Author

Jon Zemke

Jon Zemke is a news editor with Model D and its sister publications, Metromode and Concentrate. He's also a small-scale real-estate developer and landlord in the greater downtown Detroit area.

Jon Zemke's Latest Articles

Prime mover: Paxahau’s Jason Huvaere on Detroit techno, the business and the brand

Movement, Detroit's massive electronic music festival, fires up this weekend at Hart Plaza. Model D's Jon Zemke talks to the man whose promotions and production team has been helping sustain the techno nation since the 1990s.

Entrepreneurial D: We sit down with Greektown and Russell Industrial developer Dennis Kefallinos

Greek immigrant Dennis Kefallinos came Detroit as a 15-year-old in the 1960s and made the American Dream come true for himself and his family. He began developing in Greektown and pushed his vision north to the Russell Industrial Center, where Model D's Jon Zemke caught up with him for this live one-on-one chat.

The Young & Entrepreneurial: Q&A with Elevator Building developer Randy Lewarchik

Developer Randy Lewarchik is turning the century-old Elevator Building near Detroit's Riverfront into a new economy hub. He talks with Model D about the project, promoting entrepreneurship, and being part of the Detroit village.

Fast Company: Paxahau’s Jason Huvaere Dishes as Movement Gets Things Shakin’ Downtown

Jason Huvaere made his passion -- electronic music -- his business. This weekend, the techo entrepreneur and head of Paxahau Event Productions will watch throngs of fellow fans dance and revel at the Movement festival in Hart Plaza. We catch up with him for a few fast questions.

Up from the Ashes: Tracking the Forest Arms Restoration in Midtown

It might give developer Scott Lowell a big ulcer, but all the moving parts are starting to come together to make the planned Forest Arms rehab a reality.

Preservation Possible: Expanded Historic Tax Credits Help Save Forest Arms

New law allows developers to stack both state and federal tax credits so they add up to 40 percent of the project's total cost, creating a huge potential impact on stimulating redevelopment of city's historic building stock.

Full Steam Ahead: City Advocate, Quicken Exec Talks Streetcars Along Woodward

Matt Cullen was instrumental in getting the RiverWalk done, and now the Quicken Loans exec is helping to usher in the Woodward streetcar project. But does he think Detroiters will really buy into mass transit?

Detroiters Want to Recycle Here

The nonprofit Recycle Here! center is slammed with Detroiters unloading their unwanted paper, plastic and glass, but soon many Detroiters will have a curbside option, too. Green could be very "in" in Detroit in '09. 

Russell Bazaar Puts Small-Biz Success in a Big, Big Place

Buzz, buzz, buzz. Detroit's Russell Industrial is a hive of activity, and now even more so. The new Russell Bazaar, an eclectic market of independent artists and unique retailers, is set to open this weekend, doubling the number of tenants in this former industrial complex.

Why This Old House Matters to Detroit

Saving historic structures isn't just good for the soul, it makes economic sense, too. From historic homes like this 1859 ribbon-farm house to grand downtown buildings, we look at why these old places matter.

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