Development News

The village of Dexter has a walkability score of 66 out of 100, according to Walkscore.com. But with the completion of another segment on the county-spanning Border to Border Trail, that score may rise.  

Construction on the remaining portion of the first phase of the 1.42-mile River Terrace Trail, a segment of the Border-to-BorderTrail that connects downtown Dexter with Dexter-Huron Metropark, is to commence in September and should be finished up later this fall, says Coy Vaughn, deputy director of the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission.

This stretch includes another 650 linear feet of boardwalk and 235 feet of paved trail. An additional 3,195-foot length of trail base will be laid, with plans to pave it as part of the second phase next spring. The county is also working to obtain an easement from Norfolk Southern Railroad to install the last 1,400-foot length to run up to Central Street.

And another three-mile asphalt and boardwalk segment running north from Dexter to existing trail in Hudson Mills Metropark is now going out for bids, and should be finished by late summer of 2013, according to Vaughn. "When this is completed, from downtown Dexter, you'll be able to take a 12-mile roundtrip bike ride through the metro parks and stay all on off-road trails."

Once that section is laid, over 20 miles out of 35 Border-to-Border Trail miles will be complete, Vaughn says. "We're just getting over the halfway mark, but we're piecing it together and it's one of our priority projects. It's having a lot of impact on the communities along the Huron River."

Source: Coy Vaughn, deputy director, Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

The village of Dexter has a new face on the waterfront after the official opening of Mill Creek Park during the Dexter Daze festival last weekend.

The $1.24 million, 2.15-acre downtown park has an amphitheater, a pair of boat launches, observation and fishing decks, plazas, and a quarter-mile pathway bridging Mill Creek around the park's perimeter. Workers are completing the stairway from the park to the library and farmers market and installing more railing on the boardwalk.

"I think that the benefit to the community with respect to creating a destination in our downtown is going to have a huge economic impact, both with residential development and people visiting our community," says Allison Bishop, Dexter's community development director.

Included in the village's master plan is Mill Creek Park Phase 2, a trail segment connecting the park south to Shield Road, but the need for more grant funding and collaboration with local schools will probably push that project out for another five years, Bishop says.

Source: Allison Bishop, community development director, village of Dexter
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

By this winter, moto-tourists, businesspeople, and commoners alike may find themselves in Ypsi once new wayfinding signage has been installed at the city's gateways off of I-94. Together with the city of Ypsilanti, its downtown development authority, and the Eastern Leaders group, the Ypsilanti Convention and Visitors Bureau (YCAVB) is spearheading a new wayfinding signage project.

"It's not unusual these days for [convention and visitors] bureaus to get a little bit involved in community development, especially communities that are a little strapped for cash, like Ypsi is," says Debbie Locke-Daniels, the bureau's president.

The top priority is the installation of directional signs at the Huron Street and Michigan Avenue exits off of I-94, pointing the way to the city's downtown and Depot Town districts and Eastern Michigan University, among other possibilities. Those signs could be in place by year-end, with others to follow over the course of a multi-year project, Locke-Daniels says, adding: "My goal, over three years, is to see an overall cohesive look that has a feeling about it," perhaps in concert with a branding effort the YCAVB is kicking off next year.

Fact finding is now in progress: The bureau has hired a project intern, is viewing examples of signage from other communities, obtaining cost estimates, and plans to solicit three bids.

In the meantime, EMU's design department is working on pole banners to be hung throughout Depot Town, downtown, and Cross Street. Locke-Daniels says they will be installed by September.

Source:  Debbie Locke-Daniels, president of the Ypsilanti Convention and Visitors Bureau
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems is augmenting its 45-plus year lifespan in Ann Arbor with a new $4.9 million capital investment project. With the help of Ann Arbor SPARK, Terumo CVS, a maker and global exporter of heart and lung machines and other devices used in cardiac surgery, has secured a tax abatement from Scio Township of up to 12 years for the project.

Included in the investment are a manufacturing execution system to automate the collection and reporting of manufacturing and quality data in real time, an expanded and improved recycling center, the deployment of compact florescent lighting technology on an industrial scale, a new service training room, and a new HVAC system for the chemistry lab, according to Barbara Schmid, the company's communications director.

The 600-employee firm purchased over $20 million worth of products and services from Michigan-based suppliers last year, according to Schmid.

"The improvements are making possible continued business expansion and investment," Schmid says. We are still hiring...We have about 30 open positions right now."

Schmid says the project is expected to be complete by April of 2013.

Source:  Barbara Schmid, corporate communications director, Terumo CVS
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Nearly two weeks after its debut, Jon Carlson, co-owner of mash, has found the new whiskey, bourbon, and beer lounge meshes well with his barbecue joint upstairs.

The lounge, in the basement of the Blue Tractor barbecue restaurant and brewery at 207 E. Washington St. in Ann Arbor, replaces the cellar lounge of Café Habana, Carlson's Latin-themed restaurant and salsateca, which will be re-opening at the corner of Main and Liberty Streets the week before Labor Day.

"It does allow our kitchen to concentrate more on barbecue," Carlson says. When the kitchen was doing two styles of food, Latin and barbecue, concurrently, "it just didn't function well for us ... Mash really goes well with Blue Tractor," Carlson says. Carlson is a partner in 2 Mission, LLC, owner of mash, Blue Tractor, and Café Habana, among other restaurants.

The 150-seat-capacity lounge underwent a conversion from a salsa nightspot to a retro feel with Edison lightbulbs, vintage wallpaper, a '60s-style fireplace, and live folk music.

Mash has about 10-15 new employees, according to Carlson, with a total headcount of 90 spread between Blue Tractor and mash.

Source: Jon Carlson, owner of mash, Blue Tractor, and Café Habana
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

As the interdisciplinary field of social science research stretches into new areas, the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research (ISR) is embarking on a $29 million expansion and renovation project.

The 56,700-square-foot addition will accommodate more hires and provide data archiving capacity and biospecimen laboratory and storage space. The five-story wing equates to a one-third increase in floor space at the Thompson Street building. Another 12,800 square feet of the existing facility will be reconfigured to blend with the addition. The ISR also has a 123,632 square-foot building on Perry Street.

The above-ground floors will contain more research offices, collaborative work areas, and a meeting room for up to 220 people. Data archiving and lab space are planned for the basement level. "There's going to be the ability to hold specimens and conduct assays on the specimens that we don't currently have the capacity for," says Anna Schork, assistant director of the institute.

The project will commence in August and is estimated to be complete by the summer of 2014. It is being funded through U-M's Office of the Provost, ISR resources, and a $14.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

"We're fortunate from a funding environment that we're continuing on the upward trend, but we're also being mindful not to overbuild," Schork says.

Source: Anna Schork, assistant director of the Institute for Social Research
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Solar power will be taking the stage at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival from August 17-19. Solar Ypsi will be installing a 26-panel, 6KW ground-mount system, on loan from Stefan Graf of IlluminArt, at Riverside Park. The temporary installation will provide a small percentage of the festival's power, according to Dave Strenski, Solar Ypsi's volunteer coordinator.

"It's targeted as a very educational solar demonstration," Strenski says. "...It's ground mount, so anyone who's interested in putting solar in their backyards, they can replicate this system very easily." Cost information will be available and Solar Ypsi volunteers will staff the installation.

Solar Ypsi's permanent solar installations at City Hall, the Ypsi Food Co-op, and the River Street Bakery have been running from about 76-84% efficient from June 2011 through May 2012, according to data tracked by the non-profit. However, DTE Energy's recent installation of new smart meters has interrupted Solar Ypsi's ability to track energy production at the co-op and bakery. Strenski is looking for help in building a device to read the new meters and push the data to SolarYpsi.

"If we can read this radio frequency coming from the meters and we make a little device, then anybody can build one and monitor their own house ... more than Solar Ypsi, we can build a little DIY home energy monitoring system," Strenski figures.

Interested parties may look for details here and email solar@ypsifoodcoop.org with offers of help.

Source: Dave Strenski, volunteer coordinator of Solar Ypsi
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

In time for the back-to-school rush, a new daycare center is opening in Dexter. Honey Bee Academy owner Melissa Pangle is accepting new enrollment and plans to open the center, located at 7415 Dexter Pinckney Road, during the first week in September.

The 2,100-square-foot building was home to another daycare facility that closed about nine months ago. "It's basically move-in ready," Pangle says.

Honey Bee Academy will have room for 40 children. Pangle has been running a home-based childcare for the last seven years. However, with her capacity limited to six children, "I've always had a waitlist," she says.

The center will provide all-day care for infants aged six weeks through pre-schoolers, along with before- and after-school and summer care for school-aged children.

Staffing at the center will grow to 8-9 employees as it reaches capacity, according to Pangle.

Source: Melissa Pangle, owner of  Honey Bee Academy
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

An Ann Arbor group that promotes creativity in the community has designed a traveling geodesic dome that can be used for any number of creative outlets.

The dome, 16 feet in radius, is a project of Syncytium, a group dedicated to creating large-scale, interactive art in Ann Arbor, Detroit and surrounding communities.

A2Awesome, the Washtenaw County arm of a Boston-based micro-philanthropic organization, The Awesome Foundation, awarded $1,000 to artist Amanda Sari Perez to help complete the dome, which is made out of 1.5 inch thick electrical conduit. Perez told A2Awesome that she wants the dome to be a "platform on which others in the community can express their creativity. The dome has already been a guest at Ann Arbor and Detroit Maker Faires, Figment and Lakes of Fire.

Future plans for the dome include covering it with cargo net so that it could be used as a climbing gym. Add lights and it's a great DJ stand.

“Other people,” says Perez, “may want to use it for parties, fundraisers, gatherings, or performances. They may want to hang hammocks or swings inside of it. They may want to cover it in some way, or leave it open.”

Ultimately, according to Perez, she would like to see it find a semi-permanent home where it could exist as a giant instrument, filled with cords that would trigger sound, either electronically or mechanically, when tugged or clambered upon.

Linh Song, board member of A2Awesome, where the mission is "Forwarding the interest in Awesome in Washtenaw County, $1,000 at a time, says the dome was chose as a grant recipient in June because “it’s the kind of thing that could continue to foster awesomeness for years to come. Not only will people be able to play on it at Maker Faire, which is awesome in its own right, but it’ll exist as an easily-transportable cultural asset that could be used in hundreds of different ways. We’re excited to see how it inspires people. The potential is endless.”

Source: A2Awesome
Writer: Kim North Shine

Rain gardens that are part of a project to remake Ypsilanti's Depot Town are undergoing some additional work to make sure they look good, function properly, and most importantly last.

Tim Colbeck, executive director of the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority, says there have been questions and concerns about the Cross Street Rain Gardens and what's going wrong with them.

The five gardens are a small part of a $1 million streetscape upgrade for the area, but an important one. They are also a component of the Cross Street Corridor Non-Motorized Enhancement Project

Some of the plants have had trouble surviving and the gardens haven't fully absorbed stormwater to keep it out of drains - the purpose of their design. Recent declines in rainfall may be part of the issue.

However, the Ypsi DDA, the city and the state of Michigan are working with contractors to make things right by adjusting the inlets to each garden to ensure that they have the proper soil mix. The new and improved rain gardens should be completed by the fall of 2012.

Source: Tim Colbeck, executive director, Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine

Ann Arbor-based Children's Orchard, a children's clothing, toy and furniture resale shop with dozens of stores in more than 20 states, has expanded into adult and teen clothing for men and women with Style Trader.

The first Style Trader store opened July 14 in Livonia with plans for more to come. The expansion comes as Children's Orchard's sales have increased.

In its newest venture with Style Trader, the company hopes to appeal to its base of budget-conscious consumers looking to buy gently used name brands for all ages and both genders. It's using a concept that will give traders a discount should they choose to shop as well as sell.

"Style Trader is the first upscale resale store to cater to women, teens, kids, and men all under one roof," Taylor Bond, President of Style Trader and president and CEO of Children's Orchard, says in a statement announcing the store opening.

The Livonia store is located at 11502 Middlebelt Road and is 7,500 square feet of space filled with more than 20,000 pieces of merchandise.

Source: Style Trader
Writer: Kim North Shine

A thriving Ann Arbor fundraising consulting firm has pulled together some heavy hitters as it prepares to expand and establish itself as a national player in the field of nonprofit fundraising.

Richner & Richner, which is hiring staff as it takes on more work, has attracted William R. Johnston, former New York Stock Exchange president; Stephen B. Dobson, former president of insurance company Dobson-McOmber; and William C. Richardson, former president and CEO of W.K. Kellogg Foundation and former president of Johns Hopkins University toss erve as the inaugural board.

Richner & Richner, which was formed in 1997, tailors sustainable fundraising strategies for non-profit organizations around the country by guiding them through the areas of strategy development, campaign planning, staff development and training, donor portfolio and relationship development, feasibility studies, planned giving program developments and program audits.

“The formation of our national advisory board is a watershed moment in our 15-year history,” says Cedric Richner, an Ann Arbor resident and co-founder and principal of Richner & Richner. "The three board members will help accelerate our plans to grow nationally.

The board members' combined experiences in their professions, in the non-profit sectors and with volunteerism will serve as a "catalyst for innovative thinking on how best to serve non-profit organizations interested in building true philanthropies ofculture through strategic fundraising."

 “Their counsel will challenge us to do more and be more on behalf of the client organizations we serve,” says Richner, who formed the company in his home with wife Mori Richner, both having come from development and fundraising backgrounds at the University of Michigan.

Richner & Richner set up office space in Ann Arbor in 2002 and is now located downtown Ann Arbor office, where it is growing and adding to staff this year and next.

Source: Cedric Richner, co-founder and principal, Richner & Richner
Writer: Kim North Shine

A new streetscape is afoot for downtown Chelsea, on M-52 (Main Street) between Summit and North Streets. Bids on the project are in, and the city is in the process of reviewing them.

In the blueprint are stamped concrete crosswalks, bumpouts on Main Street to accommodate more outdoor seating for restaurants. The work could begin later in August or may be delayed until spring, due to other street work in progress.

"What we're concerned about is with the construction going on at the south end of town on M-52, we want to make sure that if we move forward with the streetscape project in late summer or early fall, that we're not completely shutting traffic down on 52 at both ends," Chelsea City Manager John Hanifan says, adding, "The nice feature about the streetscape is it's a fairly modest construction program and it won't take longer than a month. It'll really create more of a pedestrian scale in the DDA district."

Source: John Hanifan, Chelsea city manager
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

The distance between farm and table is being measured in feet rather than miles, with Zingerman's Roadhouse chef Alex Young's recent purchase of the Hoey Farm property on Island Lake Road in Dexter Township.

The 27-acre property at 8540 Island Lake Road adjoins Young's Cornman Farms, a sustainably raised livestock and vegetable supplier to Zingerman's Roadhouse. Over 27 types of vegetables comprising over 130 varieties are grown at Cornman Farms.

Young's new farm purchase accompanies his recent participation in the James Beard Foundation Food Activist Boot Camp, whose goal is to "try to effect more positive change in terms of agriculture in this country."

Hoey Farm will be used for school tours, as a catering destination, and for livestock raising. "We have a small dairy goat herd," Young says. "We're going to be milking goats there as well. And we're going to grow some pigs. A small herd of pigs, a medium-sized herd of goats, and then a handful of cattle."

On the near-term horizon is a major restoration of an 1854 farmhouse on the property, a couple of barns, and a smokehouse. "They haven't received any love or care in 20 years, probably," he notes. One building will be converted into a dairy parlor, another is to be a shelter for school tours and a place to eat.

Cornman Farms currently has five people on staff. "We'll probably be nearly double that next year," Young says. He plans to open the property to the public in the spring of 2013.

"My work through Cornman Farms has been very rewarding, and being able to share it with kids and make great food for the restaurant is fun."

Source: Alex Young, chef, Zingerman's Roadhouse
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Come autumn, No Thai! restaurant will be moving to a fresher spot on South University Avenue in Ann Arbor - the ground level of the 14-story Landmark high rise apartment building at S. University and S. Forest avenues. Construction is still in progress.

"It was kind of a logical move to move to that new building," No Thai! owner Jeff Cho says. "Everything will be new and nicer, and it's in the same exact area."

The move across the street, which Cho hopes will happen in November, equates to a more than doubling in floorspace. The new configuration will have at least 40 seats, he says; the current location at 1317 S. University seats 22.

Cho is working with the architects on a "clean, modern, and comfortable space" possibly with eco-friendly options such as LED lights.

The larger location means a small chipping away at Ann Arbor's unemployment rate. Upon opening, "hopefully we should be hiring anywhere from 5-10 more employees," he says.

Source: Jeff Cho, owner of No Thai!
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar