Ann Arbor

Even L.A. mourns the closing of Shaman Drum

By Newsroom

●

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.

Cooley Law School takes over old Ave Maria campus

By Newsroom

●

Community Development

●

June 10, 2009

The more things change, the more thetvstay the same. Goodbye, Ave Maria Law School. Hello, Thomas M. Cooley Law School. That's basically what 3475 Plymouth Road is saying this week.Cooley Law School plans to take over the Ave Maria Law School building on the city's northeast side this fall shortly after the Catholic law school left to chase after Tom Monohan's parochial college dreams in Naples, Florida. Cooley Law School officials see a smooth transition into 84,500-square-foot building since it was already retrofitted to be a school."Ann Arbor has great name recognition across the country," says Don LeDuc, president and dean of Cooley Law School. "We have a lot of out of state students."The Lansing-based law school has campuses across the state, including a recently opened campus in Auburn Hills. Cooley Law School originally opened its Metro Detroit campus at Oakland University before purchasing, renovating and expanding an old GM-UAW building in the shadow of the Chrysler headquarters. That campus is expected to accommodate up to 1,000 students.Cooley Law School Auburn Hills campus is going for silver LEED certification with that recently completed project. It's green features include an expansive green roof, reusing an existing building and extensive use of natural lighting. The old Ave Maria building is already up to date, so no new work has to be done. However, LeDuc points out that it is a reused building, a key green feature that is too often forgotten.Cooley Law School plans to start classes at the Ann Arbor campus in September. About 84 students have already applied to attend classes in Ace Duece. The law school hopes to accommodate up to 400 student at its Ann Arbor campus within 3-4 years.Source: Don LeDuc, president and dean of Cooley Law SchoolWriter: Jon Zemke

Video Solidica

By Keith Jefferies

●

Community Development

●

June 10, 2009

We have officially entered the realm of sci-fi style technology. Ann Arbor's Solidica makes wireless sensors that can not only communicate the status of distant vehicles and machinery, but also predict where systems might fail. It's a brave new world after all.

University of Michigan students ready solar car for its day in the sun

By Newsroom

●

Economic Development

●

June 10, 2009

The latest version of the University of Michigan's famed solar car is getting ready to ride again. Excerpt:It's sleek, it's fast, and, yes, it's powered by the sun.University of Michigan students have high hopes for the latest solar car."To win the World Solar Challenge in October," said John Federspiel, who will be a senior in mechanical engineering in the fall and is the crew chief on the solar car project.The annual race across Australia, which draws college teams from across the globe, will be the first test of the car, dubbed Infinium.U-M has placed third three times, though it has won a similar race, the North American Solar Challenge, five times.Read the rest of the story here.

AIA Mich recognizes Ann Arbor’s Traverwood library for design

By Newsroom

●

Arts & Culture

●

June 10, 2009

The Ann Arbor District Library's Traverwood branch looks like something that could be featured in Dwell or URBANLAND, which is why the American Institute of Architects Michigan chapter recognized it for its design.The AIA award jury describes Traverwood as a project that "shows a great sensitivity towards the timeless hallmarks of great design: space, materiality, lighting, form. The detailing is excellent; inventive design combined with rigorous execution."Put more simply, think modern, contemporary design, and lots of it. The library is truly a modern art masterpiece without the snideness that comment inspires. The Ann Arbor District Library built the library on four acres of green space at the southwest corner of Traverwood Drive and Huron Parkway. Northville-based inFORM studio tried to incorporate as much of the surrounding area into the design as possible.First it chose a corner of the green space so as not to disturb the rest of the natural area. It also used dying ash trees on the property to for everything from paneling to flooring to structural columns in the new library."If we're going to build here we need to be as respectful as possible," says Cory Lavigne, design director of inFORM studio.He describes the library as the urban edge or nose guard protecting the rest of the green space. He also says his firm tried to make the design complement the landscape.Source: Cory Lavigne, design director of inFORM studioWriter: Jon Zemke

Regional economic development organizations to leverage Michigan U’s in economic recovery

By Newsroom

●

Education

●

June 10, 2009

Biz incubators like Ann Arbor SPARK teaming up with major colleges like the University of Michigan could prove to be the economic engine that drives Michigan in the 21st Century.Excerpt:Relationships between regional economic development organizations and Michigan's top universities are poised to play an increasingly influential role in helping the state's economy recover from its devastating economic crisis. Central to Michigan's evolving economic development model is the tightening partnership between the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor SPARK.U-M Vice President for Research Stephen Forrest, SPARK's new chairman, said in an interview at the Mackinac Policy Conference that one of his top priorities is spreading SPARK's model across the state. He was elected chairman of SPARK after founder and possible Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder opted not to seek reelection.Forrest suggested that regional economic development organizations could drive economic activity throughout the state."We shouldn't be that concerned about it being in Ann Arbor," Forrest said. "It should be something that's good for the state and good for the region, because we're all in this together. Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor’s IMRA expansion nearly complete

By Newsroom

●

Development News

●

June 10, 2009

Work is nearly complete on IMRA America's expansion in Ann Arbor. All that's left is the asphalt paving and landscaping at the facility on the eastern edge of town.Now that construction is finished, the fiber laser company plans to start moving into the space slowly over the next year before hosting a grand opening next year."We have a lot of big equipment we need to move into the building," says Dennis Hawley, facilities manager for IMRA America.The 20,000-square-foot expansion practically doubles the firm's space. That's all research-and-development space at the company's home on Woodbridge Avenue, just east of the city limits off Dixboro Road, north of Geddes Road. It plans to fill up that extra space with 20 new employees. IMRA America is also applying for LEED certification for the expansion. Source: Dennis Hawley, facilities manager for IMRA AmericaWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor honors historic preservationists big and small

By Newsroom

●

Development News

●

June 10, 2009

Lots of little buildings or little parts of larger buildings were the big winners of the Ann Arbor Historic District Awards."It just works out that way sometimes," says Jill Thacher, historic preservation coordinator for the city of Ann Arbor.Most of the buildings are single-family houses with ages that stretch into triple digits. Even a few fraternity and sorority houses made the list this year, including the Alpha Phi Alpha house and the Phi Delta Phi house at the corner of Madison and Thompson streets in the shadow of the University of Michigan's South Quad.The circa 1916 Georgian style house has undergone extensive renovations over the years, including installation of a new roof, boiler and columns. However, it still looks the same as it did it was built. The Preservation Project of the Year went to the restoration of the Reading Room in U-M's Law Quad. That project brought the room's barrel vaulted ceilings back to life with new lighting and other work. It also replaced the floor with a cork floor, like what was originally there."The renovation was stunning," Thacher says. "The space was completely under-represented."Source: Jill Thacher, historic preservation coordinator for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

MASTERMIND: Brian Spence

By Jennifer Eberbach

●

Entrepreneurship

●

June 10, 2009

Inventing a successful game isn't, well, all fun and games. It takes creativity, persistence and luck. Former Ann Arbor school teacher Brian Spence has those attributes in spades,allowing him to take his passion for invention into the product lines of toy companies like Hasbro and Mattel.

Virtual Health, Real Success

By Leia Menlove

●

Health

●

June 10, 2009

Michigan could take a lesson from Healthmedia. From it's early struggles to find local investment to its recent purchase by Johnson & Johnson, the innovative software-as-service company has stayed committed to remaining in Ann Arbor.