet mignon to babyback ribs.

The Grand City Grille will be open seven days a week for lunch, dinner and cocktails. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Source: Frank Taylor, Chairman and ceo of the Southern Hospitality Restaurant Group; Jacqueline Harrington, Marx Layne, PR group for Grand City Grille

Calif. developer set to start work on 750,000 sq. ft. Argonaut Bldg. in New Center

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Orton Development, the California-based firm that acquired the Argonaut building from General Motors last year, says it plans to start construction in early spring on its redevelopment of the Albert Kahn-designed building.

The building on Milwaukee east of Second in the New Center Area was formerly GM�s home for research and development. Orton specializes in adaptive reuse of corporate owned real estate.

Construction should take about three years, and reservations for the about 250 residential units should start in early 2006. The project is still in the beginning phases, and the company has done limited exploration of the building for design purposes.

The 750,000-sqaure-foot, 11-story structure will be developed into residential, office and retail space � with 125,000 square feet available for office and retail and 1,000 secured parking spaces in an adjacent structure.

Orton has also obtained the required zoning to allow for live-work spaces in the building.

Residential units will have creative designs and open spaces with a true loft feel. �We are using a build-to-suit scenario for the Argonaut,� says Gregg Herbert, CEO of Orton Development. �There are various plans for the same unit.�

Herbert says the Argonaut will stand out. �We are not coming into Detroit and replicating what is being done, we have a clearly different market and brand. We bring in experience of other projects around the country.�

Orton will be investing approximately $67 million to complete the project. They have also been approved for a brownfield Single Business tax credit valued at $5.6 million from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and other financial incentives from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority. Orton praises the overwhelming support they have received from the New Center Council, University Cultural Center Association, and the Mayor�s Office on this project.

Source: Gregg Herbert, C.E.O. of Orton Development

93-unit loft development in New Amsterdam Historic District to create 24x7 scene

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

New Center Council Inc. and Jonna Cos. have teamed up to redevelop two vacant buildings into mixed-use residential units.

Two phases of residential loft conversions are under way in the New Amsterdam Historic District, located in New Center. Phase one of the Lofts at New Amsterdam is the renovation of the 41 Burroughs building into 40 lofts. Phase two, located at 6200 Second Ave., will house 53 units. The bottom floor of each building has a commercial concept planned.

The New Amsterdam Historic District was created as part of the New Center Council Inc.�s larger plan to transform an underutilized area of New Center into a true 24 hour, walkable, high density, mixed-use community and spur developments to connect the core of New Center�s business district with Wayne State University.

�The Lofts at New Amsterdam will help bridge New Center and Wayne State University, linking the two daytime populations and serve as a catalyst to attract new investment in the area,� says Karen Gage, director of planning and development at New Center Council Inc.

In addition to new housing, the New Amsterdam Historic District is home to Wayne State University�s TechTown, an incubation center for research and development companies.

At the end of September, phase one of the Lofts at New Amsterdam started interior demolition, and is planned to be finished by spring 2006. Phase two of the project is completing environmental remediation should be finished by mid next year. All units will be leased for the first five years and then converted to condos.

For more information visit www.jonna-detroitlofts.com/d_lofts.html

Source: Karen Gage, director of planning and development for New Center Council Inc.

New Center gym expands its hours

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

The increased interest in living in the city has been a boon for a New Center gym.

Bill Soens, general manager of FitnessWorks, at 6525 Second Ave., says that over the years they have been attracting a larger clientele of people working and living in the city, encouraging them to expand their hours.

Originally closed on Sundays, they will now be open from noon to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Source: Bill Soens, general manager

NextEnergy Center brings alternative fuels R&D to TechTown

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Alternative fuel R&D firm NextEnergy recently opened its new facility in TechTown, located on Burroughs just west of Cass.

NextEnergy aims to position both Detroit and Michigan at the focal point of the emerging alternative energy industry. The nonprofit corporation was founded to advance the alternative energy technology industry in Michigan by promoting and funding R&D projects and technology commercialization.

�NextEnergy seeks to lead the nation in achieving economic security through energy diversity by bringing to commercialization a variety of alternative energy sources that, together, can make drastic reductions in our nation�s dependence on fossil fuels, including imported petroleum,� said James Croce, CEO of NextEnergy, at the opening ceremony Sept. 29.

In addition to R&D activities, NextEnergy supports alternative fuel infrastructure and development programs for hydrogen, natural gas, bio/synthetic-fuel development platforms and programs for vehicular, on-site and portable power.

NextEnergy Center is a 45,000-square-foot business and technology facility outfitted to manage alternative energy initiatives including R&D, commercialization and educational programs. The Center houses an 18,400-square-foot accelerator laboratory with eight distinct R&D labs; an 80-seat auditorium; state-of-the-art training rooms; and demonstration and exhibit space. Currently, all eight labs have been occupied, with many of the companies from out of state, helping to bring in new talent to the city.

Source: Judith McNeeley, Director of External Relations, NextEnergy
Patricia Radice, Airfoil Public Relations

Walkability expert strolls through Midtown, New Center and points out progress

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

MDOT funded a walkability audit in Midtown and New Center this month.
Dan Burden, senior urban designer with Glatting Jackson, led several Detroit enthusiasts on a walking assessment of the two neighborhoods on Sept. 22. A walkability audit is a physical walk-through of your community where you assess the different attributes of your community from a walker�s point of view. Throughout the tour Dan pointed out several walkable areas and well-planned developments in the two neighborhoods. Here are some highlights:

� He found the new infill to be very impressive, especially on Ferry St. Additionally, the new residential structures that were building built, although new, still captured the historic nature of the area. With the first floor elevated, pedestrians are unable to see through the windows and into people homes. Dan noted that these communities were doing a better job of building housing than many around the country.

� He also complimented the development of Peck Park where the fronts of homes where facing the park area. By doing this the area is able to achieve a greater sense of community.

� He loved the Josephine F. Ford Sculpture Garden at the College for Creative Studies. Communities need green, attractive places such as this to encourage pedestrians to walk through their space.

� Another interesting location Dan pointed out was the �bump-out� at the corner of John R and Warren in front of the Science Center. A bump-out is where the sidewalk is extended forward at an intersection, moving the edge of the walk out to the line set by the row of parked cars. This improves safety for pedestrians by allowing them to cross the street where they are not hidden by the parked cars along the curb.

� And he praised both communities on the work they have done and the positive direction they are moving in.

Source: Annmarie Borucki, grant manager, UCCA

Research Lofts creating 38 units in historic Crescent Brass & Pin Co. Building

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Research Lofts is restoring the Crescent Brass & Pin Co. Building � a building listed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places � into loft units.

The 44,000-square-foot building at 5766 Trumbell Ave., near the New Center Area and Woodbridge neighborhood, will be divided into 38 loft units. Loft sizes range from 750 to1,300 square feet, at an asking price of $175 per square foot. This price will increase by $10 for every 10 units sold. Thirty percent of the lofts sold in the first six weeks with only word-of-mouth advertising, the developers say.

The developers worked to restore the natural materials of the building, including the original brick, wood, concrete and overhead ducts. New windows were installed to help keep heating and cooling costs down, with ceilings up to 14-feet-high. The doughnut-shaped building has an interior courtyard, and some units have private rooftop decks to enjoy the views of the Fisher Building and Downtown.

LaSalle bank is working with the development team to provide an end-purchase program where a $4,000 allowance will be awarded to each purchaser, on top of a reduced mortgage percentage.

Source: Chadd Fox, Development Team Leader, Research Lofts

Model D To Offer Tours

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Model D is organizing guided tours of places to live and neighborhoods in Detroit.

We will be providing transportation, walking tours and of course local guides that know the neighborhoods because they live and work there.

If you have been considering moving to or investing in Detroit please sign up and we will contact you with dates.

Sign up Here

More businesses and entrepreneurs move into TechTown

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

TechTown, a neighborhood encompassing 12 city blocks, is bounded on the north by the Grand Trunk railroad, on the south by I-94, on the west by the Lodge Freeway and on the east by Woodward Avenue. Comprised of office buildings, a school, a museum, residential developments, and retail space, TechTown also houses NextEnergy, a 45,000-square-foot non-profit facility involved in alternative fuel research.

Within TechTown is TechOne, an incubator facility with over 100,000 square feet of rentable space on five floors. Currently, the first and fifth floors are renovated and �a total of 17 companies with over 99 employees are already renting that space,� said Howard Bell, the executive director at TechTown. Model D also leases office space at TechOne.

The forth floor is in the process of being redeveloped next, and already �one company has committed to renting a third of that space, while another Russian-based company has expressed the desire to rent the rest of the 10,000-square-foot space,� Bell said. This will generate another 80 high tech jobs, he said.

�It is hard to put a value to the presence of entrepreneurs and high-tech, well-paid professionals that have moved to Detroit and are working here every day,� Bell said. �These people work here, live here, shop here, and help create a better, stronger economy. They also help create several ancillary jobs, while creating a demand for more retailers, dry cleaners, restaurants and grocery stores to expand or open their businesses here.�

- Source: Howard Bell, executive director, TechTown.

Federal Grant to help clean up neighborhoods and plant vegetation

Friday, August 12, 2005

Environmental Protection Agency approved a grant for the cleaning and greening of Detroit. Community groups, along with the Greening of Detroit, will create maps of areas in their neighborhoods that need to be cleaned up and planted with vegetation.

- Source - Detroit Free Press

Detroit-Ann Arbor rail plan gets $100 million look

Thursday, August 11, 2005

A $100 million federal allocation will enable design and plans for a mass transit system to connect Michigan�s two premier cities: Detroit and Ann Arbor.

Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) officials this fall "will present options for light rail, rapid bus and commuter rail lines to local leaders in the Ann Arbor-Detroit corridor. Local support is critical because the federal grant requires a local match of at least $20 million," says The Detroit News.

- Source: Read the entire article at The Detroit News

U-M to offer a new certificate program in real estate development

Monday, August 08, 2005

The University of Michigan this year will offer a new certificate program in real estate development that focuses on building well-designed, livable and sustainable communities with a high quality of life.

The program will enroll graduate students in a curriculum that focuses on development and redevelopment of economically, environmentally and socially sustainable places. The certificate program gives graduate students in professional programs, such as urban planning, business, architecture and law, the opportunity to take a range of courses that deepen their skills and qualifications in real estate development and related fields.

With a national advisory board of industry leaders, it aims to strengthen the curriculum in real estate development and ultimately enhance the knowledge base underlying this interdisciplinary field.

- Source: University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning website

New garden will stimulate the senses of touch, smell

Sunday, August 07, 2005

The Greater Detroit Agency, a nonprofit organization, recently received a grant for facade improvements to help clean up the business district in northwest Detroit. While sprucing up the office exterior, the Greater Detroit Agency and the Greening of Detroit decided to team up to lay the foundation of a new sensory garden.

By incorporating pussywillow and roses, the sensory garden will help the blind and visually impaired challenge their senses of touch and smell.

The garden is likely to be completed by next year.

- Source: The Detroit News

Hilton Head buys portfolio of over 400 homes in Detroit

Friday, August 05, 2005

Hilton Head Properties Inc., a Houston-based real estate investment company, has bought more than 400 residential properties in Detroit from the Detroit Neighborhood Development Corp.

With most of the properties, scattered across the city, Hilton Head Properties Inc. plans to revitalize these homes and resell them.

- Source: San Antonio Business Journal

Day trips in the D

Monday, July 25, 2005

The World is Coming-Get in the Game, a public information campaign aimed at metro Detroiters, wants folks to experience the new Detroit and talk to visitors and friends in a new way. Planned Day Trips around �new developments, polished up Riverfront and renovated city landmarks and skyscrapers� give a sample of what the city and the suburbs now have to offer.

�Get Informed, Experience it, Get Involved, Spread the word and see the changes,� says the site because �we have the ability to change the conversation about Detroit, how we talk about ourselves and the pride we feel. It all begins with us. When you�re on a plane, at a restaurant, out with your friends -- spread the word about all the positive things that are happening in Detroit�.

Click here to get detailed tour information and other fun facts about the D

- Source: Information gathered from The World is Coming-Get in the Game site

Four Cool Cities Grants Awarded to Detroit Neighborhoods

Monday, June 27, 2005

Cool Cities Grants were announced today and four exciting projects located in Detroit were among the winners.

One of the recipients, the Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corporation, plans to develop an arts-focused incubator which includes live-work housing, retail space and examples of public art. Their mission aims at providing an anchor for the Woodbridge neighborhood, supporting and promoting self-sustaining artists and preserving architectural history. The three art-focused incubators will provide space for micro-enterprise virtual companies in fashion, film and furniture design. The 4731 project is located on Grand River Avenue, immediately north of Corktown. Nine building facade improvements, some of the buildings historic, are also included.

New Center Council, Inc. was awarded a grant for their New Center Council Facilities Project. Located across from the Fisher Building at Southwest Grand and Second Avenue, the project will provide a new cultural amenity and community meeting place for the emerging residential core. Along with cultural programming, improvements include; a permanent stage canopy that converts to a movie screen, a new sound system and a three season concession. Also planned are restrooms, perimeter fencing and a security system.

Another exciting project awarded funding is the Greater Corktown Development Corporation's Workers Row House Experience. Located in southwest Detroit just south of the old Tiger Stadium, the 1850's three unit row houses will be restored to their original appearance. Marking the history of nineteenth-century worker's history, one unit will used as a museum and the other units will be satellite offices for the Greater Corktown Development Corporation so that they can continue neighborhood outreach efforts. The house will serve as the staging area for the Annual Corktown Home and Garden Tour, as well as, a place to learn more about this historic neighborhood.

The fourth project to receive a Cool Cities Grant is the Woodward Willis Mixed-Use Development in Midtown. This mixed-use, mixed-income development is the vision of the University Cultural Center Association. Three currently vacant parcels of land on the northeast corner of Woodward Avenue and West Willis is the future home of industrial warehouses reminiscent of designs by Albert Kahn. This development will include commercial space on the first floor and high quality loft-style condominiums on the floors above. Two of the condominiums will be priced for lower income individuals or families.

740 Major Projects in last 12 months

Tom Greenwood / The Detroit News Friday, May 20, 2005

"Development report shows 740 major real estate projects in city during last 2 months." Read more

- Source: The Detroit News

New Center : Detroit Development News