Dexter

Dexter decides to pass on Pilot property deal

By Newsroom

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November 5, 2008

One more option is eliminated as Dexter searches for a new City Hall. Excerpt: Village officials put the brakes on internal talks this week to purchase the former Pilot Industries building at 7931 Grand St. The village sent a letter to property owner Katie Davis and her representative John Evans at Ann Arbor-based Swisher Commercial Real Estate officially announcing intentions to back away from the deal. The business, once part of a global parts manufacturing operation based in Ontario, closed down in 2004 and has since been vacant. It was one of several sites that the council visited in July on a tour of potential office space. Most council members were impressed, and an enthusiastic discussion of the property's potential took place at a work session that same day. Read the rest of the story here.

Local winery teams up with Dexter Cider Mill

By Newsroom

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Health

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November 5, 2008

Dexter Cider Mill is known for its apple cider and donuts. Now it's about to branch into something a bit more adult --wine.Excerpt:Concerto and Rhapsody in Red - not musical works, but wines from Sandhill Crane Vineyards, a small family owned winery on the eastern edge of the Waterloo Recreation Area that teams up each year with the Dexter Cider Mill.A prime example of a "hobby run amok," the vineyard was started by retired Detroit police officer Norman Moffatt who enjoyed making small amounts of wine for decades before opening a commercial vineyard and winery.Read the rest of the story here.

Main Street Bridge gets ready to reopen in downtown Dexter

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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October 29, 2008

The second half of Dexter’s Main Street Bridge is about to come online. Workers at the Washtenaw County Road Commission plan to begin building the rest of the bridge deck next week. If all goes well and snow stays out of the forecast, county officials expect to reopen the entire bridge by the end of November. "We're thinking traffic will be allowed in the full width of the bridge right around the first week of December," says Aaron Berkholz, construction superintendent with the Washtenaw County Road Commission.The road commission has been rebuilding the old, worn out bridge for most of this year. It began by tearing out the century-old dam beneath before workers refurbished half of the bridge. The other side was left open to allow for traffic to pass. Once the first half was finished, the road commission directed motorists to the new half and began tearing out the other side. The entire project is expected to wrap up next spring when the road commission adds some finishing touches, such as paint and landscaping. The bridge is connected to a major artery into Dexter, just west of downtown. The decades-old structure had worn down to the point where its pot holes had pot holes. The dam below had ceased to be useful, accumulating sediment at one end of the creek. Removal of the dam will allow for the marsh like area to be drained and a river walk to be installed on the west side of downtown. Source: Aaron Berkholz, construction superintendent with the Washtenaw County Road CommissionWriter: Jon Zemke

My Business: Dexter Cider Mill

By Newsroom

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General

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October 29, 2008

It's that time of year again. Time for cider, donuts and dread of the coming winter.Excerpt: Not all businesses can boast of being a central part of annual family traditions. Being one of those businesses is part of what makes running the Dexter Cider Mill so enjoyable, said co-owner Nancy Steinhauer. Run by Steinhauer and her husband, Marty Steinhauer, the business has been in the family for 23 years. But the cider mill has been owned and operated there since 1886, Nancy Steinhauer said. Read the rest of the story here.

Border to Border trail expansion projects set for 2010, 2013

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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October 22, 2008

Big improvements are in the near future for Washtenaw County's Border to Border Trail.The Washtenaw County Road Commission's 5-year Capital Improvement Plan calls for building two sections along the 35-mile trail in the next five years. The plan first calls for constructing a section between Hudson Mills and Dexter in 2010. That will cost $1.474 million. A second section between Dexter and a Delhi Mills Metropark is set for 2013. The price tag for that is $800,000.About 15 miles of the 35-mile trail, stretching from the northwest corner of the county to the southeast corner, is done. The trail runs through Dexter, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti with the latest additions coming in Ypsi. There are completed segments in Ypsilanti, Dexter and Ann Arbor. Maps of those open trails can be found here. The idea behind the Border to Border Trail is not only to provide recreational options in the county, but also create another path for economic opportunity. Supporters say the trail will serve as way to connect users to the cities (and their businesses) the trail passes through.Source: Washtenaw County Road CommissionWriter: Jon Zemke

Thomson-Shore names new president

By Newsroom

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General

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October 15, 2008

One of Washtenaw County’s biggest book printers has a new president and that man is living a new way of life in Dexter. Excerpt: There are a lot of factors one can measure when considering a new job. Salary, benefits, hours, responsibilities can all be weighed against what you currently have. For Kevin Spall, one defining factor in accepting the offer to become Thomson-Shore's new president could be measured right down to the minute. His watch was telling him that time was going to play a big role in this big decision. "I left this morning at 6:50 a.m. and took the train to Manhattan and got to my desk at 9 a.m.," Spall said the week before taking over his new position. "That was my normal life living in Connecticut and working in New York City." Unless he decides to live in the Upper Peninsula, his commute time is going to be greatly reduced. So the measuring stick will compare a two-hour commute one-way to say about 15-20 minutes. At the very least, Spall is looking at around three extra hours a day to work and live. "To go from that commute to living so close to work in the Ann Arbor area is just a better quality of life and lifestyle and a very attractive proposition," Spall said. Read the rest of the story here.

Delhi Bridge added to National Register of Historic Places

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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October 1, 2008

Dexter's Delhi Bridge is now know as the Historic Delhi Bridge. Excerpt: The State Historic Preservation Office this week announced that Scio Township's Delhi Bridge was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge is one of only five Pratt through truss bridges built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company left in the state, and one of only two still in use in their historic locations. Of remaining Pratt truss bridges, the National Research Council considers 19th-century examples such as the Delhi Bridge to be of greatest significance because of the limited number of existing examples. "Bridges are some of our most picturesque, and most threatened, resources," said State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway. "Michigan is lucky to have so many examples of historic bridge construction and people who feel passionately about preserving them." Read the rest of the story here.

Dexter narrows new city hall options to three

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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September 24, 2008

Dexter has narrowed the options for its new home to three plans, but it hasn't gotten much beyond that yet.The Village Council is debating between expanding its police and fire station into a new city hall, buying the old Pilot property or going back to buying the old Dexter Library."The board is not really focused on one thing or another yet," says Donna Dettling, village manager for Dexter. "There are still a lot of options on the table."Expanding the fire and police station on 8140 Main St. would include tripling the size of the 5,000-square-foot structure. The $3 million project would build additions to the Alpine Street side and a new fire truck bay to the century-old building.The village is also looking at buying the old Pilot industrial building on Grand Street. The $5-$7 million project would reconfigure part of the 90,000-square-foot structure and rent the rest of it out. Building a new 5,000-square-foot building on vacant land was also discussed. However, doing that would cost at least $1.2 million, which does not include land acquisition costs. The village also still hasn’t ruled out buying and revamping the old Dexter Library building.The Village Council plans to hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 in the Dexter Senior Center to find out which option village residents prefer.Source: Donna Dettling, village manager for DexterWriter: Jon Zemke

Old industrial buildings in downtown Dexter get new leases on life

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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September 24, 2008

Just because a building is old doesn’t mean it can't be beautiful. That's what Randy Willis is about to prove in downtown Dexter.The landlord plans to take two late 19th Century industrial buildings on Broad Street and turn them into showcase structures. One, 3126 Broad, will serve as the new home to an off-Broadway musical company. The other, 3115, will serve as the home for several small businesses.Both buildings will receive new brick facades, complete with awnings. Willis wants them to complement the other historic downtown structures that are currently being restored, the new ones that are going up and the streetscape improvements being put into place along Broad Street."Dexter is changing dramatically," Willis says. "It's such a dynamic little community and it's so vibrant."The two buildings have had varied pasts, serving as the home for bus garages, beer-and-wine distributors, dye-and-stamping and a bean sprouts grow house. The Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales and Dexter School of Martial Arts are just a couple of the well-known names that occupy the 12,000 square feet of 3115 Broad. Encore Productions will move into the 8,500 square feet of 3126 Broad in October and hold a grand opening later this year.Both buildings will also receive a number of infrastructure upgrades, such as fire protection and new water and sewer connections. The $150,000 renovation project is expected to be done by the end of November.Source: Randy Willis, owner of 3115 and 3126 Broad StreetWriter: Jon Zemke

Art 101: Local galleries invite novices to come in and explore

By Newsroom

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General

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September 17, 2008

More and more art is surfacing in Washtenaw County with new sightings taking place in Chelsea, Dexter and Ypsilanti.