Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor’s Published Daily boot straps for growth

By Newsroom

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March 18, 2009

The seven people behind Published Daily aren't just trying to make noise with their fledgling start-up. They're trying to make relevant noise.Published Daily offers a customizable service to create online magazines, newsletters, and marketing service that costs about $1 a day. This will help their customers relay relevant information in a timely manner in a world filled with too much information. The idea is to help professionals generate more referral business. "Every other service we’ve seen is focused on just content, or just newsletter templates, and the users are forced to spend more time and money in order to get their desired result," says Gibran Nicholas, chairman of Published Daily.The seven member staff (there is also one intern) all have an equal share in the company. This self-funding allowed the company to get off the ground and move forward without things like angel investors or venture capital. The firm hopes to take in $500,000-$1 million in revenue this year.Source: Gibran Nicholas, chairman of Published DailyWriter: Jon Zemke

Quantum Learning Technologies’ virtual project to create 47 real jobs

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Economic Development

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March 18, 2009

Ann Arbor's Quantum Learning Technologies is investing $930,000 in the launch of its first educational virtual-world computer game for the consumer market.The new project is expected to create 47 jobs for the Ann Arbor community. Half of these new jobs will involve software development and the other half will require flash animation skills. The Ann Arbor-based company currently has 10 employees. “The decision to stay here, for me, was the access to resources and the cost of those resources — those two resources being people and capital,” says Quantum Learning Technologies President and CEO Alan Aldworth. “There’s also a large supply of technological resources that we need and we’ve never had a problem finding talent for the jobs we have.”The two-year-old start-up is well known among educators who use Quantum’s SkateKids Online educational Web program in the classroom. Aldworth says the growth may prompt the company to expand its physical space as well.“We have some room for expansion in the space we’re in now, but we’re probably going to need some additional space,” Aldworth says. “It will depend on how many employees we plan to add.”A $778,978 MEGA credit over seven years encouraged the company to stay in Ann Arbor rather than relocating to competing sites in Illinois and Texas.“Working with Ann Arbor SPARK and the MEDC really encouraged us to stay here,” Aldworth says. Source: Chelsea Nimiac, DP CompanyWriter: Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains.

Meeting focuses on roundabout plans for U.S. 23/Geddes

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Community Development

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March 18, 2009

The devilish details are about to come out of the roundabouts planned for the U.S. 23 / Geddes Road intersection now that the Michigan Department of Transportation will release the details about the project at a public meeting March 25.The plans call for three roundabouts for the freeway exit on Ann Arbor's east side. They will replace traffic lights at the on/off-ramps for the exit and the intersection of Geddes and Earhart Road. Roundabouts, a.k.a. traffic circles, are seen as the most cost-effective way to improve flow and relieve congestion at the intersection without expanding it. The project is also looking at improving the intersection by providing places for pedestrian and bicyclists, while also improving drainage, lighting, utilities and landscaping in the area.Roundabouts have been popping up like dandelions around Ann Arbor in recent years. A pair of them were installed at the Maple Road exit for M-14 to accommodate increased traffic from nearby Skyline High School. Another is at the intersection of Nixon Road and Huron Parkway.Modern roundabouts include a central island to guide the vehicular traffic and splitter islands at each leg of an intersection. One-way traffic moves around the central island where entering traffic must yield to the traffic already in the roundabout.Traffic circles slow and calm traffic, resulting in fewer accidents. They also decrease delays and cut down on the number of idling vehicles, reducing air pollution.They are common throughout Europe and have been appearing more frequently in North America in recent years. More common on the coasts, roundabouts and traffic circles have been popping up in southeast Michigan's suburbs in recent years.The meeting will be held between 7 – 9 p.m. in Concordia University's Student Union Riverside Room, 4090 Geddes Road. For information, contact City Project Manager David Dykman at ddykman@a2gov.org or (734) 794-6410, ext 43685. Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor orders new solar-powered parking meters

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Development News

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March 18, 2009

You might not like paying for parking in Ann Arbor but at least it's about to become a more sustainable endeavor. The city’s Downtown Development Authority has order a pilot set of solar-powered parking meters.The DDA ordered 25 solar meters and expects to install them within the next six weeks. They will be placed on Main, Liberty and State streets as the first test phase before replacing all of downtown’s 1,500 parking meters."They’ll be in the most visible places so people get used to using them," says Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.Right now traditional parking meters stand vigil over those spaces. Pollay hopes to eventually swap out the vast majority with the 175 solar-powered meters. One meter station can cover about half a dozen parking spaces. The poles for the traditional meters will remain to help mark the parking spaces for each station.The solar-powered parking meters come equipped with a solar panel that enables them to remain entirely off the grid. These stations can accept coin and credit card payments. They will also allow patrons to plug their meters from any of the stations in the city. The DDA is spending $400,000 to install the sun-powered parking meters. They cost $325,000 to buy and the DDA set aside another $75,000 for installation.Source: Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development AuthorityWriter: Jon Zemke

Is high-speed rail in Ann Arbor’s future?

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In The News

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March 18, 2009

Could high-speed rail be on the fast track to Ann Arbor? It's a dream that's starting to cross over into reality.Excerpt:It's actually not that hard to envision: the University of Michigan's Michigan Stadium in the summer packed with thousands of screaming soccer fans who filter out of the venue after the game and visit local restaurants and shops. This is the kind of image Rich Sheridan sees when he discusses why a national investment in high-speed rail infrastructure could boost Michigan's economy.Chicago, for example, is vying to host the 2016 Summer Olympics - an event that always requires dozens of athletic venues, often many miles from the city actually "hosting" the Olympics.The construction of a high-speed rail line from Chicago to Ann Arbor to Detroit would revolutionize travel and introduce countless new visitors to the state. Olympic visitors, too, perhaps."Let's say Chicago does get the 2016 Olympics. Now all of a sudden you could actually have events maybe at Michigan Stadium because it would only be a couple hours away. That wouldn't be unreasonable for an Olympic venue to be a couple hours away," Sheridan said.Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor racks up millions in federal earmarks

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Development News

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March 18, 2009

When it comes to federal dollars in Washtenaw County there is "Stimulus" cash and "Omnibus" cash. Right now the difference is we know where the Omnibus money is going and Ann Arbor is one of the big winners.Omnibus is short for the Omnibus Appropriations Act, which is the budget bill that Congress passes each year. These are notorious for earmarks, federal dollars set aside by members of Congress for projects back in their districts, which make up a fraction of overall bill (this year's earmarks total approximately 3%). What some talking heads like to decry as pork turns out to be valued funds for getting stuff done outside the beltway. That means $2.5 million in projects that will directly impact Ann Arbor. The big winners include: $950,000 for the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail project $951,500 for a wind generator for Ann Arbor's water treatment plant $381,000 for facilities and equipment upgrades at the University of Michigan Health System $237,500 for the Allen Park GreenwayThe Omnibus bill also includes language directing the Federal Transit Administration (the agency that doles out funds to build mass transit lines) to give "priority consideration" to the Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line. That project is expected to come on line in the fall of 2010.Source: Offices of senators Carl Levin and Debbie StabenowWriter: Jon Zemke

Coalition formed to save Shaman Drum

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General

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March 18, 2009

The words "Save Shaman Drum" have entered the local lexicon, as fans of the indie bookstore try to keep it an Ann Arbor institution.Excerpt:A new coalition has been formed to save Ann Arbor literary institution Shaman Drum Bookshop, according to a letter distributed Friday by University of Michigan professor Julie Ellison.The group envisions turning the store into a nonprofit "humanities commons," possibly linked in some way to U-M through a campus/community alliance.Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor Energy Office on lookout for new energy ideas

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Development News

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March 18, 2009

The Ann Arbor Energy Office doesn't have all of the answers. It's staff knows it, and that's why they're looking for your ideas.The energy office has created a list of projects it hopes to put into action with the help of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds. These ideas (about a baker's dozen) range from expanding the getDowntown program to installing more LED streetlights to creating a crash course energy efficiency program for homes.But the energy office wants more. It wants local residents to send in their ideas and suggestions for promoting more sustainable options in Ann Arbor. "Our goal is to be more transparent and let more people participate in the planning process," says Andrew Brix, energy programs manager with the Ann Arbor Energy Office.The ideas will be rated on a combination of CO2 and energy use reduction, along with job creation. All ideas must include enough information so they can be fairly evaluated and be able to be implemented within one year or less.The deadline for submissions has been extended to Friday. For information, send an email to energy@a2gov.org.Source: Andrew Brix, energy programs manager with the Ann Arbor Energy OfficeWriter: Jon Zemke

Cybernet Systems approved to bid as primary defense contractor

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Community Development

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March 18, 2009

Ann Arbor's Cybernet Systems is branching out into a whole new part of the business world.Excerpt:Ann Arbor-based engineering research and development firm Cybernet Systems Corp. this week received two contracts allowing it to bid on up to $17.5 billion in defense simulation projects through the U.S. Army Simulation, Training and Instrumentation program. The contracts themselves have only a nominal $5,000 value, but give Cybernet the standing to bid competitively with dozens of companies nationwide on military projects over the next 10 years, said Charles Cohen, vice president of research and development for Cybernet. The company signed the first of the two contracts on Monday. “The real significance is in relation to what could have happened if we had not won the contracts,” he said.Read the rest of the story here.

The Ann Arbor bubble

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Education

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March 18, 2009

Is the Ann Arbor bubble protecting the college town from today's economy?Excerpt:Just a few miles from downtown Ann Arbor, American bison roam near the M-14 entrance ramp, peacefully grazing in front of a sprawling office park.These bison aren’t exactly wild. They live at the Domino’s Farms Petting Zoo. But the visual does encourage a certain notion of an urban city surrounded by frontier.In many ways, Ann Arbor seems to be isolated. Sitting a comfortable 35-odd miles from Detroit, the city also enjoys some economic and geographic distance from the Motor City’s current woes.At just below seven percent, Ann Arbor boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. In December 2008, the most recent regional statistics available from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth, the unemployment rate in Wayne County — where Detroit is located — was 11.7 percent. The unemployment rate in Oakland County, where much of metro Detroit’s upper crust reside, was 8.6 percent.Washtenaw County’s rate was 6.9 percent, nearly four percentage points lower than the state average of 10.6 percent for the same month.Read the rest of the story here and five ways U-M benefits the region here.