2009 – Page 94 of 98

U-M proposes adding 50,000 square feet to Chrisler Arena

By Newsroom

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January 21, 2009

Expanding the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena never seemed to make much sense since the words Ed Martin entered into university vocabulary. Things have changed now that Wolverine fans have their first basketball team to get excited about in a long time.Coincidence or not, U-M officials are making plans to add a "player development center" to the home of Cazzie Russell, the Fab Five and the 1989 National Champions. That 50,000-square-foot addition to the back of the arena comes with a $23.2 million price tag. The idea, which is going before the U-M Board of Regents tomorrow, is to give both the men's and women's basketball teams a place to practice. Both teams use Crisler as their home court.The new proposed facility will have locker rooms, strength and conditioning space and coaching offices. The addition will replace about 60 surface parking spots behind the arena. The university's Athletic Department plans to pay for the project with its own funds and gifts. The Athletic Department wants to start design of the new facility immediately and wants to hire Jickling Lyman Powell Associates to do it.Source: University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor skatepark backers form construction endowment

By Newsroom

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Development News

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January 21, 2009

The people trying to make the Ann Arbor Skatepark a reality are getting creative in their attempts to attract funding in these tough economic times.The Ann Arbor Skatepark Action Committee has opened two endowment funds through the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation. The first fund will be to help raise money to build the skatepark. The second is for the maintenance, improvements and upgrades of the skatepark once it's done.That committee plans to raise $800,000 to $1 million through donations and grants to build the skatepark. They hope to raise that money within the next 12-18 months.The facility will be about 30,000 square feet of permanent concrete skatepark at Veterans Memorial Park. It will have a skateplaza and possibly even a full pipe. It will also work with the Ann Arbor Public Art Commission to bring some art into the skatepark as well.For information on the project, contact fundraising chair Jim Reische at jreische@a2skatepark.org or Trevor Staples at (734) 223-9837.Source: Trevor Staples, spokesman for the Ann Arbor SkateparkWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M’s student neighborhoods grow denser with 3 new projects

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 21, 2009

Not all University of Michigan student housing projects are high-rises or require the demolition of existing housing stock. Some are just additions to what started off as single-family houses and are now multi-unit student tenements.Three large student rentals just south of the university are about to get a bit larger. The Ann Arbor City Council approved multi-room additions to 808 Tappan, 1012 Hill and 833 East University streets.All three homes date to either 1910 or 1920 reflect the Midwestern architecture that defines the surrounding neighborhood. They are large buildings that that intend to add on a couple thousands square feet each. In the case of 833 East University the 3,000 square feet building will more than double to 6,600-square-foot. Michael Van Goor of Van Goor Architects is the petitioner for each project. Attempts to reach Van Goor were not returned.Student rental projects are the only ones that are being pushed in the Ann Arbor area during the housing crisis. Other projects have been high-rises, suburban-style apartment buildings or denser buildings made to look like single-family homes. They have all called for the demolition of existing buildings.Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Ypsilanti’s Water Street options range from student housing to fast-food

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 14, 2009

The odyssey that is Water Street just might be sighting land soon. City officials are talking with developers who want to build everything from a grocery store to student housing on the 38-acre property.One developer wants to build a fast food restaurant at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Park Street. Another plans to build a grocery store on Michigan Avenue between Park and River streets. There are also plans floating around for senior and student housing.The city took out millions of dollars in bonds to buy the 42 properties on the parcel just southeast of downtown. The collection of properties borders Michigan Avenue and the Huron River. It became an albatross when the chosen developer, Joseph Freed & Associates, pulled out in 2007.City officials have been scrambling to find a developer for the parcel, originally envisioned as an urban extension of downtown. Now they are willing to chop it up and allow suburban-style development to get the tax revenue flowing in to help pay off the bonds.Meanwhile many of the commercial and industrial buildings there have been left to rot, some are in need of demolition. Some parts of the parcel are in need of pollution remediation as a result of their industrial origins. City officials continue to negotiate with the potential developers and timeline for a decision has not been decided upon.Source: April McGrath, assistant city manager for YpsilantiWriter: Jon Zemke

Saint Joseph Mercy moves forward with Saline Hospital expansion

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 14, 2009

Stalled until recently, work is restarting on the expansion of the St. Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital Community Health Pavilion.Parent company Trinity Health put the project on hold in October while corporate officials reviewed non-emergency capital spending projects. At the time, a pause was ordered on all construction. Trinity Health is spending $7.8 million to add 13,000 square feet to the hospital. The new space will house a clinical laboratory, imaging center and a large community room for educational forums and events. It will also improve access for emergency, surgery and inpatient services.Work is expected to wrap up this fall.Source: Lauren Stokes, spokeswoman for St. Joseph Mercy HospitalWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M plans to save cash, planet with Climate Savers program this year

By Newsroom

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Development News

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January 14, 2009

One of the ways the University of Michigan is dealing with tough economic times is cutting down its energy costs. The latest initiative is the Climate Savers Computing Initiative where university officials are working to cut energy consumption in its IT department. The plan is to cut 10 percent of energy use within two years to save a few million dollars, and to help the planet, too.The university is going to accomplish this by using more laptops and making sure they’re Energy-Star rated. Staff will shut off all electronics, such as printers, during off times and using sleep mode for shorter periods. Printing will only be used for final versions of reports and printed on both sides of paper. Consolidated server rooms and data centers will be implemented when possible and U-M will develop a green purchasing strategy that focuses on energy-efficient products. The University is also creating green academic initiatives including internships, research projects, and academic scholarships.Source: University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Vampires in Ypsilanti

By Newsroom

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Arts and Culture

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January 14, 2009

Vampires are all the rage right now, especially in Ypsilanti where a locally produced movie about them is being filmed.Excerpt:An evil blood-sucking vampire named Michael will be prowling the streets of Ypsilanti Saturday night.Evil Genius Entertainment is filming a portion of its movie “The 6th Extinction” at 4 p.m. Saturday on Park Street.The movie is about a blind date gone bad when main characters Michael and Shelly go out for dinner. Michael is bit by a vampire while Shelly is in the restroom and he spends the rest of the movie hunting her, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Read the rest of the story here.

What keeps Running Fit on the move?

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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January 14, 2009

Running Fit is getting more and more Ann Arborites to joing the race.Excerpt:The main goal of Running Fit isn't hard to define."What we try to do every day is bring people to the dark side," co-owner Randy Step said of running, a hobby he's helped build into a business. But it's not the only goal of the Ann Arbor-based company.Part of their business plan is centered on regular running events. In the past year, the store has raised tens of thousands of dollars for different causes around southeastern Michigan, including leukemia and lymphoma research and maintenance at local parks.The company was recently honored for its community service with the Ubuntu Award, an industrywide independent running store award."It works both ways because we also build a strong running community that helps build our store," Step said. "We're being recognized for what we do and what our customers understand about it."Read the rest of the story here.

Tech Transfer: Reinventing Ann Arbor’s Economy

By Jon Zemke

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Economic Development

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January 14, 2009

Tech Transfer is the university buzzword these days. Concentrate sits down with Stephen Forrest, Vice President for Research at U-M, to candidly discuss how the commercial exploitation of academic discoveries can transform Michigan's economy and create an environment for innovation and investment.

MASTERMIND: T.R. Durham

By Constance Crump

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General

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January 14, 2009

Who says you can't get great seafood in the Midwest? T.R. Durham's Tracklements and Smokery has earned an international reputation for its delectable smoked fish. How much of a reputation? In 2007 his shop sold seven tons of cold-smoked salmon.