2009 – Page 43 of 98

DAY plans spontaneous ‘siesta’ downtown this afternoon

By Newsroom

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July 22, 2009

Even vibrant downtowns like Ypsilanti's need their beauty sleep. So says DAY (Downtown Association of Ypsilanti).Excerpt:Downtown business owners and Ypsilanti residents are being called to the streets this afternoon in a spontaneous marketing tactic.Members of the Downtown Association of Ypsilanti are calling the move afternoon siestas, which will take place every Thursday at 4:45 p.m., starting today.Instituting afternoon siestas was discussed at the group’s meeting Wednesday night. David Austin, DAY chair, said it will be a time for merchants and residents to come downtown, bring a “legal” drink like iced tea or lemonade, wear a funny hat and converse with each other."Let the people see us," Austin said. "It should be fun."Read the rest of the story here.

Urban chickens in Ypsilanti

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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July 22, 2009

Urban chicken farmers in Ypsilanti are close to scoring a victory worth crowing... er... clucking about.Excerpt:Residents of the city of Ypsilanti are one step closer to being able to keep chickens.City Council passed an ordinance on first reading Tuesday night that would establish a permit system to allow property owners the opportunity to keep up to four hens in their backyards.The ordinance was passed in a 4-3 vote at City Council’s regular meeting Tuesday. Councilmembers Lois Richardson, D-Ward 1, and Michael Bodary, D-Ward 2, as well as Mayor Pro-tem Trudy Swanson, D-Ward 1, voted against the ordinance.If passed in second reading, the ordinance allows property owners in the city to apply for a $10 permit until June 2010. The permit, issued per property, would not expire. The principal use of the permit must be for one or two-family units, according to the ordinance.Read the rest of the story here.

‘Ann Arbor Art Fair’ ranks among Google’s hottest search terms

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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July 22, 2009

It turns out that the Ann Arbor Art Fair means something to a lot of people outside of Tree Town.Excerpt:Ann Arbor's Art Fairs, which consume the city's downtown for a few days every summer, are overwhelming another popular destination: Google's servers.The phrase "Ann Arbor Art Fair" for a few hours this afternoon ranked 63rd on the Google Trends list, a fluid measurement of the hottest search terms on Google."It tells us that it's not just a premier event for Ann Arbor, it's for the nation," said Debra Power, president of Ann Arbor-based Power Marketing & Research.Read the rest of the story here.

EMU plans to turn old school into new Autism Center

By Newsroom

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Development News

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July 22, 2009

Eastern Michigan University is buying the old Fletcher Elementary School and plans to turn it into the university's new home for the Autism Collaborative Center and Children’s Institute.EMU is purchasing the circa-1963 building for $2.2 million. The Autism Center and Children's Institute are expected to move into the 40,000-square-foot building this fall. The Autism Center provides services for 40 families in the Bright Horizons building located at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. This new space will allow the center to reach 2,000 people within the first couple years. The building will be used for research, interventions and community outreach. Services will be provided on a sliding scale.EMU's Children’s Institute provides early childhood education for the children of university students, faculty, staff and surrounding communities. It serves 150 children ages six and below at the Rackham Building on EMU's main campus Source: Eastern Michigan UniversityWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M greenlights Couzens Hall renovation for next spring

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 22, 2009

The University of Michigan is playing a game of musical renovations with its student residence halls. U-M's Board of Regents gave the OK to begin renovating Couzens Hall next spring. That will be just in time for the opening of the North Quad residence hall and on the heels of the recent renovations of Mosher-Jordan and Stockwell halls, along with the construction of the new Hill Dining Center."We're trying to maintain enough bed spaces to maintain student desire to live in campus," says Peter Logan, director of communications for the U-M Housing.The $49 million project, designed by Integrated Design Solutions, will include installing a new fire suppression system, infrastructure upgrades, upgrading student rooms and bathrooms and creating new community spaces. The university plans to replace and upgrade the plumbing, heating, ventilation and wiring. New insulation and windows will be added to make it more energy-efficient, however, the project will not go for LEED status.Couzens will retain its 560 beds, but will rework its old dining facility and other public areas. The residence hall will now utilize the new and nearby Hill Dining Center. The old dinning facility and other common areas will be turned into community space, multipurpose rooms, game rooms, classrooms, faculty offices and a coffee lounge that will be open to all students and staff at the university.Couzens in located on Ann Street and is part of the Hill student-housing neighborhood. It was built in 1925 to provide housing for 260 nursing students. U.S. Sen. James Couzens of Detroit donated $600,000 for its construction. A large wing was added in the mid 1950s, doubling the capacity to what it is today. Source: Peter Logan, director of communications for the University of Michigan HousingWriter: Jon Zemke

City Place continues strange journey in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Development News

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July 22, 2009

The bad news is that Ann Arbor is no closer to a resolution on City Place, the controversial downtown development. The good news is at least we don't have to hear about for a few months.The City Council in essence punted earlier this week, postponing any action on the development until January. The developer, Ann Arbor Builders, requested a decision be postponed until at least later this year. The City Council also put off deciding the fate of a controversial moratorium on approving downtown developments until Aug. 6.The development has been kicked around and reshaped in a number of different ways, culminating in a suburban-style apartment building with no sustainable features on the edge of downtown. It would replace seven historic homes, including one of the city's oldest, along Fifth Avenue just north of Packard. The latest incarnation (there have been several) includes two apartment buildings separated by a surface parking lot. The 3-story buildings will have 144 bedrooms in 24 units geared for college students and 36 surface parking spaces. The buildings will be clad in cement board siding with high-pitched roofs and large dormers.This is far from what the developer originally proposed. Those plans called for 90 brownstone-style condos in a long 4.5-story building that is reminiscent of Beacon Hill. The original proposal also included green, urban features such as 98 underground parking spaces and a geothermal heating-and-cooling system. The 750-1,500-square-foot units were geared toward young professionals looking to live near a vibrant downtown.The development has met with fierce resistance from local residents and the Germantown Neighborhood Association. Both sides and city officials tried working together for months, going through a number of costly redrawings for the project. Are lawsuits on the horizon? Only time will tell.Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Dominick’s lays groundwork for expansion plans

By Newsroom

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Development News

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July 22, 2009

One of Ann Arbor's longtime institutions is gearing up for what could shape up to be some significant changes.Casa Dominick's, a popular local drinking institution for students and townies, is jumping through the hoops for a PUD (planned unit development) approval. It went before the City Planning Commission Tuesday and expects to go before the City Council later this summer or in the fall.Dominick's, famous for its sangria, is located across Monroe Street from the University of Michigan Law Quad since Dominick DeVarti opened it in 1960. The PUD also includes two adjacent houses that are currently student rentals. The PUD calls for the options of expanding the restaurant, creating apartments, offices or even a bed & breakfast."We don't really have any plans for renovation at this time," says Matthew Krichaum, an attorney representing Dominick's. "The city said give us your 50-year vision."What could be in the relatively near future is expanding the second-floor deck in back that overlooks the garden. Another possibility is expanding the restaurant into the rental house at the corner of Monroe and Oakland Avenue. "The design will fit in with the character of the neighborhood," Krichaum says. Source: Matthew Krichaum, an attorney representing Casa Dominick'sWriter: Jon Zemke

Dexter begins to nail down grants for Mill Creek Plaza

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 22, 2009

Dexter Village officials are starting to line up and knock down grants to build the Mill Creek Park.The village recently nailed down a $48,000 grant that requires a $48,000 match. It also applied for about $1 million more in grants, including a competitive, $500,000 Michigan Natural Resource Trust Fund grant. Decisions on these grants are expected to be handed down by the holiday season. The village is planning to spend $5 million to develop the Mill Creek Park along the west side of downtown over a number of years. The first phase of that plan, designed by Ann Arbor-based JJR, could begin construction as early as next year.The park will run alongside approximately one mile of the east bank of Mill Creek between Warrior Creek Park and Shield Road. It will be integrated into the city's proposed river walk, highlighting the section of Mill Creek that borders downtown.The idea behind the park is to open up the creek to more village residents and downtown patrons. The creek has turned into a mud-filled pond over the years as the old damn under the Main Street bridge has aged. The Washtenaw County Road Commission is tearing out that damn, rebuilding the bridge and the creek.Source: Courtney Nicholls, spokeswoman for the village of DexterWriter: Jon Zemke

Chelsea looks for new use for old downtown Post Office

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 22, 2009

Now that the door is closing on Chelsea's downtown Post Office an interesting one will open for whatever replaces it.The U.S. Postal Service is moving to a new, bigger space in the Chelsea Village Plaza Shopping Center just outside of downtown. It's selling the single-story building on 200 Main Street across the street from the County Court House. The 6,000-square-foot building was built in the 1940s."We have had a lot of interest in that building," says John Hanifan, city manager for Chelsea. "We just want to see a good positive use whether its office or retail use."For information on the building, contact Marla J. Larsen at marla.j.larsen-williams@usps.gov or (630) 295-6289.Source: John Hanifan, city manager for ChelseaWriter: Jon Zemke

Reinventing The Farm Stand

By Julianne Mattera

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Community Development

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July 22, 2009

From street side fruit seller to upscale food market, The Produce Station has become a local favorite for Ann Arbor foodies and gardeners. With a focus on Michigan grown produce and products, owners Craig Schmidt and Rick Peshkin have turned the concept of the neighborhood farm stand on its head.