Ann Arbor

Near North plans move forward in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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June 17, 2009

The Near North development continues its climb up the Ann Arbor development food chain as it makes it way through the city's Planning Commission.Avalon Housing and the Three Oaks Group want to build a 38-unit apartment building on Main Street, just south of Summit Street. The 4-story mixed-use structure would also include space for ground floor retail. A small park would go at the southeast corner of Main and Summit where the Summit Party Store currently stands, however, the city hasn't agreed to maintain a park there, yet.Twenty four of these apartments would be set aside for entry level workforce for households that make less than $33,000. Think of the restaurant workers and recent college grads who work or want to live near downtown but are often forced to find housing outside the city or in student rentals because of cost and availability. Another 14 apartments will be set aside for permanent supportive housing for people who are homeless or have disabilities.The building would replace five single-family houses lining Main Street and the Summit Party Story. However, it will go for gold level LEED certification with such big-ticket items like geothermal heating and cooling systems and green roofs. It would also incorporate a modern design.The project must be approved by the City Council before construction can begin.Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

A Main Street without cars in downtown Ann Arbor?

By Newsroom

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Development News

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June 17, 2009

Main Street in downtown is arguably the most walkable place in Ann Arbor, but turning that thoroughfare into a place only for walking? The idea is being floated again by Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje. His proposal calls for closing Main between William and Washington streets (and perhaps even to Huron) for a couple of weekends next summer. Traffic would be rerouted around on nearby streets. That section is often closed for events both big and small during the summertime weekends when that stretch of downtown is filled with pedestrians. "I constantly hear from residents about how they love that," says Hieftje, who has brought up turning Main in downtown into a pedestrian-only corridor since 2002.This idea would test to see how keeping it closed from Friday evening to Sunday during non events would play out. It would allow restaurants and retailers to stretch further into the sidewalks or even the street, giving them more space to do more business."Restaurants could use the space for another 10 tables during a peak time," Hieftje says.Hieftje plans to lead the conversation between city officials, local residents and business owners about making this experiment happen over the next year. Source: Ann Arbor Mayor John HieftjeWriter: Jon Zemke

Makin’ bacon better, Zingerman’s style

By Newsroom

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Health

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June 17, 2009

It might seem like it's impossible to improve bacon, but leave it to the folks at Zingerman's to find a way. Excerpt:I'm not really someone who makes a big deal out of the sort of single (or maybe it's "singular?") events that others are generally so fond of. I'm not bothered in the least by others making those sorts of celebrations into something more momentous. They're just not really my thing. I've never been to any of my own graduations; I don't really like going to weddings or parties, openings or the like.What I do like a lot is doing the work that leads up to them and the work that follows from them. So while I certainly don't begrudge other celebrating up a storm at their events, I'm personally really much more from the "celebrate all the small things daily" school of life. It's really working on the project, working on life, or working on whatever that's as much fun and as exciting as any particular point along the way.Read the rest of the story here and how bon appetite magazine ranked Zingerman's as one of its Top 10 barbecue restaurants here.

Downtown Ann Arbor CVS plans clear historic hurdle

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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June 17, 2009

Plans to finish turning an old house into a commercial storefront in downtown Ann Arbor cleared a major hurdle last week when the city's Historic District Panel gave the thumbs up to the idea of putting a CVS Pharmacy at 209-11 S State St."They still have to submit site plans," says Jill Thacher, historic preservation coordinator for the city of Ann Arbor. "We haven't seen those yet."The property just north of the State Theatre originally started out as a single-family house in the late 19th Century. It slowly transformed into a bordering house then a business then a storefront by the middle of the 20th Century. However, signs of the old house remained, such as its roof and gables which can be seen from a bird's eye view.CVS wants to keep the historic, 2-story façade but tear out the house and hodgepodge of additions behind it so it can build a new pharmacy there. The developer still needs to go before the city's Planning Commission and Council for approval before construction can start.Such transformations have become common in Ann Arbor as its downtown area has grown. Often what once was a line of houses turns into storefronts. Old Victorian roof peaks, windows, stair cases and plaster medallions are often still visible on these structures even though it has been decades since the last person lived there. Source: Jill Thacher, historic preservation coordinator for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Program reflects U-M dance department through the years

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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June 17, 2009

Dancers at the University of Michigan flutter off into the sunset with site-specific pieces.Excerpt:At the core of dance is movement -- forward and back, side-to-side, fast, slow, soaring, melting. So when University of Michigan dance professor Jessica Fogel took on the task of showcasing a century of dance in just a few hours, she came up with a site-specific program, to be performed at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, that will have the audience as well as the dancers on the move."Dance chair Angela Kane and I wanted the program to travel, to be the tale of three buildings: where we started, where we currently are and the building we hope will someday be," says Fogel.Read the rest of the story here and here.

Ann Arbor connects to Canton with commuter bus

By Newsroom

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Development News

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June 17, 2009

Ann Arbor continues its slow march to bring more people into the center of its city with fewer cars thanks to a $495,000 federal grant.The money will establish a commuter bus between Ann Arbor and Canton. The bus will make two trips in the morning and two more in the evening between Independence Park in Canton and downtown Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan's Central Campus and Hospital."This service will mirror the same service we have in Chelsea," says Mary Stasiak, a spokeswoman for the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority. AATA used a similar federal grant to set up the same type of service between Chelsea and Ann Arbor's downtown area. This and the Canton bus are targeting downtown workers and employees at the University of Michigan. The university estimates it has about 3,000 employees who live in the Canton area.The Canton commuter bus is expected to begin service sometime between the end of July and the end of August. The grant is expected to pay for that service for at least a couple of years as it establishes itself.Source: Mary Stasiak, a spokeswoman for the Ann Arbor Transportation AuthorityWriter: Jon Zemke

Even L.A. mourns the closing of Shaman Drum

By Newsroom

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General

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June 17, 2009

The loss of Shaman Drum is being felt 2000 miles away, across the U.S.Excerpt:Karl Pohrt, owner of Shaman Drum Bookshop in Ann Arbor, Mich., announced online today that he will close the bookstore after 29 years in business. On the bookstore's blog in a post titled "The Last Chapter," he wrote:On the advice of my accountant and my business manager, I am closing Shaman Drum Bookshop June 30. Despite a first rate staff, a fiercely loyal core of customers, a very decent landlord and my own commitment to the community of arts and letters in Ann Arbor, it is clear to me that the bookshop is not a sustainable business. ...Over a year ago we began a process to become a non-profit center for the literary arts. I am decoupling Shaman Drum Bookshop from the Great Lakes Literary Arts Center, which should simplify and streamline our IRS application. I will pursue this new venture after we close the store.Read the rest of the story here.

It’s Not Summer Until Top Of The Park Says So

By Dave Lewinski & Jeff Meyers

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Community Development

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June 17, 2009

From the top of a parking garage to the oh-so comfy confines of Ingall's Mall, for 26 years Top Of The Park has been the official signal that summer has finally come to Ann Arbor. Concentrate's Dave Lewinski captures the run up and opening night of this unique and beloved townie institution.

MASTERMIND: Peter Sickman-Garner

By Kimberly Chou

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Arts & Culture

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June 17, 2009

"Connecting the dots" for Zingerman's community of businesses by day, depicting the earthly adventures of Satan and Jesus by night, marketing manager and comic book artist Pete Sickman-Garner could be the new Wallace Stevens — only funnier.

Axiobionics plans Ann Arbor move, to create 100 new jobs

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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June 17, 2009

Ann Arbor took another one from Columbus, and this doesn't have anything to do with sports. Axiobionics has called Columbus home for 15 years, but it's packing up and heading to the land of Maize and Blue before the summer is over. The life sciences company, formerly BioFlex, is bringing its dozen or so jobs and plans to hire another 100 here within the next five years. The firm had looked at sites across the nation, but choose Ann Arbor after receiving a $1.4 million state tax credit over seven years. Locations Axiobionics considered included Arizona and Texas. The company also liked Ann Arbor's established software community and access to a top-notch teaching hospital like the University of Michigan Hospital."This is just a good environment for therapy and rehab," says Joel Dalton, vice president of Axiobionics. "That's something that Ohio lacks."Axiobionics develops and markets medical devices for pain control and neuro rehabilitation in patients with severe spinal cord and brain injuries. This therapy system uses customized electrical stimulation devices designed to improve stability, build muscles and increase circulation in prosthetic patients. Axiobionics plans to invest $2.89 million as part of its relocation. Some of those new hires that comes with that investment will be made in the near future.Source: Joel Dalton, vice president of AxiobionicsWriter: Jon Zemke