2010 – Page 72 of 78

Ann Arbor DDA moves forward on way finding, parking

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February 3, 2010

When it comes to getting around downtown, Ann Arbor's Downtown Development Authority is finishing off one project and beginning another.The DDA has installed almost all of the components of its $XX way-finding program. The signs are currently up and installed. The last thing the DDA needs to do is clean up the map stations and install the actual "You Are Here" maps throughout downtown. That is expected to be done this month.Downtown parking issues will now be moving to the front burner. The DDA is in the midst of conducting a downtown parking study at the request of city officials. It is expected to report on its finding in April and serve as a basis for future parking planning."It's great to see how the pieces of the puzzle are coming together to create a healthy and strong downtown," says Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.Source: Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development AuthorityWriter: Jon Zemke

The pros and cons of a hotel in downtown Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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February 3, 2010

Now that is appears a hotel/conference center is destined for the Library Lot in downtown Ann Arbor, local residents are going to have weigh the pros and cons of such a development.City officials have narrowed the field of X projects to two. The others have been put on hold, meaning they haven't been dismissed but don't hold your breath waiting for them to see the light of day. The leading projects come from Valiant Partners and Acquest Realty Advisors, which call for thousands of square feet of conference center, commercial space and hotels between 8-15 stories built over the underground parking garage currently being constructed next to the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown branch (the 300 block of South Fifth Avenue).Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, points out that a new hotel hasn't been built in downtown in 40 years. Such a asset would provide a busy neighbor to complement the library, nearby business district and the University of Michigan."Hospitality and tourism is a growing industry," Pollay says. "The growth Ann Arbor has seen is at the highway edges. We have not had one [new hotel] in our energetic, vibrant city center,"The downside is that the devil might still be hiding in the details. She makes the point that the city and its residents need to better research and study the proposals to make sure a mistake isn't made that could cost the city further down the line."I think we need to better understand what is proposed," Pollay says.Eli Cooper, transportation program manager for the city of Ann Arbor who is not involved with this project, voiced similar concerns and hopes for a new hotel in downtown. He says that section of the city is built for this type of intense use, since its in the middle of the downtown, near U-M's campus and adjacent to the Blake Transit Center."I couldn't think of a place that is easier to go to and from," Cooper says.He also has concerns about the details of the development. Yes, on the surface a hotel makes sense in that location. However, the developer and city officials still need to figure out how its everyday operations will fit in seamlessly with the rest of downtown. How will food and products be delivered and garbage be removed without causing a traffic snarls? How will employees and patrons be efficiently transported to and from the site?"The operational issues are a little more complicated but there is enough experience for them to be overcome," Cooper says.Source: Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority and Eli Cooper, transportation program manager for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor looks for artist for West Park art project

By Newsroom

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Arts and Culture

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February 3, 2010

The city of Ann Arbor is looking for public art proposals in West Park as part of the plans to redevelop the green space on Seventh Street just west of downtown.The City of Ann Arbor Public Art Commission and the Park Advisory Commission are looking for a Michigan artist or artist collaborators to create artwork(s) for a trio of concrete seating structures in front of the West Park band shell."We want to introduce artwork to our parks in general," says Amy Kuras, a landscape architect for Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation Services. "We're just trying to add some artistic flair."The park consists of open playing fields, the historic band shell and pergola, tennis courts, basketball, pathways, picnic areas, a playground, and a baseball field near the intersection of Seventh and Miller streets. The city has budgeted up to $10,000 for the artist and their project. More information on the request for proposals here.Source: Amy Kuras, a landscape architect for Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation ServicesWriter: Jon Zemke

New Ann Arbor B&B plans to rebuild historic house

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Arts and Culture

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February 3, 2010

A new type of demolition/rebuild is about to take place just north of downtown Ann Arbor, turning a little house into an ultra-sustainable bed and breakfast.Lansing-based Against The Grain has made plans to convert a late 19th Century home on Fourth Avenue near Wheeler Park into a greener-than-thou bed and breakfast this year for the woman who lives there. "It's a very cool house," Belous says. "We're going to save as much as we can. What we can't save we're going to reuse."The 1,800-square-foot farm house was moved to its current location in the 1920s. It will be deconstructed into a 2,800-square-foot B&B complete with organic garden. The owner plans to also hold organic cooking classes.The $350,000 investment will create a colonial-style home with columns and other architectural details that fit in with the historic neighborhood. The project is expected to take one year to complete.Source: Jason Belous, owner of Against the GrainWriter: Jon Zemke

City considers pedestrian bridge design for Ann Arbor-Saline Rd

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Community Development

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February 3, 2010

The city of Ann Arbor is getting ready to make a decision on what kind of pedestrian bridge it wants to build alongside the Ann Arbor-Saline Road.City officials are trying to decide whether to build a box-culvert adjacent to the road or a steel bridge a few feet off of it. They plan to hold a public meeting on Tuesday evening to see what direction local residents want to go."Design will begin as soon as we have a decision," says Nichole Woodward, utilities engineer for the city of Ann Arbor. "The end goal is to get this open to the public by the beginning of the football season.The heavy rains from this last summer washed away the abutments of the pedestrian bridge along the Ann Arbor-Saline bridge over Mallett’s Creek on the city's west side just north of Northbrook Drive. There is now a temporary bridge over the span. The city plans to replace the 8-foot-wide, 22-foot-long original bridge. It is heavily used by local pedestrians and bicyclists.The box culvert option would mirror what is on the opposite side of the thoroughfare and cost $235,000 to build. The steel bridge would cost $173,000. Both options have a lifespan of about 50 years and would take about three months to build. Construction is expected to begin this summer.The public meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lawton Elementary School, 22500 S Seventh St. For information on the project or the meeting, call Woodward at (734) 794-6426 ext 43909 or send and email to nxwoodward@a2gov.org.Source: Nichole Woodward, utilities engineer for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor gears up for Fuller Station work this year

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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February 3, 2010

Building a multi-modal transportation station on vacant land in front of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor isn't as easy as slapping up a bus/train station and a prefabricated parking garage. City and university officials believe it will take a few years to make the proposed Fuller Station fully operational, but work could begin later this year.The city and the university have authorized design teams to jointly make the project a reality. The university is handling the design of the facility while the city handles utility relocation, such as the moving of a 60-inch sewer main 25 feet underground.Eli Cooper, transportation program manager for the city of Ann Arbor, expects work to begin on the first phase either late this summer or early next fall. The actual transportation facility is "probably a year away.""We're in the very early phases," Cooper says.The first phase calls for building a platform that can accommodate up to four buses at a time. A parking garage with 100 spaces on the ground level and about 900 more on levels above is also being planned. The actual train station to accommodate the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line and other components, such as bike parking is expected to come on line in later phases. Local officials are going for federal stimulus dollars and other federal funds to help pay for this project.The city will hold a public information meeting on this project between 7-9 p.m. Feb. 10 in the City Council chambers of City Hall, 100 N Fifth Ave. in downtown Ann Arbor. For information, call (734) 794-6410 ext 43685 or send an e-mail ddykman@a2gov.org.Source: Eli Cooper, transportation program manager for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Video Spur Studios

By Newsroom

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General

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January 27, 2010

Spur Studios is yet another example of Ypsilanti's DIY philosophy of collective innovation and artistic community building. Attracting a confederation of artists, designers, and musicians, James Marks of VG Kids has not only turned an empty building into a hive of inspiration and creativity, but also a viable rental property.

MyBandStock.com switches up biz model

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Arts and Culture

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January 27, 2010

The little student-bred start-up that could, MyBandStock.com, is switching up its game.The year-old start-up based around selling stock in local band projects is tweaking its business plan and relaunching its website this week. The new business model focuses on connecting underground artists and fans via digital access and will feature bands based on user demand. Also, instead of just purchasing straight shares in a band, users can create their own investment through purchasing the band's material or interacting on its website. That can range from buying band merchandise to gaining access to a live stream of a video Q & A with the artist.MyBandStock.com is run by a collective of about a dozen young people and a few more behind-the-scenes investors. Think of it as a Wu-Tang Clan style of conglomeration with students and new alumni from the likes of the University of Michigan, University of Michigan-Dearborn and Michigan State University. They all work from their own virtual offices (i.e. laptop), laboring away on their passion – music. Source: Taylor Hulyk, spokeswoman for MyBandStock.comWriter: Jon Zemke

Successful ACE shows Mich ahead of the entrepreneurial curve

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Community Development

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January 27, 2010

here is a new bit of conventional wisdom forming in local circles: Michigan (the Ann Arbor area especially) is way ahead of the rest of nation when it comes to building small businesses and cultivating entrepreneurs. Some concrete evidence of that popped up last week at the Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship in Ann Arbor's Skyline High School. Attendance almost doubled, going from 550 last year to 917 last week. That helped create a buzz of optimism about the state's small business climate that seems to be hitting a tipping point."Michigan really does do certain things well," says Gerry Roston, chair of the planning committee for this year's ACE and owner of the Pair of Docs Consulting in Saline. "There are a number of organizations that support entrepreneurship. We seem to have a lot more of these than other states and they work together really well."He points to newcomers like Ann Arbor SPARK as gaining traction and working well with established organizations, like the New Enterprise Forum. A main focus of groups like this revolve around the idea of what's best for the entrepreneur. It's ethos like this that have attracted economic development agencies from Delaware and California to this year's ACE."They come to Michigan to see how it's done," Roston says.That's not to say the local entrepreneur community has arrived. There is a lot of work to be done to support these burgeoning small businesses. Chief among those is start-up capital in an environment where it seems lenders are frozen in carbonite Han Solo style."We need to grow our venture capital community," Roston says. "We have fund here. They're great funds but they're smaller funds."Which might explain one of the reasons why ACE was so popular this year. The event holds several contests that feature cold, hard start-up cash for the winners. Some of those include $1,000 for Intercollegiate Business Idea Pitch Competition (won by Ken Lange of Saginaw Valley State University for a telescoping dock), a year of corporate membership for NEF and virtual incubator tenancy in Ann Arbor SPARK (won by Howard Brown of Oak Park-based CircleBuilder) and even $140 for the Twitter Biz Idea Contest, which was won by Barbara O’Connell of Ypsilanti's WhereToFindCare.com.Source: Gerry Roston, chair of the planning committee for Annual Collaboration for EntrepreneurshipWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M research hits $1B in 2009, including $218M in federal stimulus money

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Community Development

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January 27, 2010

One billion is quite the number. That includes nine zeros, takes up 10 digits and when talking about money makes an awful lot of people happy.Those people are involved in research at the University of Michigan, which crossed the $1 billion mark, and included $218 million in federal stimulus cash, for research spending last year. It's a first for U-M."It has a substantial impact in accelerating the programs we have already," says Stephen Forrest, vice president for research at the University of Michigan. An audio link of his presentation to the U-M Board of Regents about the university's research efforts can be found here.Of course the problem with reaching new heights is staying there. A $200 million plus bump in one-time funding from the federal stimulus isn't a long-term proposition, so it seems logical the university will have to work hard to keep its research spending in the billion-dollar range. However, Forrest likes to point to trends to answer whether such spending is sustainable."We've never fallen back from a number," Forrest says. "It's always increasing."Other fun numbers recently released from the university in regards to recent research activities are: Research spending is up 9.4 percentThe university produced 350 inventions last yearEight new start-ups were licensed300 university employees are being moved into the newly acquired orth Campus Research Complex (the old Pfizer campus) Source: Stephen Forrest, vice president for research at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke