2010 – Page 19 of 78

Beal Properties, Ypsilanti end stalemate over Thompson Block renovation

By Newsroom

●

September 15, 2010

The city of Ypsilanti and a local developer have come to an agreement about how to proceed with renovating the historic Thompson Block.To settle lawsuits between the city and developer Stewart Beal, which stemmed from issuing building permits and stopped work on the project for much of the summer, Beal has a plan for renovation: Within 30 days, a particular wall the city is concerned about needs to be repaired; within a year, the facade needs to be restored; and the whole project needs to be completed within three years. The agreed-upon plan is close to what he was shooting for, Beal says.The 3-story, Civil War-era building sits at the eastern edge of Depot Town. It has become controversial in recent years. For the latter half of the 20th Century, it was neglected and allowed to become a blight while the rest of Depot Town revitalized itself into a destination. Beal acquired the property in recent years and promised to redevelop it into a combination of ground-floor retail space and luxury loft apartments.The structure must be rebuilt after a fire last fall; Beal spent about $75,000 over the last two months cleaning after the fire and subsequent collapse, the debris from which filled up 30 dumpsters with three floors' worth of broken bricks, wood, and other construction materials. Now masonry work is in progress.Beal was encouraged by support from the state Historic Preservation Office, which granted tax credits worth 40 percent of the cost of the project, up from 25 percent. The 40-percent credit could amount to $1.6 million of the expected $4 million project cost.He's also having meetings with some potential partners, but it's too early to say who. "This building can't be done without having some tenants secured beforehand," he says."It's going to continue to be a slow and painful process, but all of these minor victories will hopefully add up to an eventual completion," he adds.Writer: Kristin LukowskiSource: Stewart Beal, developer of the Thompson Block

Zingerman’s Deli expansion gets Historic District nod

By Newsroom

●

Community Development

●

September 15, 2010

With approval from the city's Historic District Commission last week, Zingerman's Deli has cleared one of its biggest hurdles on the way to expanding its Kerrytown location."This was the most important step," says Paul Saginaw, co-founder of Zingerman's. "We're elated."Plans call for renovating most of the Kerrytown buildings and adding a denser structure behind its 2-story commercial operation. That would replace a couple of smaller houses, including one that was burned.There are still many steps to be taken to complete the project, Saginaw says. Zingerman's next hopes to receive approval for a brownfield plan, which makes the expansion eligible for special financing through the Michigan Economic Development Corp, to receive Michigan business tax credits. The company is set to go to Lansing next month. The construction start date must be deferred until final approval of the tax credits. "If you want to get tax credits on the Michigan business tax, you cannot start the process until you have a decision from them," Saginaw explains. "So we will wait for that decision, and then we will submit an application for demolition permit, and we hope to start demolition in November."They're hoping to pull the orange house to a vacant lot, redo the foundation, and move the house back for a rehab. "We would like a lot of work done before January, so November and December should be busy," he says.Saginaw says that a best-case scenario would be completing the expansion by March of 2012, which will be the deli's 30th anniversary.Source: Paul Saginaw, co-founder of Zingerman'sWriter: Kristin Lukowski

U-M draws $277M in federal stimulus research grants

By Newsroom

●

Community Development

●

September 15, 2010

The federal stimulus package has turned out to be a good thing for the University of Michigan - $277 million dollars' worth of good.The university has received about $140 million in each of the last two years in research grants from the feds. This represents a 12-14 percent bump in research expenditures at U-M."We're hoping these (federal stimulus-funded) projects will make us more competitive for the existing research grants," says Lee Katterman, project manager in the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan.The university still hopes to maintain this new level of federal research funding, however, that's still a big hole to fill. Katterman says it's not easy to predict if there will be a drop-off. "That's the million-dollar question, you might say," Katterman says.The funding has created at least 550 jobs at the university, ranging from researchers to professors. Source: Lee Katterman, project manager in the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

uRefer forecasts 100% revenue and staff growth

By Newsroom

●

Innovation News

●

September 15, 2010

It takes three numbers to measure uRefer's year-over-year revenue growth, with double digit staffing increases expected next year.The Ann Arbor-based start-up is on pace for 100 percent growth in 2010 and expects to double that in 2011. It has added four people this year; staffing levels now stand at 10 employees, four independent contractors, and two interns. It expects to add 10 more positions in 2011. Founder Richard Beedon expects to fuel the company both internally and with new seed capital."We will probably close a venture round in 2011," says Beedon.The 3-year-old uRefer specializes in referrals. It originally helped companies to either set up referral programs or maximize existing ones. Today it has evolved its business model to what Beedon calls "advocate relationship management." The idea is to turn the customers, partners, and overall circles for uRefer's clients into their biggest advocates."Our approach is to convert these people into sales and marketing representatives for them," Beedon says.Source: Richard Beedon, founder of uReferWriter: Jon Zemke

Saline’s JAC Products to add 87 jobs; diversifies into lithium ion batteries and solar panel racks

By Newsroom

●

Community Development

●

September 15, 2010

The diversification of JAC Products is a move that is allowing the Saline-based automotive supplier to add dozens of jobs.The 43-year-old Tier 1 supplier recently received a $572,000 state tax credit over the next five years to help fund its expansion. The deal should mean another 87 jobs, thanks to a $6.2 million project. Most of those jobs will be created in the first few years of the tax credit, which was awarded by the Michigan Economic Development Corp.JAC Products primarily makes automotive exterior parts, such as roof racks. It has recently expanded into manufacturing both lithium ion batteries and solar panel racks. The tax credit helped persuade the company to expand at its work spaces in Saline and Shelby Township instead of its plant in Georgia."It (the diversification) will help dampen the cycles in the auto industry," says Dan Smoke, CFO for JAC Products. "They call this a cyclical industry for a reason."The new expansion will add 30,000 square feet to the company's Saline operations. That's where the bulk of its workforce is located. The company employs 412 people, with about 35 located at its Shelby Township plant and a few engineers in Pontiac.Source: Dan Smoke, CFO for JAC ProductsWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor Pharmacometrics Group expands research staff

By Newsroom

●

Innovation News

●

September 15, 2010

Ann Arbor Pharmacometrics Group is growing a little bit here and a little bit there; no easy accomplishment in the 3-year-old company's niche industry.The Ann Arbor-based start-up conducts mathematical statistical modeling for quantitative drug development for the pharmaceutical industry. The complex math optimizes costly clinical trials, saving big bucks. It also means that finding that level of talent is not easy, which explains why the company hired just one person last year, expanding its staff to five people and an independent contractor."There is a demand but the supply is not enough," says Sunny Chapel, vice president of Ann Arbor Pharmacometrics Group. "It's really difficult to grow, but the work is there."Chapel, Ken Kowalski, and Matt Hutmacher, all ex-Pfizer workers, started Ann Arbor Pharmacometrics Group shortly after the pharma giant closed its Ann Arbor campus in 2007. The trio had an offer to follow Pfizer out of town, but decided to stay in Ann Arbor and start their own business. Since then they have been booked solid. The company should grow organically for the foreseeable future, albeit at a slower pace in the competitive arena."We strive for quality work," Chapel says.Source: Sunny Chapel, vice president of Ann Arbor Pharmacometrics GroupWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor-based Sakti3 scores $4.2M VC investment

By Newsroom

●

Economic Development

●

September 15, 2010

And the latest winner in the venture capital game is … Sakti3. Come on down and collect your $4.2 million!In what's becoming a common occurrence, the downtown Ann Arbor-based start-up recently received $4.2 million in seed capital. GM Ventures, the VC arm of General Motors, contributed $3.2 million. Japan-based Itochu Technology Ventures added another $1 million.Sakti3 spun out of the University of Michigan two years ago as a developer of new lithium ion battery technology that is pushing forward the electrification of the automobile. It now has nearly 20 employees and a few independent contractors. It has open positions for specialists such as engineers with multiple advanced degrees."We're in very active hiring mode," says Ann Marie Sastry, CEO of Sakti3. This is the first venture capital round for Sakti3. The company has already raised millions of dollars from the likes of Farmington Hills-based Beringea and Khosla Ventures, a prominent VC firm in Silicon Valley specializing in green technology.Sakti3 plans to not only use the new infusion of cash to further develop its technology, it also expects to partner with GM to push forward its product development. Sastry calls this new partnership a "home field advantage" in a "very competitive" industry. "We're definitely trying to take advantage of that."Source: Ann Marie Sastry, CEO of Sakti3Writer: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor was the set for three movies premiering at Toronto Film Fest

By Newsroom

●

Arts and Culture

●

September 15, 2010

It's not just what's in Ann Arbor's water that has filmmakers drinking the Tree Town Kool Aid. Ann Arbor-made films are surfacing in some prominent places.Three of the five Michigan-made movies premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival were shot, at least in part, in Ann Arbor. That's more than any other southeast Michigan municipality, including Detroit. Other local communities also served as filming locations, including Dexter, Chelsea, and Ypsilanti. The reason for this phenomenon includes the variety of locals, ranging from urban to rural, and the overall high quality of life. "It's also a city where the cast and crew can enjoy themselves when they're not filming," says Michelle Begnoche, spokeswoman for the Michigan Film Office.The three movies created 687 local jobs and spent more than $33.2 million. They include:- Conviction, a Tony Goldwyn film about a working mother who puts herself through law school so she can represent her wrongfully convicted brother. The $10.8 million production created 332 jobs and stars Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Juliette Lewis and Minnie Driver.- Stone, a $14.8 million movie that put 186 local people to work. The film stars Robert De Niro, Ed Norton, and Milla Jovovich, and is directed by John Curran. It's about a convicted arsonist trying to manipulate a parole officer through his beautiful wife.- Trust is about a teenage girl who is targeted by an online predator. The $7.6 million film employed 169 people and stars Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Liana Liberato and Viola Davis. It's directed by David Schwimmer. Source: Michelle Begnoche, spokeswoman for the Michigan Film OfficeWriter: Jon Zemke

Video Tech Brewery

By Keith Jefferies

●

Economic Development

●

September 8, 2010

From $50 desk rentals to million dollar start-ups, Tech Brewery is a coworking space that caters to Ann Arbor's tech entrepreneurs. Professional collaborations, tech meet-ups and beer-fueled social gatherings are all part of the mix in this innovative workspace.

Downtown Ypsilanti solar panels go up, catch rays

By Newsroom

●

Community Development

●

September 8, 2010

Over the last five months, solar power has supplied Ypsilanti's City Hall with on average 2.6 percent of its energy needs, a number that Dave Strenski hopes is a starting point.July and August both saw greater than 2 percent of city hall's power usage come from solar, and it was actually at a higher percentage in April and May. Less overall power was used during the spring months because the demand for air conditioning was lower."Hopefully, we'll see the on the graph in the next couple of months that it's 3 or 4 percent more solar, because we use less DTE power," Strenski says.The new solar panels, installed earlier this year in an awning on the south side of the building, were part of a grass roots project, Solar Ypsi. Strenski heads up the group and first thought of the project years ago.There haven't been any issues or problems yet with Ypsilanti's solar panels, and other municipalities have been contacting him to learn about the project and how it can be replicated. Daily, weekly, and monthly usage is compiled and can be seen here. Red bars indicate that the majority of the building's power comes from DTE Energy, but a little sliver of yellow indicates what is generated by the solar panels. Strenski hopes that little sliver can become a larger band when the weather cools down.Also, as part of the DTE SolarCurrents program, the city recently received a check for $5,900, not bad considering a state grant paid for the panels. He says that money will be reinvested in other green technology for the city. And down the road, those panels will hopefully save even more money: "It's good to do for the city, for its own economic benefit," he says.Solar Ypsi is still hoping to install solar panels on the bakery of the Ypsilanti Food Co-op later this month; the co-op already generates an impressive amount of solar energy. Next month, Strenski is participating in the National Solar Tour to demo the systems of both the city hall and the co-op to anyone interested in that technology.Source: Dave Strenski, volunteer with Solar YpsiWriter: Kristin Lukowski