2010 – Page 74 of 78

Michigan debuts new Pure Michigan Living website

By Newsroom

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January 27, 2010

Pure Michigan isn't just about tourism anymore. The state's Housing Development Authority and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) have launched PureMichiganLiving.com. The new website features all the things people need to know about living, working and playing in the Great Lake State, by sharing stories about the high quality of life here. Michigan is hosting a week-long contest where local residents can tell their "Why I Choose Michigan" stories and win a weekend getaway package in the Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa or Detroit's newly refurbished historic Westin Book Cadillac Hotel. The idea is to create at least 1,000 entries between Jan. 26 and Feb 1. Issue Media Group (Concentrate's parent company) is involved in the campaign. For information, click here.

AATA prepares for busy year in mass transit

By Newsroom

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Development News

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January 27, 2010

2010 promises to be a watershed year for the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority, with the mass transit agency investing in infrastructure, planning to build more service, gearing up for the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail service to begin, and exploring the idea of becoming a county-wide agency.The Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail train is still expected to pull into stations in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti this fall. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, which is quarterbacking the project, has nailed down $3.5 million in funding from the federal government and is applying for even more federal funding. It has also reached an agreement with railroad companies that own the track and is ironing out other behind-the-scenes details.AATA is also exploring the possibility of becoming a transportation agency that could cover all of Washtenaw County. A recent telephone survey shows that 72 percent of 1,100 registered county voters called transit services extremely or very important. Another 51 percent of voters said they would probably or definitely support a county-wide transit millage.AATA recently opened the new Plymouth Road "Park & Ride" Lot at the US-23/Plymouth Road interchange on the city's northeast side. The parking lot contains 260 parking spaces and a covered parking area for 20 bicycles. It will be serviced by AATA’s Route 2 Plymouth. AATA has also decided to demolish and rebuild the Blake Transit Center in downtown Ann Arbor. About 5,000 bus riders pass through the station each day on a transit system that has doubled its ridership in the last 22 years. AATA estimates the project will cost between $2.7 and $3.7 million.The new transit center will be designed to include an interactive public lobby/waiting room with a capacity of 60-75 people, information kiosks, a concession space, expanded public restrooms, a public board room accommodating 60-75 guests, a computer room, an improved employee lounge area and additional facility storage space. For information on the project, send an email to aatainfo@theride.org.Source: Southeast Michigan Council of Governments and Ann Arbor Transportation AuthorityWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M’s Delta Upsilon plans to restore Albert Khan house

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 27, 2010

Another one of Ann Arbor's Hill Street beauties is about to become, well, beautiful again. Or, at least, that's the plan. Delta Upsilon has decided to renovate its chapter house at the University of Michigan.The fraternity owns 1331 Hill St., a grand Tudor-revival structure accentuated by exposed timbers on the outside surrounded by stucco. Its interior is resplendent with ornamental woodwork, plaster and Pewabic tile. Read more about its history here.The 107-year-old house is the handiwork of Albert Kahn and serves as the world famous architect's most notable work because it is one of the earliest surviving examples of his non-industrial, non-commercial work. Kahn is famous for designing such world-renowned buildings like the Ford Rouge Plant and the Fisher Building in Detroit and The Ann Arbor News building in downtown Ann Arbor.The mansion burned about two years ago, suffering immense damage. Its future has been uncertain until recently. The fraternity plans to rebuild the structure, although details about the project are not immediately know. Repeated calls to the fraternity's national offices were not returned.When work is finished, it will return to its place of prominence among a number of grand mansions that serve as homes to the university's Greek organizations. Many of those homes line Hill between State Street and just east of Washtenaw Avenue. "We are very fortunate to have housing like this," says Mary Beth Seiler, director of Greek Life at the University of Michigan.Although these buildings are magnificent to look at they do have their challenges. Most of them are about 100 years old and require extensive upkeep. Think of the home in the movie The Money Pit Some Greek organizations also take better care of these mansions than others. However, these house also serve as the beacon for alumni who once enjoyed the advantages that Greek life offers."It means a lot to the alumni to have something to come back to," Seiler says.Source: Mary Beth Seiler, director of Greek Life at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Michigan Islamic Academy plans to double space in Ann Arbor with expansion

By Newsroom

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Development News

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January 27, 2010

The Michigan Islamic Academy is making plans to double down on Ann Arbor by doubling the size of its Pre-K through 12 school.The school has been on Plymouth Road on the city's northeast side since 1987. It now has about 10,000 square feet of classrooms and a temporary trailer there for its school of 204 students.The new plans call for building a 10,000-square-foot addition that will stand three stories tall. It will have space for eight classrooms and a cafeteria. The current school only has eight classrooms. "The new expansion is going to concentrate and put everyone under one roof so we don’t have to use any temporary facilities," says Tarek Nahlawi, the program manager for the Michigan Islamic Academy.The $1.5 million project is still in the planning stages and has yet to go before the city's Planning Commission. Nahlawi hopes to begin work this summer and wrap it up within nine months.Source: Tarek Nahlawi, the program manager for the Michigan Islamic AcademyWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor to bring W Stadium into sustainable 21st Century

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 27, 2010

The rebuilding of Stadium Boulevard continues its march east this spring when the city plans to rebuild another section of the thoroughfare.The city will completely revamp the corridor between Pauline and Seventh streets just west of Pioneer High School. Its part of a larger project that has rebuilt the western section of Stadium, mainly around the commercial center on the city's west side."After this phase we don't have any more plans besides those for the East Stadium Bridges," says Elizabeth Rolla, service project manager for the city of Ann Arbor.The work will completely reconstruct the street, converting the four-lane road into a three-lane byway with on-street bike lanes on both sides. The infrastructure will also be replaced, including water, sewer and storm sewer pipes. New sidewalk ramps and ultra-energy-efficient LED streetlights will also be added.Work is expected to begin in March and wrap up in November. A public information meeting will be held on at 7 p.m. Feb 3 in the Trinity Lutheran Church, 1400 W. Stadium Blvd. For information, contact Rolla at (734) 794-6410 ext 43636 or erolla@a2gov.org or click here.Source: Elizabeth Rolla, service project manager for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M regents sign off on slew of new projects

By Newsroom

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Development News

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January 27, 2010

The long awaited renovation of Crisler Arena grabbed all of the headlines from the last week's Board of Regents meeting at the University of Michigan, but a number of other significant projects also received the green light.Among those are: The Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute plans to renovate its second floor of its laboratory building on Fletcher Street. The 10,000-square-foot project will create modern research laboratory space that will complement work done on the building's second floor. The $11.1 million project will be designed by Lord, Aeck & Sargent. A construction time table has yet to be determined.Couzens Hall will undergo a $49 million renovation that is expected to wrap up in the summer of 2011. The project on the university's Hill area will update the 180,000-square-foot building's mechanical systems and make it ready for the 21st Century. That includes high-speed wireless access for the dormitory's 560 students.The North Campus Research Complex (the old Pfizer campus) will receive $1.8 million in freshening up. About 92,000 square feet of the building will be repainted and have new carpet installed by this spring. Source: University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

EMU set to begin work on Pray-Harrold renovation in spring

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 27, 2010

Construction crews are gearing up to start work on the Pray-Harrold Building at Eastern Michigan University.Work on the $42 million renovation project is expected to begin this spring. Construction workers will be replacing many of the core systems in the building, such as electrical and mechanical. This will be the first significant work done on the building since it was built in 1969.The university also wants to make the building more compliant with the American Disabilities Act. Furthermore, it is planning to make the 237,000-square-foot structure more sustainable, pursuing LEED certification. Work is expected to wrap up in the fall of 2011.The building houses offices for EMU's College of Arts & Sciences.Source: Eastern Michigan UniversityWriter: Jon Zemke

Know Y: PSA For The D

By Kate Rose

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Community Development

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January 20, 2010

Some say Ann Arbor has it all. Kate Rose, Concentrate's generational correspondent, says it's time locals swam across the cultural moat and learned to take pride in what's great about Detroit.

MASTERMIND: Neel Hajra

By Constance Crump

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Community Development

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January 20, 2010

It took a bit of bouncing around but Ann Arbor native Neel Hajra finally found a home at NEW Center, where he's the CEO of the nonprofit that lends a hand to other nonprofits. Combining entrepreneurship, organizational guidance, and technological support, NEW has proven to be an invaluable asset for local boards and organizations.

Greenbelt begins to take shape around Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 20, 2010

Ann Arbor's fledgling Greenbelt is starting to hit its stride as attractive land prices for agricultural land are meeting a growing pot of money focused on keeping them there.Excerpt:Members of the Webster United Church of Christ - the oldest continuously used church in Washtenaw County - say they thought long and hard before agreeing to relinquish the development rights to 94.4 acres behind their aging building.The fact that the land was historically used for agricultural purposes was a major consideration when the congregation decided to accept the $613,000 offer by the city of Ann Arbor's Greenbelt Program. That will ensure the property can't be developed and will remain forever preserved as open space.Now entering its seventh year, the Ann Arbor taxpayer-funded Greenbelt Program is making strides. Administrators of the program are reporting 2009 was one of the most successful years to date. After the purchases of multiple properties in Webster Township, an actual greenbelt is starting to form around Ann Arbor. The congregation of the Webster United Church of Christ recently decided to relinquish the development rights to 94.4 acres of property to the city of Ann Arbor's Greenbelt Program."The congregation overall felt that it was important to maintain the property," said Jim Kulp, chairman of the church committee that evaluated putting the land into the preservation program. "We felt that it would be best to utilize it as a green space area, and when we learned of the Greenbelt Program, we looked into it and it appeared to be an excellent program that would serve that purpose."Read the rest of the story here.