New concert venue opens in downtown Ypsilanti
Source: Concentrate, 3/17/2010
A new mid-size live music venue is taking
the stage this weekend in downtown Ypsilanti when Savoy opens its doors
in the space that was once Club Divine.
The new two floor, two
stage venue can accommodate up to 700 people in a space so large even
the organizers behind the bar struggle to define its size. It joins The Ark, Michigan Theater and
the Blind Pig (all located in downtown Ann Arbor) for mid-size venues in
Washtenaw County.
"It's really filling a void in Washtenaw
County for a mid-market venue," says Don Scheneder, talent buyer for
Savoy. He adds that Savoy is more in line with the Bling Pig, which can only seat
400 people. It will also have smaller second floor stage that will host
things, like comedy performances.
He adds that there is a quality
sound and light system and eclectic space filled with art in the middle
of a vibrant city center. The closest comparable venues are in downtown
Detroit (St.
Andrews Hall) and Pontiac (Crofoot Ballroom) or Royal Oak (Royal Oak
Music Theatre). Savoy joins the Elbow Room as a significant
performance venue of note in Ypsilanti, a city that is starting to flex
its artistic muscle.
"We've got such a strong talent base here
in Washtenaw County," Scheneder says. "We need a venue that will support
it and the area."
Source: Don Scheneder, talent buyer for
Savoy
Writer: Jon Zemke
Beal plans to tackle Ypsi's Thompson Block in phases
Source: Concentrate, 3/17/2010
The Thompson Block development in
Ypsilanti's Depot Town isn't going to magically complete itself today,
tomorrow, this month and probably not even this year. But that doesn't
mean developer Stewart Beal doesn't plan to get something done.
The
Ypsilanti-based businessman plans to rehab the historic building at the
eastern edge of Depot Town in phases. The first of these phases calls
for turning the third of the building that wasn't heavily damaged in
last fall's fire into a home for a new bar/restaurant.
"Our
current plan is to do a mini-Thompson Block development," Beal says.
The
project will convert about 5,000-7,000 square feet of the 3-story
building into a new entertainment venue. The first floor will become a
service area while the second and third floors will be combined into a
bigger space, which could serve as a live entertainment venue. Beal is
coy about when construction could begin.
"I don't have any
comment on that," Beal says.
Beal and his partners are
self-funding the project, because "there is no financing available for
projects like this," Beal says. His company has six other apartment
rehab projects ready to go in Ypsilanti and another one in Toledo but
can't move forward on any of them because he can't line up financing.
The
Thompson Block is one of Ypsilanti's oldest buildings, dating back to
the Civil War when it served as an impromptu barracks for Union
soldiers. It has since served as the home to the city's fire department,
the first place to buy a bicycle and one of the first Dodge
dealerships.
The building had fallen on hard times in the last
generation or two when decades of neglect left it in bad shape. Beal
acquired the building in recent years with plans to turn it into a
mixed-use structure with 10,000-square-feet ground-floor retail space
and 16 second-floor lofts.
A combination of securing tenants and
the financial crisis had stalled the project from keeping its financing
in line. That left work moving at a snail's pace until a fire ravaged
through much of the building this fall. Beal, who has renovated a number
of buildings in Ypsilanti into rentals, remains unfazed by the setback,
pushing the project forward.
Some city officials have pushed
for Beal to remove wall supports that take up a lane of traffic on East
Cross St. Both sides are trying to work out a deal that permits the
opening of the entire road to traffic and Beal to continue to push the
development forward.
Source: Stewart Beal, developer of the
Thompson Block
Writer: Jon Zemke
Ann Arbor Skatepark gets $400K match from Washtenaw County
Source: Concentrate, 3/17/2010
Washtenaw County is providing a potential
cash infusion for the Ann Arbor's Skatepark plans, pledging to match up
to $400,000 for the project.
"They're pretty confident they can
raise this amount of money," says Bob Tetens, director of the Washtenaw County
Parks & Recreation. "We couldn't fund the whole thing but we
could serve as a catalyst for their efforts."
Ann Arbor has been
working to establish a skatepark for years, which is a
bit out of character for a town that often sees itself as a leader in
progressive causes and recreational offerings. Local volunteers and
officials plan to build the city's first skatepark at Veterans Park near
the corner of Maple and Miller roads on the city's northwest side. The
cause has gained momentum in recent years.
"You want to invest
money in successful programs," Tetens says. "There is clearly a
groundswell of grass roots support for this project and a lot of
institutional support."
He sees the skatepark serving a regional
draw that should make Veterans Park, with its baseball fields and
sledding hill, an even more intensely used park.
"I fully expect
people to be driving 2-3 hours there to take advantage of it," Tetens
says.
Source: Bob Tetens, director of the Washtenaw County
Parks & Recreation
Writer: Jon Zemke
New Michigan Stadium suites sell briskly
Source: Concentrate, 3/17/2010
Even though the economy is having problems
the effects aren't visible at Michigan Stadium where nearly
70 percent of the luxury suites and 80 percent of the club seats for
next season have sold.
The University of Michigan is in the
latter stages of completely revamping one of college football's most
hallowed grounds. The university is investing $226 million to add luxury
suits, club seating and revamped facilities --such as bathrooms and
concession stands-- throughout the stadium. The project, scheduled to
be completed by this year's season opener, will raise Big House's
capacity by 500 seats to 108,500.
The luxury
suites, 81 in total, sell for $55,000 to $85,000 a piece. There are
also 3,000 club
seats with an asking price of $1,500 to $3,000 a piece. Prior to
this project fans had been limited to bleacher seating (the stadium was
built in 1927). So far 57 the university has 57 signed commitments for
its luxury suites. The goal is to sell out by the season opener this
fall.
"We're getting new commitments every day," says Joe Parker, a senior
associate athletic director with U-M. Parker handles fund-raising and
corporate relations for the Michigan Stadium project. He points out that
most of the luxury suite commitments are from individuals, not
corporations.
"The typical profile is someone who is a graduate of the university and a
long-time supporter of campus development," Parker says. "They are
usually a high-net worth individual or have ties to a large, family
owned company."
The university will hold a walk through of the new facilities during the
U-M Football Spring Game on April 16-17. More walk throughs will be
held when construction wraps up in June. For information, call (734)
764-7131.
The 400,000-square-foot expansion includes two
multi-story masonry structures on both the field's east and west sides.
The level of the stadium bowl will stand 10 feet higher than the highest
point of the current scoreboards. The new design will direct more crowd
noise onto the field, too. There will also be two smaller buildings at
the north and south end zones that house additional restrooms and
concessions and support functions, such as first-aid, security and
will-call.
Private donations and Athletic Department resources,
primarily revenues generated by the new seating, will cover the
renovation's $226-million price tag. Stephen
M. Ross, one of the nation’s premier real estate developers,
recently gave $5 million to the project through The Michigan Difference, the
university’s $2.5 billion fundraising campaign.
Source: Joe Parker, a senior associate athletic
director with the University of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
Ann Arbor adopts single-stream recycling program
Source: Concentrate, 3/17/2010
Recycling in Ann Arbor is changing this
week now that the Ann Arbor City Council has given the green light for
single stream residential recycling.
The time-honored tradition
of sorting recyclables will soon be gone, allowing city residents to put
out all of their recycling in one new container. The new system, set to
begin this year, will supposedly allow residents to recycle even more
materials in process called a single-stream.
The
recycled waste will be sorted out at the recycling plant, making the
process more user-friendly. While some critics contend that
contamination from mixed waste decreases the quality of recyclables,
supporters say this loss is more than compensated for through increases
in recycling rates. Ann Arbor officials hope the new system will bump up
the city's 50 percent recycling average to 70 percent by 2012. Other cities
have already made the jump to single-stream recycling, including Austin,
Texas and Baltimore, MD.
Ann Arbor will invest $3.5 million into
upgrades at its recycling facility to accommodate this transition. The
staff levels would stay the same with machines handling the extra
sorting. The switch would also require new recycling containers, costing
$1.3 million. Gone will be the green and brown bins. Replacing them
will be one large container.
Each of these containers will come
with a bar code as part of the RecycleBank system, which rewards
recyclers with coupons and prizes in proportion to how much they
recycle. This system has helped significantly increase recycling efforts
in both Rochester Hills and Westland, MI.
Source: City of Ann
Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke
AATA earns $2.3M in stimulus cash for transit center
Source: Concentrate, 3/10/2010
More mass transit funding is making its way into Ann Arbor courtesy of the feds.
The
U.S. Dept of Transportation has awarded the Ann Arbor Transportation
Authority $2.3 million as part of the $34.6 million Michigan received
in federal transportation fund last week. The money ($700,000) is
primarily geared toward rebuilding U-M's Central Campus Transit Center and improving AATA's bus storage facilities.
Earlier
this year, U-M decided to redevelop its transit center along North
University Street by the university's Chemistry building. The new
bigger and better transit center will have more space for bus loading,
storage and be more accessible and user friendly to the primarily
student patrons. It will service both U-M and AATA buses.
"It's a key transfer location," says Mary Stasiak, a spokeswoman for AATA.
The $4.5 million project was designed by the U-M Dept of
Architecture and Hubbell, Roth & Clark. Construction will begin
shortly and finish by this fall.
Another $1 million will go
toward improving AATA's bus storage facilities. More money ($220,000)
will help improve bus stops and pedestrian safety around them. Some of
the money will also be used to help maintain service to the Ypsilanti.
Source: U.S. Dept of Transportation and Mary Stasiak, a spokeswoman for Ann Arbor Transportation Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
North Quad construction heads into home stretch
Source: Concentrate, 3/10/2010
In case you haven't noticed the big,
brick building taking shape on the north side of the University of
Michigan's Central Campus, North Quad is heading into the final stages of construction.
"We're
really in the finishing mode," says Sue Gott, planner for the
University of Michigan. "All of the interior walls and structures are
in place."
Construction workers are also putting together the
courtyard as a way of completing the exterior of the building. Work is
expected to wrap up in May so the university's housing division can
begin installing things like furniture in time for student move-in this
fall.
The University of Michigan began construction on North Quad in 2007 by demolishing the old Frieze Building,
which was originally built as Ann Arbor High School in 1907 (corner of
State and Huron streets in downtown). The University of Michigan bought
the building in the 1950s for use as space for college classes.
North
Quad is U-M's first new dorm in 40 years. The complex features an
academic tower facing Washington and State streets, which will house
U-M's Department of Screen Arts and Cultures, the Department of Communication Studies, the Language Resource Center and the Sweetland Writing Center (all components of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts) along with the School of Information.
The
residence hall will face East Huron Street and offer two
configurations. The first includes suites containing two double rooms,
a living room and a bathroom. The second features arrangements of four
single rooms sharing a bathroom. Each residence hall floor houses
lounges. The building also will offer a community learning center with
additional small group study areas.
Source: Sue Gott, planner for the University of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
Ypsilanti's What is That? building preps for new facade
Source: Concentrate, 3/10/2010
The Maurer family has a some noticeable plans for the building that houses the Mix and What is That? art gallery in downtown Ypsilanti.
The
Ypsilanti-based developers bought the structure at 128-130 W Michigan
Ave. in 2007. Then it was a vacant foreclosure with a lot of problems,
ranging from a leaky roof to condemned apartments.
"There were
a few challenges," says Eric Maurer, who co-owns and develops a number
of rental properties in Ypsilanti with his wife Karen.
They
rehabbed the 2-story building into six lofts and some ground floor
retail space that filled up relatively quickly. However, the rusted and
weather-worn steel paneling and other façade improvements of yore
remained unaddressed, until this year.
The Maurers plan to spend
$123,500 to repair the brick façade of the early 20th Century building
and add some fresh paint. They also plan to replacing the windows with Low-E glass. The end result should be a refreshed Art Deco look that will look completely different.
"I really want to make it a show stopper," Maurer says. "It's a pretty important corner to downtown."
The
Maurers are applying for matching façade-improvement funds from state
of Michigan. Construction is expected to begin this spring or summer
and wrap up before next winter sets in.
Source: Eric Maurer, co-owner of 128-130 W Michigan Ave
Writer: Jon Zemke
Ann Arbor prepares for more roundabouts at Geddes/U.S. 23
Source: Concentrate, 3/10/2010
Work is about to begin in earnest on the
roundabouts for the Geddes Road exit for U.S. 23 on the east side of Ann
Arbor.
Construction crews should begin building the three roundabouts
in April and wrap up work in October. This project will bring the
number of roundabouts in or being considered for Washtenaw County to 10,
including seven in the city. The city is also looking at adding another
one to the intersection of Fuller Road and Maiden Lane next to the
University of Michigan Hospital.
"Certainly the city is
considering adding more to its jurisdiction," says David Dykman, project
manager for the city of Ann Arbor.
The Geddes Road exit plans
call for three roundabouts that will replace traffic lights at the
on/off-ramps for the exit and the intersection of Geddes and Earhart
Road.
Roundabouts, a.k.a. traffic circles, are seen as the most
cost-effective way to improve flow and relieve congestion at the
intersection without expanding it. The project is also looking at
improving the intersection by providing places for pedestrian and
bicyclists, while also improving drainage, lighting, utilities and
landscaping in the area.
Roundabouts have been popping up like
dandelions around Ann Arbor in recent years. A pair of them were
installed at the Maple Road exit for M-14 to accommodate increased
traffic from nearby Skyline High School. Another is at the intersection
of Nixon Road and Huron Parkway.
Modern roundabouts include a
central island to guide the vehicular traffic and splitter islands at
each leg of an intersection. One-way traffic moves around the central
island where entering traffic must yield to the traffic already in the
roundabout.
Traffic circles slow and calm traffic, resulting in
fewer accidents. They also decrease delays and cut down on the number of
idling vehicles, reducing air pollution.
They are common
throughout Europe and have been appearing more frequently in North
America in recent years. More common on the coasts, roundabouts and
traffic circles have been popping up in southeast Michigan's suburbs in
recent years.
Source: David Dykman, project manager for the
city of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke
Ypsilanti's Clean Energy Coalition wins $50K energy grant
Source: Concentrate, 3/10/2010
The Clean Energy Coalition continues to
rake in the government grant money, taking in another six figures to
help spread the gospel of energy efficiency.
The Ypsilanti-based
non-profit received $58,300 from the Michigan Department of Energy,
Labor, & Economic Growth to help communities become more energy
efficient and utilize more clean energy outlets. The Clean Energy
Coalition's money will allow it to do this in 37 small communities
(35,000 people or less) in south and south-central Michigan.
"We'll
be doing things like helping them with energy audits of their
facilities and setting up monitoring systems of their energy systems,"
says Sean Reed, founder and executive director of the Clean Energy Coalition.
The Clean Energy Coalition has received millions of dollars
in state and federal grants over the last year. Most of that money is
geared toward pushing for more energy efficiency and reducing carbon
emissions in transportation.
The Michigan Municipal League
Foundation, also received a $58,396 state grant. The Ann Arbor-based
organization will use it to do the same thing in the southwest, western
and northern portion of the state.
The grants are part of a $195,996 grant from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, & Economic Growth.
The funds originally came from the federal stimulus package. That money
will help 125 municipalities receive technical assistance on becoming
more sustainable from four non-profits. That basically means it will
help these communities make their facilities more energy efficient
through things like energy audits and harness renewable energy sources.
The other two non-profits to receive funding are the WARM Training Center
in Detroit, which will cover southeast Michigan, and the Michigan
Energy Options in East Lansing for communities in the state's Upper
Peninsula.
Source: Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, & Economic Growth and Sean Reed, founder and executive director of the Clean Energy Coalition
Writer: Jon Zemke
U-M PhD study focuses on local energy efficient habits
Source: Concentrate, 3/10/2010
Some of the easiest sustainability gains
can come from developing good habits in everyday life. At least that's
the idea that's starting to emerge from a University of Michigan's PhD
student's recent study.
Kim Wolske, a doctoral candidate at the
university's School of
Natural Resources & Environment, conducted a study last fall of a
few dozen Ann Arbor households. The idea was to determine how much
energy a household could save by establishing some simple habits, like
turning down the thermostat.
Wolske sent out 3,000 letters to a
random sample of Ann Arbor residents to see if they would be interested
in reducing their carbon footprint during the month of October. Of those
195 households signed up and 85 completed the challenge.
Participants
did everything from unplugging unnecessary electronics to excluding
meat from at least one meal a week. They could log onto a website and
see how much energy their actions saved. The goal was to reduce their
carbon footprint by 2 percent.
"In general households saved 6
percent of their energy consumption," says Wolske, who is still
analyzing the data. She expects to release the study by the end of the
year.
"I didn't expect people to be too willing to give up meat
or be willing to change their diet as much as they did," Wolske says.
"It was a heart-warming experience to see how many households were
willing to give it a shot."
She has been working with city of Ann
Arbor's Energy Dept., which plans to use the statistics to help it meet
its Energy
Challenge goal.
"This could be really valuable information
for us to create behavioral changes," says Andrew Brix, energy programs
manager for the city of Ann Arbor.
Source: Kim Wolske, a
doctoral candidate at the university's School of Natural Resources &
Environment and Andrew Brix, energy programs manager for the city of
Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke
U-M opens new tower of Kellogg Eye Center
Source: Concentrate, 3/3/2010
A new research center at the University
of Michigan is opening now that the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center Complex has
completed the Brehm Tower.
The $132 million facility provides
230,000 square feet that will expand U-M's capacity for eye-care
research and education. Researchers will also be working on how eye
sight relates to diabetes and other diseases.
That research is
becoming more in demand because it primarily affects older segments of
the population. The U.S. population, as well as Michigan's, continues
to get older as Baby Boomers reach retirement age.
"This
population will be growing significantly over the next 15-20 years,"
says Dr. Paul R. Lichter, professor and chair of the University of
Michigan Dept of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and director of
the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center. "That population is the one that has glaucoma and other ailments we specialize in."
The
Brehm Tower stands at eight stories and overlooks Wall Street next to
U-M's medical campus on the near north side of the city. The new
building houses seven eye care clinics with new suites for refractive surgery and cosmetic surgery. The upper floors will serve as the home to the Brehm Center for Diabetes Research and laboratories for vision scientists. They will perform research on both ophthalmology and diabetes.
TSA
of Massachusetts, the building's architect, incorporated a modern
design complete with either large windows or full walls of glass panels
on the building's façade. The idea is to introduce more natural light
into the building, which is often seen as a sustainable characteristic
because the building usually requires less electricity for lighting.
Source:
Dr. Paul R. Lichter, professor and chair of the University of Michigan
Dept of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and director of the W.K.
Kellogg Eye Center
Writer: Jon Zemke
Fed Stimulus funds expansion of U-M research facilities
Source: Concentrate, 3/3/2010
As a new University of Michigan research
building opens another has received funding to begin construction.
The
federal stimulus is sending $14.8 million toward the U-M Institute for
Social Research to build a significant new addition to the institute's
home on Thompson Street. The 50,000 square foot addition will expand the
reach of the world's largest academic social science research and
survey organization.
It will also create a variety of jobs...
estimates suggest as many as 200 more jobs. They will include short-term
construction positions as well as long-term research employment.
"In
the long term we estimate about 90 new research and research support
staff," James S. Jackson, research professor and director at the
University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, wrote
in an email. "All of them may not be in the new space, existing staff
may be moved into this space but the new hires may occupy space vacated
by other staff."
The addition will mostly house the university's
Health and Retirement Research group and Survey Methodology. The project
will apply for LEED
certification. Construction is expected to begin in the next 14-20
months.
This is just the latest multi-million grant U-M's
Institute for Social Research has received from the federal stimulus. So
far the institute has raked in $48.3 million.
Source: James
S. Jackson, research professor and director at the University of
Michigan's Institute for Social Research
Writer: Jon Zemke
Germantown historic district moves forward in Ann Arbor
Source: Concentrate, 3/3/2010
The political football that is the
proposed Germantown Historic District is about to be hiked again now
that a report advocating for the creation of the historic district has
been released.
The
28-page report says a public meeting about the creation of the historic
district on the south side of downtown is expected to be held in May.
The committee charged with exploring its creation must also finish its
work by September. Right now it's moving toward creating the historic
district.
"Through its older homes, grid like layout and street
alley … it reflects the period during which early settlement of Ann
Arbor by Yankees as well as Germans immigrant families took place," the
report states. "It contains the homes of a number of early city
leaders."
The proposed Germantown Historic District encompasses
three blocks that include both sides of Fourth and Fifth avenues
between William Street and Packard Road, along with both sides of
Packard between Fourth and Fifth.
It is also the area where the City Place development (now called Heritage Row) is proposed and near the proposed Moravian
project. Both developments call for building dense housing geared
toward people who want to live close to downtown Ann Arbor. The
historic district has been used as a political tool by some local
preservationists who are or have opposed either or both developments.
Politics aside, the report
contains interesting information about the neighborhood. It includes 46
homes and one church that were built between 1838 and 1925. Most were
built in the late 19th Century. Those homes represent a wide variety of
architectural styles, including Greek Revival, Italianate, Arts and
Crafts, Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival and Queen Anne homes.
The Queen Anne was popular because of the easy access to lumber from
Michigan's plentiful lumber mills.
The church, Bethlehem Evangelical,
was built in 1895 in a Romaneque Revival style with Gothic influences.
Its stone work serves as the biggest architectural statement. It also
is the church that spawned Zion Lutheran Church on the city's west side.
"It's one of the city's oldest neighborhoods," says Patrick McCauley, chair of the historic district creation committee. "Its part of the original plat of 1824. There are a few houses there that date from this period."The
neighborhood was originally settled in the early 19th Century by
American Yankees. German immigrant families began moving into the
neighborhood in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. By 1880
one out of nine of every Ann Arbor residents was German born. The
population was served by a German newspaper, shooting club, cornet
club, a large park and athletic society. The common denominator was the
word German in the title.
University of Michigan faculty and
students began to move into the building as the 20th Century began to
take shape. First it was through German families taking on boarders.
"There was a significant period of time everyone had a boarder in their house," says Rebecca Lopez-Kriss, who serves on the historic district creation committee. "It was normal."
The
neighborhood converted to university off-campus housing by World War II
when U-M underwent a rapid expansion. Today the neighborhood is a mix
of a few local families and mostly university student renters.
"Keep in mind," Lopez-Kriss adds, "the sole charge of the
committee is to weigh whether the neighborhood has historic value. All
other considerations like affordable housing, density, sustainability
have to be weighed by city council. It's also not our job to evaluate
the economic benefits or even whether someone would ever spend the money to
restore these homes."
Source: City of Ann Arbor and Rebecca Lopez-Kriss, member of the Germantown Historic District Committee and Patrick McCauley, chair of the Germantown Historic District Committee
Writer: Jon Zemke
New bike rules in Ann Arbor no longer require registration
Source: Concentrate, 3/3/2010
One would think a town as obsessed with
alternative transportation and bike lanes as Ann Arbor would be
expanding its bike registry. However, City Council is moving to
eliminate what has become a cumbersome program.
For decades,
city has charged $8 for people to register their bike, primarily to
help fight bicycle theft. About 650-700 bicycles are registered each
year. That has meant that list has grown to thousands upon thousands
dating back to the 1970s. Many of those registrations were logged by
local students.
"The ones that were U-M students in 1986 and are no longer anywhere near the city anymore, we don't need those," says Eli Cooper, transportation program manager for the city of Ann Arbor.
City
staff had proposed reforming the system so any bike registration that
reaches five years old would be automatically culled from the lists
unless it is renewed. Cooper estimates that could help push bike
registration up to 1,000 bikes per year.
However, there is the
argument that a bicycle registration isn't necessary at all. Modern
bicycles come with a serial number stamped into their frame. Those
numbers can be logged onto an online database, National Bike Registry,
which is also accessible to local law enforcement. Cooper argues that
while the registry is useful it, a local bike registry makes it easier
for local law enforcement to navigate a shorter list.
Source: Eli Cooper, transportation program manager for the city of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke