Ypsilanti

Ypsilanti to welcome return of Pianos ‘Round Town

By Newsroom

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September 19, 2012

Time to get your fingers ready and raring for Pianos 'Round Town, the public art project that places 8 sets keyboards in locations around Ypsilanti. Expect instances of true musical inspiration, random plunking, and more than few kids banging away. Pianos arrive Sept. 21 and can be found in front of Sidetrack, Nelson Amos Studio, The Ypsilanti Co-op, Tower Inn, Red Rock Barbecue, Café Racer, the Depot Town Dispensary and Mix until Oct. 9. Excerpt: "During Pianos 'Round Town eight pianos are placed in front of various businesses around the city for public use. Anyone who is having a musical whim can sit down and play. The event is inspired by the "Play Me, I'm Yours" public artwork project by British artist Luke Jerram. Jerram travels to large cities around the world and places pianos in public areas for people to play. The project began in 2008 and has traveled from London to New York and even Grand Rapids, Mich. " Read the rest here.

Dave Strenski outside his home on Oak Stree

Three Blocks Of Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship

By Constance Crump

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General

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September 19, 2012

Parvis e glandibus quercus. Translation: "Tall oaks from little acorns grow." It's a sentiment that couldn't be truer for Ypsilanti's Oak Street, a three block neighborhood that has attracted some of the city's best and brightest. Constance Crump gives us a tour.

U-M student hands shape plans for Ypsilanti’s Eastside Recreation Center

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Development News

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September 12, 2012

With the hands-on efforts of a student team from the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, a pair of iterations of the potential Eastside Recreation Center on Ypsilanti's Water Street parcel is taking form. The undeveloped parcel is sited on the south side of Michigan Avenue, across the Huron River from downtown Ypsilanti. A linear park and Border to Border Trail extension along the Huron are also planned for the site. Both conceptual designs are roughly the same size, 60-65,000 square feet spread over two-and-a-half stories, but one has a square footprint, the other linear, according to Coy Vaughn, deputy director of administration for the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission. "We're trying different ways to make sure the building best fits the site that we're dealing with. There are certain goals the city has as far as maintaining their street frontage, consistent with what's already downtown, so we're putting the building up close to Michigan Avenue. And they want something pedestrian-friendly that entices people to continue walking, because long-term they envision extending the retail and commercial uses further to the east. So we're trying to fill that gap, make sure that for someone walking downtown there's a reason to cross the river to get to the remaining retail," says Vaughn. Interior amenities include a gymnasium, a pool with a zero-depth entry and lap-swimming section, fitness and cardio rooms, a possible child-watch area, a reception area with a juice bar, and indoor track; "similar uses to what we have in our existing Meri Lou Murray Rec Center, but we see this as being a little more family-friendly, a little more youth-oriented," adds Vaughn. The center, roughly budgeted at $12 million, would cover about eight acres of the 38-acre Water Street parcel. If funded and approved, the work could start in 2015, Vaughn says. "We're hoping this public investment will attract some private investment in the area, some developers, and hopefully ultimately a build out with both commercial-residential, mixed-use type development." Scale models of both concepts will be on display at Ypsilanti's SPARK East at 215 W. Michigan Avenue beginning on Monday, Sept. 24. The student design team will present proposals and solicit feedback from the community at an open house there on Thursday, Sept. 27 from 3-8 p.m. Source: Coy Vaughn, deputy director of administration, Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Rejoice clothing store brings the fashion-minded to Depot Town

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Arts & Culture

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September 12, 2012

Another new clothing store, Rejoice, is fashioning Depot Town into a viable alternative to the mall. Rejoice opened in August and carries new men's and women's wear, with an emphasis on jeans. Most pairs cost $20 and less, according to Dorothy Blackmon who co-owns the store with with her husband Terry. "Our focus is to bring good quality to this area. Good quality at a reasonable price," she says. The Blackmons sold clothes online and out of their home for nearly six years, then "the clothing kind of outgrew the home and it was time to look for a location, and then Depot Town came to mind," Terry Blackmon says. Their future plans include a resumption of selling online, where they will carry dressier styles. "We come down to Depot Town for the festivities, for the festivals and Sidetrack for dinner," says Terry Blackmon. "What we decided is we wanted to be where the people are." The store is 1,000 square feet and had already been painted and remodeled when Rejoice moved in. It employs five people right now, with more to be added as the business grows, according to Terry Blackmon. An Eastern Michigan University employee, he hopes that more retail will usher more students to the area. Store hours are Tuesday and Thursday 12-7:30; Wednesday and Friday from 5-7:30; and Saturday 12-7:30. The store may be reached at (734) 484-0246. Sources: Dorothy and Terry Blackmon, co-owners of Rejoice Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Ypsilanti’s Crossroad’s Bar & Grill to add up to 10 jobs, plans rooftop deck

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Arts & Culture

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August 22, 2012

Another gathering spot will top off Ypsilanti's Depot Town once The Crossroad's Bar & Grill adds a rooftop deck using $11,000 in grant proceeds from the city's building façade and rehabilitation program. Once city approvals have been received, the deck addition work could begin in September and be open to the public by early October, according to owner Jesse Thomason. Thomason says he has been working on The Crossroad's property at 515-519 W. Cross St. for two years now. A previous project included purchasing the adjacent Magazine Rack, a former adult novelty bookstore, and converting it into a live music hall with pool tables and seating. The rooftop deck idea arose because "we have an outdoor service permit on our liquor license, but the city doesn't recognize our backyard as a business zone," he explains. He expects the deck to be about 1,200 square feet with a seating capacity of 50-75. About 75% of the area is to be covered, and the rest open-air. Heat poles would keep the deck comfortable during cooler fall weather. "I'd like to get at least six or seven months [use] out of it every year." The Crossroad's has a staff of five, and Thomason is readying to add two more employees shortly. He may hire two more in September, and then "if the deck goes through, I'd be able to bring on at least anywhere between five and eight new positions, which would stay on even when the deck is closed because there's going to be lots of events here in the future." Source: Jesse Thomason, owner of The Crossroad's Bar & Grill Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Merit Network picks EMU for 1st Michigan Cyber Range

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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August 22, 2012

Merit Network has chosen Eastern Michigan University as its first site for its Michigan Cyber Range, a training platform that will help IT professionals find a cyber attack and nip it in the bud. The Michigan Cyber Range will help prepare cybersecurity professionals for detecting, preventing, and thwarting cyber-attacks in a real-world setting. It will enable individuals and organizations to conduct live-fire exercises and simulations that will test the detection and reaction skills of participants in a variety of situations. "Cyber security involves outthinking your adversary as a team," says Don Welch, president & CEO of Merit Network. "That range is there to help us outthink out adversaries as a team." The Ann Arbor-based non-profit is collaborating with Eastern Michigan University to establish the initial site for the Michigan Cyber Range. Racks of equipment, located in the University's data center, will provide the computing power to the Range's cybersecurity educational, training, and testing programs. It will use EMU's Information Assurance program as well as state and regional cybersecurity courses taught by Merit. Merit Network is currently fundraising for the effort. It is looking to raise $3 million by later this fall to make the Michigan Cyber Range come to life. "We have some of the funding in and we're starting to build it," Welch says. "We're starting to hire people right now." Source: Don Welch, president & CEO of Merit Network Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Ypsilanti DDA grants to upgrade 9 more downtown businesses

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Development News

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August 22, 2012

Nine businesses throughout Ypsilanti's downtown and Depot Town districts will be spreading the wealth of the latest round of building rehab and façade improvement grants announced by the Ypsilanti DDA last week. The YDDA Building Façade and Rehabilitation Grant program awards, totaling $51,000, were funded by a $30,000 contribution from Washtenaw County's Eastern Leaders Group, a $15,000 match from the DDA, and $6,000 in surplus funds from the 2011-12 W. Cross St. Building Rehabilitation and Façade Improvement Program grant round. This latest round is an expansion of the original program from solely Cross St. to all of downtown, along with an increase in funding, from $30,000 in its prior incarnation to $45,000 in the current round. Individual awards vary from $3,000 to $15,000 apiece, and businesses must match 50% of the project cost. The grantees are the Wolverine Grill at 228 W. Michigan Ave.; Mix at 128-130 W. Michigan Ave.; 12 W. Michigan Ave.; Barr, Anhut Law Firm at 105 Pearl St.; Sidetrack Bar & Grill at 54-56 E. Cross St., Standard Printing at 120 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti Food Co-Op at 308-312 N. River St., Eagle Market at 501 W. Cross St., and The Crossroad's Bar & Grill at 515-519 W. Cross St. Projects include such items as door, window, and roof replacement, tuck point repairs, and and high efficiency heating and cooling systems. Ypsilanti DDA Director Tim Colbeck says The Crossroad's Bar & Grill's plan to add a rooftop deck is a particular standout project. "That had been an abandoned space for a number of years. It was an old bookstore. And in the last two years, Crossroads has expanded their restaurant and bar into that space...now their plan is to put in a rooftop deck so they can have outdoor functions. And so again, this'll be a pretty significant project, having a real huge visual impact on the street." Source: Tim Colbeck, director of the Ypsilanti DDA Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

OneLove Culture Shop brings hula-hoops, handmade goods to Depot Town

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Community Development

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August 15, 2012

Circle Ypsi's Depot Town on Cruise Night Thursdays, and you'll see hula hoops are new on the scene. Trick hula hooper Brooke Wilbanks plans to offer hooping lessons near the DJ tent during the weekly Cruise Nights. Wilbanks also makes decorative hula hoops for adults and kids, which will be for sale at OneLove Culture Shop, her new store in Depot Town. "Hula hooping actually is a big sport around the nation. It just needs to be, I feel like, more recognized in smaller towns. I'm kind of trying to bring hula hooping to Ypsilanti a little bit," Wilbanks says. Besides hula hoops, OneLove Culture Shop has an array of fair trade and locally made items, including clothing, patches, stickers, hand made and hand-dyed wall hangings and tapestries, posters, lotions and body oils, and kitchen utensils, in a 900-square foot space at 27 E. Cross Street. Wilbanks co-owns the store with her fiancee, Jonathon Doyle. "We've been building [display] tables and trying to go about doing things as frugally and crafty as possible," she says. They have re-painted the walls and installed bamboo wall coverings. The bamboo originally hung in Ann Arbor's The Oasis hot tub garden and would otherwise have been discarded during a remodeling. The diverse community and activities in Depot Town were enticement enough for Wilbanks to open her business there. "We're having an antique festival at the same time as Heritage Fest is down there. We just had the Color Run, we just had the Brew Fest. There's just a lot of stuff in Depot Town that would draw people to come to the area," Wilbanks says. Source: Brooke Wilbanks, co-owner of OneLove Culture Shop Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

New gateway signs, banners to be unfurled in Ypsi

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Development News

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August 8, 2012

By this winter, moto-tourists, businesspeople, and commoners alike may find themselves in Ypsi once new wayfinding signage has been installed at the city's gateways off of I-94. Together with the city of Ypsilanti, its downtown development authority, and the Eastern Leaders group, the Ypsilanti Convention and Visitors Bureau (YCAVB) is spearheading a new wayfinding signage project. "It's not unusual these days for [convention and visitors] bureaus to get a little bit involved in community development, especially communities that are a little strapped for cash, like Ypsi is," says Debbie Locke-Daniels, the bureau's president. The top priority is the installation of directional signs at the Huron Street and Michigan Avenue exits off of I-94, pointing the way to the city's downtown and Depot Town districts and Eastern Michigan University, among other possibilities. Those signs could be in place by year-end, with others to follow over the course of a multi-year project, Locke-Daniels says, adding: "My goal, over three years, is to see an overall cohesive look that has a feeling about it," perhaps in concert with a branding effort the YCAVB is kicking off next year. Fact finding is now in progress: The bureau has hired a project intern, is viewing examples of signage from other communities, obtaining cost estimates, and plans to solicit three bids. In the meantime, EMU's design department is working on pole banners to be hung throughout Depot Town, downtown, and Cross Street. Locke-Daniels says they will be installed by September. Source: Debbie Locke-Daniels, president of the Ypsilanti Convention and Visitors Bureau Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Ypsilanti Heritage Festival to Show Solar

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Arts & Culture

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August 1, 2012

Solar power will be taking the stage at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival from August 17-19. Solar Ypsi will be installing a 26-panel, 6KW ground-mount system, on loan from Stefan Graf of IlluminArt, at Riverside Park. The temporary installation will provide a small percentage of the festival's power, according to Dave Strenski, Solar Ypsi's volunteer coordinator. "It's targeted as a very educational solar demonstration," Strenski says. "...It's ground mount, so anyone who's interested in putting solar in their backyards, they can replicate this system very easily." Cost information will be available and Solar Ypsi volunteers will staff the installation. Solar Ypsi's permanent solar installations at City Hall, the Ypsi Food Co-op, and the River Street Bakery have been running from about 76-84% efficient from June 2011 through May 2012, according to data tracked by the non-profit. However, DTE Energy's recent installation of new smart meters has interrupted Solar Ypsi's ability to track energy production at the co-op and bakery. Strenski is looking for help in building a device to read the new meters and push the data to SolarYpsi. "If we can read this radio frequency coming from the meters and we make a little device, then anybody can build one and monitor their own house ... more than Solar Ypsi, we can build a little DIY home energy monitoring system," Strenski figures. Interested parties may look for details here and email solar@ypsifoodcoop.org with offers of help. Source: Dave Strenski, volunteer coordinator of Solar Ypsi Writer: Tanya Muzumdar