Ann Arbor

Foreclosures aid Ann Arbor residential infill construction

By Newsroom

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April 15, 2009

Developers are finding innovative ways to make the foreclosure crisis work for them in Ann Arbor.Excerpt:Low lot prices caused by foreclosures are making Ann Arbor-area infill home construction easier economically. Building activity within existing neighborhoods - including teardowns and new construction - has continued relatively steadily through the housing slump, local builders said, thanks in part to the availability of cheap land through foreclosures.Tom Fitzsimmons of Huron Contracting has specialized in infill since his company began in 1991, and said lower prices on land have allowed him to sell his homes at the lower rates demanded by the market."It allows us to continue doing what we've been doing," Fitzsimmons said.Read the rest of the story here and how building small houses may be the next big trend here.

U-M fans huddle for look inside refurbished Michigan Stadium

By Newsroom

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Education

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April 15, 2009

University of Michigan diehards got a sneak peek of the newly refurbished Michigan Stadium.Excerpt:Rich Rodriguez realized his mistake almost immediately on Saturday.After being stopped by a parking attendant and asked if he had a reserved space outside Michigan Stadium's tunnel, Rodriguez showed his special parking pass and was able to slide into a spot, steps from the Junge Champions Center, where recruits waited.But getting from his car to the Junge door, a distance of about 30 yards, was difficult as he was mobbed by the fans waiting in line for the free locker room tour. Rodriguez patiently posed for photos, signed autographs as he tried to walk, only getting through once a police officer helped clear a path. He insisted he didn't want to be rude but had business inside.While he didn't expect that reception, it showed how loyal the Michigan fans are, as the line for the tour wrapped three-fourths of the way around the building for most of the 2 1/2 hour availability, with thousands being turned away simply because of time."This is why I wanted to bring my son," said Ty Coleman, an Ann Arbor resident, who had seen the old locker room 30 years ago when his cousin, Ron Simpkins, played. "It's an opportunity to see what Michigan football is all about, especially in an up-close view of the stadium."Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor buildings may only grow so tall

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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April 15, 2009

Ann Arbor is moving on up, but not too high.Excerpt:At city council’s meeting Monday evening, there was a clear consensus among councilmembers that they wanted to amend the rezoning package for the downtown that had been recommended by the planning commission. The consensus was to include an absolute building height limit.Read the rest of the story here.

Cool Spaces: Loft Living in Downtown Ann Arbor

By Leia Menlove

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Community Development

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April 15, 2009

How to attract and keep young talent? That is the question. Concentrate asked three young professionals who live in the city's hottest living commodity – the symbol of all that is youthful, urbane and hip-- the downtown loft --what they think of their digs, their town, and how Ann Arbor can attract and retain more young people just like them.

GoKnow software says learning goes on cell phones

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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April 15, 2009

GoKnow knows it's going somewhere fast in Ann Arbor. Excerpt:An Ann Arbor-based company's cell phone software that allows students and teachers to work on the go fits a new national mandate to improve U.S. education, says the founder of GoKnow Inc. Elliot Soloway, co-founder and chief strategy officer of the University of Michigan spinout, said his company's software lets K-12 students and teachers use cell phones to manage school work. Smartphones, Solowsay said, "are the next evolution of computers." Now he predicts an explosion on the national and global market for the new educational cell phone software niche. Read the rest of the story here.

Tuning in to Greenovation.TV

By Kelli B. Kavanaugh

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Arts & Culture

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April 15, 2009

Need practical advise on how to green your home? An Ann Arbor couple has launched the world's first Internet TV channel dedicated to helping you green it yourself.

Ghostly International moves to downtown Ann Arbor storefront

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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April 15, 2009

Ann Arbor's most famous record label has found a new home, luckily in its native city. Ghostly International is moving into a storefront on Maynard Street in downtown Ann Arbor. The storefront is the same location that the Obama campaign worked out of last year. The start-up record label plans to start the move in May. It's currently located in a small space in the second floor of the East Liberty Plaza building. For the time being, it's planning to just use the space for its office work, however, it's looking at the possibility of toying with some retail.Ghostly International is currently playing with a pop-up shop in Berlin. A pop-up shop allows the record label to see merchandise and records and other swag temporarily from a storefront. Such an idea is also a possibility for its Ann Arbor headquarters."If there is an interest then we would consider it," says Sam Valenti, CEO of Ghostly International.Source: Sam Valenti, CEO of Ghostly InternationalWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M’s Couzens Hall due for $49 million in renovations

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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April 15, 2009

Big money is about to start rolling into the renovation of one of the University of Michigan's historic dormitories. The U-M Board of Regents is expected to vote on a $49 million renovation project of Couzens Hall tomorrow evening.The Hill-area dormitory on U-M's Central Campus would undergo a deep renovation that would basically upgrade almost every inch of the 180,000-square-foot structure. The 5-story building would have everything from its mechanical guts replaced to its interior redesigned.The renovation will replace the plumbing, heating, ventilation, fire detection and suppression systems. The bath facilities will also be renovated and access points improved throughout the building. A high-speed Wi-Fi network and air-conditioning are in the works, and the old dining facility area is to be redesigned into a communal space for students.Couzens Hall was built in 1925 and houses 560 students. Its renovation is part of the U-M's Residential Life Initiative, which plans to upgrade and expand the student living options on Central Campus. These have ranged from multiple renovations of its historic dormitories to the construction of the new North Quad at State and Huron streets.Source: University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Entrepreneur profile: Michael Coster of Ann Arbor’s Lumen Christi Church Design

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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April 15, 2009

The Ann Arbor resident holds a bachelors of music education from Otterbein College and served four years in a Franciscan monastery. Coster doesn't have a heavy business background, but that hasn't stopped him from starting an increasingly popular church design business.Describe your business in two sentences or less?Lumen Christi Church Design works to design, create and renovate Catholic churches to make them reverent places of prayer. We design, build, create, acquire, coordinate and do whatever it takes for each specific project.Why did you decide to set up shop in Ann Arbor?Simple answer - it's where I live!What are some of the advantages to doing business here?One of our greatest promoters are the Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, who have their motherhouse convent in Ann Arbor. Our first project was theirs, and we have become their unofficial chapel designers (and they continue to grow and spread across the country, so they keep us busy)! They are also very well known in the Catholic community, so they've been the connection to many of our other clients.What do you see in Ann Arbor that other people who live outside the area don't?The shadow of the University is everywhere in Ann Arbor.What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about opening a business in Ann Arbor?Be ready for demanding clientele who can be quite particular. Also, be ready for hefty taxes.If you could change one thing about Ann Arbor, what would it be?Honestly, a more conservative community.Source: Michael Coster, co-founder of Lumen Christi Church DesignWriter: Jon Zemke

Only one type of football is played at Michigan Stadium

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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April 15, 2009

Despite reports to the contrary, only one type of football is played at Michigan Stadium. The Ann Arbor News reported that the largest venue in the nation was a potential candidate to host soccer games for the World Cup in 2018 or 2020. However, a University of Michigan Athletic Department official says it just isn't so."We have not and do not plan on having any soccer games in Michigan Stadium," says Bruce Madej, a spokesman for the University of Michigan Athletic Department.Madej went onto explain that the university received a request to host a potential World Cup match. However, university officials didn't even respond to the request. Madej himself was bewildered to see The Ann Arbor News story because neither he nor U-M Athletic Director Bill Martin knew where the story came from.Michigan Stadium has been the largest football stadium in the U.S. for decades, seating well over 100,000 people. It's currently going through an expansion that will wrap up by 2010.Source: Bruce Madej, spokesman for the University of Michigan Athletic DepartmentWriter: Jon Zemke