Natalie Burg

Natalie Burg's Latest Articles

Growing CRM firm Nutshell expands into 4,300 sq ft. Fifth Ave space

By Natalie Burg

●

Community Development

●

January 29, 2014

Web-based customer relationship management software company Nutshell is on the move. After outgrowing spaces on State St. and Depot St., the firm is moving from their a sublet space at Barracuda Networks into a 4,300 square foot space on S. Fifth Ave.  "When we were on Depot St. we had about 1,400 square feet," says Nutshell partner Andy Fowler. "Subletting from Barracuta is more flexible, but we're looking forward to having a space of our own. The whole team is excited."  It's shaping up to be a big year for Nutshell. After moving into their new, larger space in early February, the company is headed to their first appearance at SXSW, the famed music, film and tech conference in Austin, Texas in March. Nutshell is also introducing a new dashboard product for their clients early this year.  "We're looking forward to really moving into the spotlight over the next year," Fowler says.  The 12-member staff of Nutshell is growing on an as-needed basis, and Fowler expects the team to grow slowly as the right applicants come along for posted positions. The downtown location, which is an Oxford Company property, was a great fit for the company, as the many Nutshell staffers enjoy commuting to work via bike or by food.  Source: Andy Fowler, Nutshell Writer: Natalie Burg

Washtenaw Avenue: The region’s next best place to live?

By Natalie Burg

●

General

●

January 29, 2014

Suburban communities all around Michigan are struggling with outdated notions of development. Here, in the Ann Arbor area, you have only to look at pedestrian-unfriendly Washtenaw Ave to see the legacy of poor urban design. The ReImagine Washtenaw project hopes to correct that by creating a transit corridor where people will one day work, live and play.

Piata to be Main Street Ventures’ “most exciting” new restaurant

By Natalie Burg

●

Arts & Culture

●

January 29, 2014

Anyone disappointed by the recent closing of Kuroshio on E. Liberty won't have long to wait before another culinary adventure takes over the space. According to Main Street Venture's Dennis Serras, the Mediterranean-inspired Piata restaurant set to open May 8 will not disappoint.  "I haven't been this excited about a concept since I opened Real Safood 38 years ago. I'm just really excited abouths place I think we're going to blow the doors off.  Serras says Piata was inspired by an Italian eatery in Toronto featuring a youthful spirit and interactive dining experiences. The approximately 6,000 square foot restaurant will feature high-top dining, an open-air antipasto bar and portion sizes on both food and wines that encourage diners to try a variety of options during each meal.  "When I saw this, it absolutely clicked," Serras says. "I knew what the restaurant had to be. I wasn't going to be one those old-style Greek restaurants with Caesar's head or busts on the wall and grapes everywhere."   Piata is expected to seat about 150 diners inside, and Serras plans to create outdoor seating as well. The menu will include items from Italy, Greece, Morocco and Spain, such as braised chicken with figs, house-made yogurt cheese crustini and baked orzo. Though all renovations on the recently updated space will be cosmetic, Serras says the look and feel will be entirely new. Piata is expected to open in May with a staff of about 75. Serras anticipates the restaurant will fit in well with some of the newer downtown restaurants he admires, such as Mani Osteria, Vellum and Aventura.   Source: Dennis Serras, Main Street Ventures Writer: Natalie Burg

Mediterranean grocery store coming to Colonnade Shopping Center

By Natalie Burg

●

Development News

●

January 29, 2014

It can't be a bad sign for a restaurant if customers love your food so much they are always asking where they can buy the ingredients to make it at home. Rather than continuing to send his customers elsewhere for grocery items Zamaan Cafe owner Ali Hijazi decided to cater to them himself. Beginning in early February, fans will be able to shop right next door at Reena Market.  "They ask for some Mediterranean food items, and we thought this would be a great place for our customers and the neighbors to come and buy whatever they need," says Hijazi. The pair of businesses in the Colonnade Shopping Center on Eisenhower aren't entirely unlike another pair of businesses Hijazi co-owns. The TMAZ Taqueria on Packard is also neighbors with a grocery market featuring ingredients used in its dishes.  The 1,300 square foot Reena Market will also be stocked with convenience store items, such as refreshments and snacks that Hijazi says will come in handy for employees of nearby businesses and the neighboring apartment complexes.  "The neighbors are so excited for us to be coming here," he says.  "We've started selling a few things when people come knocking, even though we're not quite open yet.  Hijazi has been working to renovate the space, a former health food store, for about a month. The store is set to open in early February with a staff of about two employees. Hijazi owns a number of businesses in the area, and his next forthcoming project will be a Mexican and hamburger restaurant on Plymouth Rd.  Source: Ali Hijazi, Reena Market Writer: Natalie Burg

Boxwood Cottage and Home opens in Downtown Dexter

By Natalie Burg

●

Arts & Culture

●

January 29, 2014

Downtown Dexter is now a little cozier. Boxwood Cottage and Home, a home goods retail and furniture renovation space opened in late November on Alpine St. Owners Gail Hauman and Mandy Pomo off customers home decor items, chalk-based furniture paint and furniture painting workshops. The shop is the only location in Washtenaw County now carrying the unique, eco-friendly paint.  "If you haven't painted furniture before, there are so many techniques to learn," says Hauman. "We provide all of the supplies, and we just have a lot of fun. It's a really fun way to bring new life into the furniture you already have." Hauman and Promo chose the homey, 550 square foot space for its proximity to downtown. After putting their personal touch on the interior, Hauman says customers are finding the show room cozy enough to call home.  "We have a lot of support from people in Dexter," Hauman says. "They love the space. People just want to sit down and read. It's very homey and cozy."  Boxwood Cottage and Home is currently staff by the owners. In the spring, they plan to invest in extensive landscaping and expand their inventory to include yard and gardening decor. They are currently celebrating the recent launch of their website, and hope to add ecommerce to the site in the future.  Source: Gail Hauman, Boxwood Cottage and Home Writer: Natalie Burg

Gym America to expand size, staff in new $2 million facility

By Natalie Burg

●

Development News

●

January 15, 2014

Gym America is a pretty unique business, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that the growing gymnastics training facility couldn't quite find the right building to expand into among existing properties for sale in the area. Rather than settle, owner Claudia Kretschmer decided to not only build new in order to serve the 200 kids on the Gym America waiting list but to expand into new programming.  "We currently hold 700 at capacity here," says Kretschmer. "We'll be able to take at least our waiting list, which has been pretty steady throughout the past year." The $2 million, 19,000 square foot facility will be built on State St. and Hines Dr. in Pittsfield Twp. The location was perfect, says Kretschmer as it is near their current facility and will provide room for the numerous changes that will come along with the business' move. In addition to taking on students on her waiting list, she'll add dance classes, a pre-school activity area, retail space, a pre-school and more.  "It will be a certified preschool, teaching movement, language and music," Kretschmer says. "They'll be using both sides of the brain. There won't be anything electronic, it will all be using creativity and using their minds in a different way."  Work on the new Gym America building in the spring, and Kretschmer hopes to open the doors to the new facility by Thanksgiving. She expects the number of children served to jump from 700 to at least 1,000, and will hire 15 to 20 new staff members to accommodate the additional kids and programming. Source: Claudia Kretschmer, Gym America Writer: Natalie Burg

Jolly Pumkin gets new facility in Dexter, to add a taproom

By Natalie Burg

●

Arts & Culture

●

January 15, 2014

The forthcoming null Taphouse at the Jolly Pumpkin facility in Dexter has been a long time coming.  "Ever since Lori and I opened Jolly Pumpkin we wanted to have a tasting room in the brewery," says owner Ron Jeffries. "We opened with a ridiculous shoestring budget, and then we kind of went back and forth over the next ten years of having either not enough space or money at the time." After moving into a new, 70,000 square foot facility last year, the time is finally right for that vision to be fulfilled. A 5,000 square foot space in the building will be dedicated to the taproom and tasting area, the plans for which are still under development. One thing Jeffries knows for sure is that it will come together with the input of their customers.  "We always want to get our fans involved," Jeffries says. "We want them to have the opportunity to participate in building out the taproom." To support the project, customers can join a number of "clubs" by donating funds in exchange for different ways to be a part of the project, such as sponsoring a booth or having their name included on a wall. The null Taphouse will serve beer tastings, light snacks and possibly sandwiches, include seating, and will also host tours. Jeffries says customers often stop by the facility, and he's looking forward to being able to give them the opportunity to look around. An additional five to ten employees will initially be hired to staff the business. Though progress will depend on a number of factors, he hopes the taproom will be open to the public by early summer. Source: Ron Jeffries, Jolly Pumpkin  Writer: Natalie Burg

Pierre Paul Design adds more art, services in new Washtenaw Ave. space

By Natalie Burg

●

Arts & Culture

●

January 15, 2014

Pierre Paul Design has moved to a new home just a brief walk away from its former Washtenaw Ave. location. Though the distance may be small, in all other ways, the move was a big one. The new storefront, which was the former home of a PNC Bank branch in the Arlington Square Shopping Center, is 800 square feet larger than the previous Pierre Paul space, is on the first floor rather than second, and is much more visible to passersby.  "We needed more room," says Pierre Paul owner Lee Gilles. "We were more a destination business before. We're now more of a standard retail store, but everything here is connected to original art."  In addition to adding room, Pierre Paul Design has introduced new inventory, services and partnerships since the Dec. 21 move. The retail space now offers interior design services to the public, and includes a growing variety of original gifts under $100. Among the new inventory are wares from local organizations, such as the Arbor Opera Theater and Cleary University, that will be sold to support the non-profits.  "It's a win-win situation," says Gilles. "We're reaching out to community organizations that are connected to the arts to raise money for them, and they bring us unique products to sell." With a highly visible storefront and more traditional retail offerings, Gilles is expanding his hours and business days to mirror the nearby Arbor Hills Crossing. He plans to expand his four-person staff by at least three to accommodate the new seven-day schedule and later hours.   Source: Lee Gilles, Pierre Paul Design Writer: Natalie Burg

More than 170 homes included in Scio Twp. development proposal

By Natalie Burg

●

Community Development

●

January 15, 2014

More than 170 new houses could be built on a Scio Township property if a proposal is approved later this month. Property owner Mark Smith says the project would bring residential infill development that could help stave off suburban sprawl.  "It's a great location," Smith says of the W. Liberty Rd. property. "You're five minutes to downtown, you're two minutes to the freeway and half an hour to the airport. Going all the way back to when Scio Twp. had a master plan, it always called for this area to be developed in low density housing." Smith and his wife have been working to develop the 162-acre property for decades, with plans for golf course and single family housing falling through for various reasons. Now, however, he believes the time is right and the property well-suited for housing.  "It's been in my wife's family for a long time," says Smith. "We live on this property, and it is near and dear to our hearts, and it's a great location relative to the city." The proposed development would ultimately include 176 houses, though some of those homes already exist on the property. Plans include lots of various sizes, including space for what Smith calls "traditional suburban" homes, and others for transitional neighborhood developments, such as multi-generational and smaller homes.  A developer has yet to be selected as the Smiths await approval from Scio Township to move forward later in January. He expects the total amount of investment in the project to be in the tens of millions of dollars, and hopes, should all approvals be given, to begin site work this fall and break ground on housing in 2015.  Source: Mark Smith, property owner Writer: Natalie Burg

5 Things Ann Arbor Could Do To Attract Young Professionals (But Isn’t)

By Natalie Burg

●

General

●

January 15, 2014

Communities change whether we plan for it or not. In charting Ann Arbor's next stage responding to the needs and desires of the Millennial generation (76 million strong) is not simply a matter of indulgence but a social reality. They are, literally, our future. So how do we attract and keep the best and brightest of them? We have some ideas...