2010 – Page 56 of 78

Work begins on Ypsilanti roundabout

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March 31, 2010

Another roundabout is coming to Washtenaw County, this time to Ypsilanti.The Washtenaw County Road Commission is getting ready to begin construction (April 12) on a roundabout at the intersection of Whitaker and Stoney Creek roads. The $1.5 million project is set to wrap up by the end of July, helping ease traffic flow at what isn't supposed to be an intersection."It's a little bit of an odd configuration," says Sheryl Soderholm Siddall, assistant director of engineering at the Washtenaw County Road Commission. "This is an opportunity to correct it and improve the aesthetics."Complicating matters for years is that intersection was on a curve, limiting visibility in some places. This project will not only help straighten it out a little, but calm down traffic at the intersection just south of I-94.The traffic circle will be similar to the ones at the Maple Road exit for M-14 on the north side of Ann Arbor. It will be friendly to both pedestrians and bicyclists with trails along the intersection. It will also feature landscaping.Source: Sheryl Soderholm Siddall, assistant director of engineering at the Washtenaw County Road CommissionWriter: Jon Zemke

Work on Ypsilanti Freighthouse gears up for summer

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Community Development

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March 31, 2010

Constructions workers will be doing some heavy lifting on the Ypsilanti Freighthouse this summer, and laying the foundation for it this spring.Work has begun on the first phase of the $500,000 redevelopment project. It includes restoring foundation stone and pouring concrete piers that will support new steel beams that will serve as the building's rib cage. "That will stabilize the building," says Ed Penet, chair of the building committee for the Friends of Ypsilanti Freighthouse.The Freighthouse received a $500,000 state grant last summer for rehabilitation work to turn the historic building back into a community center, as well as the Ypsilanti stop on proposed Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter train line. Bids for the project came in about half of what the friends committee budgeted for, allowing it to add a second phase to the project."It came in quite a bit below what we expected, leaving about $250,000 on the table," Penet says. He adds that the friends group recently received permission from state officials to use the rest of the money on more improvements.Those improvements will be included in the second phase of the project, which is expected to go out to bid in May with construction beginning by Memorial Day. That phase will include repairing and replacing the decks around the building, repairing, cleaning and sealing the brick work and finish stabilizing the building."By the end of Phase 2 at least the structure will be stabilized," Penet says. "Then the work begins on the interior."The friends group is also raising money to continue that work, which includes repairing the interior floors and other parts that will make the building more comfortable. If it raises $25,000, the Community Foundation will match it and then double it for a total of $100,000.The friends group will hold a fundraiser at 6 p.m. on April 19 called the Train Stops Here. It will include entertainment and an auction. Tickets cost $35 and are for sale at the Mix, Hobbs, Sidetracks and at YpsilantiFreighthous.org.Source: Ed Penet, chair of the building committee for Friends of Ypsilanti FreighthouseWriter: Jon Zemke

AATA extends Chelsea commuter bus service

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Community Development

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March 31, 2010

The Chelsea commuter bus is about to enter its second year of life and with some significant changes to help improve ridership.The commuter bus runs between Chelsea's Arctic Coliseum and downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan four times a day. The idea is to provide a cost-effective and sustainable form of transportation for downtown and university workers who lives outside of the city. The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority received a $195,000 federal grant for the service in 2008 for a two-year pilot.AATA plans to makes some significant changes this year to help beef up ridership levels that have been below expectations. Among those are switching to AATA buses (they had been using Indian Trail buses) that will come with Wi-Fi capability. AATA also plans to lower the prices for passengers.Thirty-day passes used to go for $125 will now cost $99 as of June 1. Ten-ride passes will be available for $40 and one-way tickets wll for $5 cash. University of Michigan Employees and downtown employees who participate in the go!Pass program can purchase 30-day passes for even less.For more information on the route, click here for the Facebook page patrons of the bus have created.Source: Mary Stasiak, spokeswoman for the Ann Arbor Transportation AuthorityWriter: Jon Zemke

Washtenaw Comm College in downtown Ann Arbor?

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Development News

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March 31, 2010

Washtenaw Community College is considering a new satellite campus and downtown Ann Arbor is at the top of its list.The college's leadership seriously considered signing a lease for 30,000 square feet of space in the Talley Hall Building (behind Border's downtown location) but backed away when budget constraints pushed the option onto the back burner. McKinley then offered the space at $10.50 a square foot with an option to build out the space."The price was very, very attractive," says Larry Whitworth, president of Washtenaw Community College. "We almost struck a deal with them."That hammer never swung because the state's budget cuts to higher education funding, its need to contribute more to retirement funds and decreasing local tax revenues. The expansion into downtown Ann Arbor seems at least two or three years down the road."At this point we're waiting for an economic rebound in Washtenaw County," Whitworth says.What made downtown Ann Arbor attractive is the fact that it's the county's main population center and could serve as the gateway for patrons from the west side of the county. The primary reason for this is because downtown serves as a mass transit hub for the county. Plus, the college's main campus (east of Ann Arbor) makes the idea of a downtown Ypsilanti campus redundant."We do an extremely good job serving the eastern side of the county," Whitworth says.Source: Larry Whitworth, president of Washtenaw Community CollegeWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor campus helps Toyota earn green cred

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Community Development

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March 31, 2010

Toyota is known for its green reputation, but would you guess that Ann Arbor plays a role in making that reputation a reality?The world's biggest automaker's Ann Arbor campus (just south of the city) is part of the reason Toyota's manufacturing arm recently won a ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award from the EPA. The Ann Arbor campus, which opened two years ago, also received Gold LEED certification."Our priority is always to maximize the building efficiency as much as possible," says Victor Vanov, specialist external affairs for Toyota Manufacturing. Toyota received the gold certification by redeveloping a brownfield site, which used to be an old mental hospital. It razed the existing building and reused many of the old bricks. It also used nearly 40 percent of the installed recycled materials in the building were from within a 500 mile radius and reduced water use through planting low maintenance landscape and reduced/waterless fixtures.Toyota’s U.S. manufacturing operations have received 14 Energy Star Plant Awards from the EPA, recognizing each facility's energy performance over the past year and scoring in the top 25 percent of its industry. The 2010 Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year after year. These winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting and achieving aggressive goals, employing innovative approaches, and showing others what can be achieved through energy efficiency.Source: Victor Vanov, specialist external affairs for Toyota ManufacturingWriter: Jon Zemke

LLamasoft makes room for new hires in new Ann Arbor space

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Economic Development

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March 24, 2010

Downtown Ann Arbor's First National Building has the old timey look of a successful, starched-collar business establishment. Its architectural flourishes, both inside and out, scream old money. You can almost imagine fat cats making the business world revolve around cigars and backroom deals.But that's not what's really inside. Especially if you visit the building's fourth floor. That's where LLamasoft has made its new home, taking over 5,000 square feet of space, double the size of its old office. LLamasoft, a software logistics firm, is the quintessential start-up, filling its space with eye-catching art and young workers (whose attire sometimes makes an artistic statement of its own)The pairing of the firm to the building is evidence that some of Ann Arbor's up-and-coming start-ups are coming of age. As LLamasoft becomes more established and fills its new space with more staff, it'll help reshape Ann Arbor's entrepreneurial ecosystem."Obviously space matters, a lot," says Don Hicks, president and CEO of LLamasoft. "Often times it impacts you in subtle ways."For instance, LLamasoft's old offices were so small that one of its employees jokes that the new space means they're not working on the lunch table anymore. Nevertheless, double duty at the lunch table encouraged the staff to constantly bounce ideas off of one another, creating motion, emotion and new ideas. The new space is much more spread out with a couple of conference rooms and plenty of elbow space. That meant LLamasoft's leadership had to reinvent the company's internal communications.LLamasoft expects to return to those crowded days soon. It has expanded its staff to 30 people with 25 at its Ann Arbor office. It expects to break the 50 employee mark within the next three years. The company is hiring two more University of Michigan grads this month, adding yet more young people. Generation X and Y pretty much run the show. The wise-cracking employee mentioned above actually had to move out of his frat house when he came to work for LLamasoft."We buck the trend when it comes to this," Hicks says. "Supply chain logistics is known for being stodgy and old."Though LLamasoft is becoming more established and moving into spaces once dominated by the old guard, it brings with it a new perspective... which 50 years from now will probably seem similarly stodgy.Source: Don Hicks, president and CEO of LLamasoft and Gary Bobalik, director of marketing for LLamasoftWriter: Jon Zemke

Logic Solutions merges with Ann Arbor’s Arachne Web Tech

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Economic Development

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March 24, 2010

Ann Arbor's Logic Solutions has acquired cross-town rival Arachne Web Technologies. The merger is part of Logic Solutions plan to expand its company this year through organic growth and acquisitions. It hopes to support those goals with more hiring, some which has already happened."We hired several new staff at the beginning of the year, and we are prepared to handle all the needs of our new customers," Logic Solutiuons' COO Bruce Richardson said in a statement. "Given the projections for company growth, we anticipate additional hiring in late 2010."Logic Solutions has a staff to 27 people (between its Ann Arbor and Ford offices). The 15-year-old software development firm specializes in software and creating smart-phone applications. It has a significant presence both here in Ann Arbor and also abroad in China. There it is has offices in Nanjing, Beijing and Shanghai and employs nearly 100 people.Source: Angela Kujava, marketing director for Logic SolutionsWriter: Jon Zemke

MedHub doubles revenue, plans to hire 3 in Ann Arbor

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Economic Development

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March 24, 2010

MedHub has some big expectations for 2010. The Ann Arbor-based firm recently signed two major new contracts and is looking to hire three people right now. It also expects to announce the signing of two other major teaching hospitals this spring."They're big. They're Top 10 teaching hospitals you have heard of," says Peter Orr, president of MedHub. "One of them has a team playing in the NCAA tournament and the other is overseas. And we have quite a few other things in the pipeline that will make 2010 a big year."The 7-year-old firm, a University of Michigan spin-off, uses web-enabled enterprise residency management solutions to improve communication, collaboration and residency information management in teaching hospitals. Simply said, it provides a system that tracks residents and fellows (advanced medical school students who aren't quite full doctors). It makes hospitals get all of the Medicare reimbursements they are entitled to, which means more than $85 million for U-M Hospital.MedHub currently employs four people and is making plans to start an internship program this year. It’s also looking at hiring even more people later this year. MedHub recently signed an agreement with Kaiser Permenente in northern California. That teaching hospital has more than 200 in-house physician trainees and over 700 rotators training from the likes of Stanford University, The University of California – Davis and the University of California at San Francisco. Recent signings like this has allowed MedHub to double its revenue already this year compared to 2009. Orr expects his company's revenue to continue to multiply this year as he goes after bigger fish in the teaching hospital pool.Source: Peter Orr, president of MedHubWriter: Jon Zemke

Google Fiber means 2 things to Ann Arbor: Choice, opportunity

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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March 24, 2010

When Steve Pierce thinks about what Google's Fiber community would mean for Ann Arbor or Saline/Pittsfield Township he weighs the long-term impact. The co-founder of Wireless Ypsi and expert of just about all things Internet sees the Google pilot program providing two things most people aren't talking about: Opportunity and choice.Choice, as in competition between Internet service providers, who will be forced to provide better service at an even better price. Opportunity, as in the economic opportunities this will provide for Washtenaw County."That connection provides opportunity for entrepreneurs whether it’s a start-up or a big company," says Pierce, who lives in downtown Ypsilanti and runs his business from his laptop. "Bandwidth is king. No matter how fast your connection is you could always use more."Google plans to build and test ultra-high speed broadband networks in a small number of communities across the country. These lines will stream data at 1 gigabit per second, about 100 times faster than most Americans get through their current cable and DSL providers.Ann Arbor got on the bandwagon quickly, launching A2Fiber, a Facebook fan page, a YouTube contest and other online efforts to rally support for its application. The University of Michigan and Ypsilanti are backing Ann Arbor's effort. Saline and Pittsfield Township are filing a competing joint application. As for the local media's talk of competition between the two applications, Pierce thinks its irrelevant."It doesn't matter who the heck wins," Pierce says. "We just need to get this to the county. We need to get past the first round so the Google people will come here and check us out."Pierce believes that Google is looking for a community of about 250,000 people, meaning it wouldn't just be Ann Arbor or Saline/Pittsfield Township alone. It would probably be Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, such as the city, the adjacent townships and probably some nearby towns. That would actually play to Washtenaw County's favor because the general Ann Arbor area features both urban, suburban and rural settings for Google to test. Local municipalities also have an educated population and business community with an almost unquenchable demand for Internet. But even if Google just choose to set up the project in downtown Ann Arbor, the economic ripple affects would be felt for miles away."It's still going to help Ypsilanti because it's going to attract more people to the community," Pierce says. "We are they going to live? Some are going to live in Ypsilanti. Some are going to shop and eat in Ypsilanti. It's going to be huge for the community if we can land these guys here."Source: Steve Pierce, co-founder of Wireless Ypsi.Writer: Jon Zemke

New U-M mini generator utilizes ambient vibrations

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Innovation News

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March 24, 2010

It looks like researchers at the University of Michigan have come up with the 21st Century version of the self-winding watch.Khalil Najafi and Tzeno Galchev, chair of U-M's Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept and a doctoral student in that department, have create a tiny generator that harnesses electricity from random, ambient vibrations. It generate enough energy to power smaller tech appliances, like a wristwatch or pacemaker."It will become a sizeable segment of the battery market, but I don't think it will replace batteries," Galchev says.The Parametric Frequency Increased Generators, created in U-M's Engineering Research Center for Wireless Integrated Microsystems, can harness kinetic energy that is usually wasted from people moving their limbs or traffic driving over a bridge. These new devices, which measure about a centimeter tall, could be used to measure stress in bridges. The idea is to warn them if cracks develop or other things that compromise the bridges safety.Source: Tzeno Galchev, doctoral student at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke