Sustainability

Old Shaman Drum is renovated into new offices

By Newsroom

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August 4, 2010

The building that formerly housed Shaman Drum Bookstore is now being transformed one space at a time into more energy-efficient offices.308 S. State in downtown Ann Arbor, near Liberty Street, has a new fire escape, with new windows coming soon. Deb Pearson, leasing director for Oxford Property Management, notes other ongoing improvements as office space comes up for rent."We're putting in windows that are energy-efficient and in compliance with the historical society standards," Pearson says. "Preserving the nature and character of the building is at the top of the list. As a property management company, we're very interested in making it more of an efficient building.”Improvements include rear window replacement, old panel removal, plaster restoration, and changing out the lighting. "We've been doing interior renovations as space gets leased -- carpet, paint," Pearson says. "We have quite a few new tenants, so we're quite pleased that the property is doing well. A lot of businesses like to be downtown."Currently the retail space on the first floor is leased out to a Great Wraps sandwich chain, which will be coming up for lease in February. Most of the office space on the two floors above is leased out.Other plans to erase its former identity as a hotel include replacing the interior doors and removing a "funky" mailbox system. "In the common areas the paint is in good condition, but the carpeting on the list for replacement," she says. The current boiler used to heat the building is also under review, but nothing has been decided.Source: Deb Pearson, leasing director for Oxford Property ManagementWriter: Kristin Lukowski

Latest in Sustainability

Ann Arbor, Clean Energy Coalition deploy new hydraulic hybrid trucks

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Community Development

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August 4, 2010

The city of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti's Clean Energy Coalition have partnered to make Tree Town's newest green toy (single-stream recycling) a little more sustainable.The Depot Town-based non-profit is using some of its federal grant money to outfit four of the city's trucks with a fuel-saving hybrid technology. Those trucks will be the first to collect Ann Arbor's newly established single stream of recycling, a process where residents put all of their recyclables in a single container."It represents a large amount of fuel savings," says Lisa Warshaw, a spokeswoman for the Clean Energy Coalition. "It's also a reduction in vehicle emissions."The project is funded with approximately $120,000 from the federal stimulus to purchase four hydraulic hybrid trucks, which utilize technology pioneered by the EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor. That technology stores braking energy in hydraulic fluid instead of in a battery pack. It's designed for heavy-duty trucks that do a lot of stop-and-go driving."I was kind of awestruck by this technology," Warshaw says. "I would like to see this technology distributed to more sectors of the transportation system."Source: Lisa Warshaw, a spokeswoman for the Clean Energy CoalitionWriter: Jon Zemke

Vortex Hydro Energy tests hydrokinetic generator in St. Clair River

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Economic Development

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August 4, 2010

One of Michigan's most innovative alternative energy start-ups began testing its technology this week when Vortex Hydro Energy put its hydrokinetic power generator into the St. Clair River.This technology, birthed from University of Michigan research, doesn't use propellers to harness the energy of a river current. It utilizes the physical phenomenon of vortex-induced vibration, where water current flows around cylinders, inducing transverse motion, which is then turned into electricity."This first test is really looking at the mechanics of the system," says Jim MacBain, vice president of Vortex Hyrdo Energy. "We don't expect to generate a lot of energy."The generator will remain in the river for the next three months, where it will be monitored by an underwater camera and divers. The 3-year-old start-up expects to begin commercializing the technology by 2013."We're about 2-3 years away," MacBain says.Source: Jim MacBain, vice president of Vortex Hydro EnergyWriter: Jon Zemke

Ypsilanti’s Water St demolition turns brownfield to green

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 28, 2010

Minimal surprises and an extra funding boost are helping the demolition of Ypsilanti's Water Street properties go as planned."We are still doing demolition, and we should be done by the end of August," says Ypsilanti's assistant city manager, April McGrath. "Everything is going as planned. That'll be really nice for our community, not to have to see the blight anymore."The city has been demolishing half a dozen vacant buildings, ranging from small residential and commercial to industrial, on the site. The project also received an additional $150,000 grant from the Downriver Community Conference to remove a cement slab, bringing total funding to $1 million.Fortunately, McGrath says, no gas tanks or anything else requiring expensive cleanup were found at the site; the trickiest thing removed so far were hoists used for changing oil. That frees up more grant money for remediation of the site and otherwise readying it for future developers."We were really happy that was all we found," she says. "We're going to do everything we can to prep that site."McGrath said there still aren't any specific plans for the plot of land, with the economy and credit market in a downturn. However, city officials still get calls from potential interested parties waiting for a market upturn. The 38-acre parcel just east of downtown was assembled a few years ago with the idea of redeveloping it into a dense, urban area that capitalizes on both its border on Michigan Avenue and the Huron River. Those plans took a big hit when the initial developer pulled out and the real estate market crashed.The fallout occurred when the city fell into a budget crunch while paying off the bonds used to acquire the property. However, city leaders are sticking to the urban-based theme for the site.Source: April McGrath, assistant city manager for YpsilantiWriter: Kristin Lukowski

Technology, problem solving focus of Ypsilanti New Tech High School

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Community Development

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July 28, 2010

In the real world, people don't work in one spot on one subject for an hour and then turn in a homework assignment. They work together to solve real-life problems. So how do you better prepare students for the real world? You design a school to emulate it.That's the idea behind the New Tech family of schools, one of which will be opening in the Ypsilanti Public school district this September. Ypsilanti New Tech High School at Ardis, in a former elementary school, will help students learn by working on projects that solve problems that integrate subject matter, explains Cory McElmeel, Interim Dean of Instructional Services.The basis of New Tech is engaging students in context. When presented with a program, they create a know and a need-to-know list, including what they yet need to learn to complete the project. Everything is based on the required Michigan curriculum.However, it's not done in typical one-class-per-hour fashion. Longer classes integrate subject matter: Biolit will be a combination of biology and English language arts, perhaps studying literature about ecology or genetics. Other combinations are Geoart (geometry and three-dimensional art), and Historytech, combining American history and geography with technology and communications. Double-sized classrooms will accommodate two teachers apiece, one for each of the integrated subjects.New Tech will also help students prepare for college; graduates are required to earn college credit and complete an internship. College freshmen often see a drop in grades as they get used to their new freedoms, and "part of New Tech is to get students to understand those freedoms," McElmeel says.Among the updates that had to be done was remodeling bathrooms to high-school size and installing lockers and windows to ready the school for its fall opening. A science lab will be built next year. Wireless Internet and additional electrical outlets were installed for MacBook computers, refurbished from previous teacher use, that each student will use. Interactive whiteboards were also brought over from now-closed schools, saving money."Having a laptop is key for students," McElmeel explains, enabling students to congregate and move around to solve a problem. "That desktop becomes a barrier between the students. Laptops can be moved aside."Enrollment is capped at 125 and includes a range of students, not just those who happen to be technologically minded. "It works for all the gamut of students," McElmeel says. "This program, because it's built on a need-to-know curriculum and working in groups, it works for any type of student."Ypsilanti New Tech was supported by grant funds, including a $450,000 grant from the Ann Arbor Community Foundation for new software and professional development. The facility update came from leftover bond funds."We do feel very lucky in Ypsilanti," he says of receiving the funding. "It's key to us. We would not have been able to bring this awesome program to our district."Ardis, at Ellsworth Road near Hewitt Road in Ypsilanti Township, was closed by the district in 2005 as part of a budget-cutting move.Source: Cory McElmeel, interim dean of instructional services for Ypsilanti New Tech High School at ArdisWriter: Kristin Lukowski

City approves Zingerman’s Deli expansion plans

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 21, 2010

Yes, Zingerman's still has a long way to go before it can begin construction on its expansion plans. But Monday night's city council approval was an important step.The city voted to approve the deli's plans for expansion of its Kerrytown location, 422 Detroit St., earlier this week. Those plans call for renovating most of those buildings and adding a denser structure behind its 2-story commercial building. That would replace a couple of smaller houses, including one that was burned.There are still many steps that have to happen for the project, says Zingerman's co-founder Paul Saginaw. "Getting approval from the city is a big step, but not the biggest step," he says.The city must then now approve a brownfield plan, which makes it eligible for special financing. That then goes to the county and then the state, through the Michigan Economic Development Corp, to receive Michigan business tax credits. But it doesn't end there: The financing needs to be approved, and then Zingerman's can seek approval from the Historic District Commission to tear down the one building and incorporate the other into the design. Whew!Saginaw said a best-case scenario would be completing the expansion by March of 2012, which will be the deli’s 30th anniversary."We could have a pretty nice 30th anniversary event around that," he says. "But there's a lot of ifs. We continue to trust the process and follow it."Source: Paul Saginaw, co-founder of Zingerman'sWriter: Kristin Lukowski

Ann Arbor’s new recycling program picks up steam

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 21, 2010

Ann Arbor's attempts to streamline recycling have gone well during its first few weeks.The city started a single-stream recycling program earlier this month, which allows all recyclables to be placed into one receptacle without sorting. It became a political hot-button issue this year, with opponents saying it wouldn't work smoothly or effectively in Ann Arbor.Not the case, says Tom McMurtrie, the city's solid waste coordinator. "Things are moving well," he says.So far, things are being sorted effectively in the facility and new recycling carts are being delivered to residents based on their location in the city; all residents are expected to have their cart by mid-August. Replacing the standard plastic recycling crates, the new carts are similar to the existing trash carts, but have a radio frequency tag which allows them to be scanned when picked up and gives recyclers incentive points for using the RecycleBank program.McMurtrie says four new recycling trucks will pick up the loads, using biodiesel hybrid hydraulic technology that harnesses the energy that comes from frequent stopping to pick up loads. "It's an appropriate use of the technology," he says. "There's obviously a lot of starting and stopping, and a hybrid is ideal for that."Many new materials are now accepted with the expanded program, including more plastics. For information on the switch to single stream recycling, click here.Source: Tom McMurtrie, solid waste coordinator, city of Ann ArborWriter: Kristin Lukowski

Burton Tower renovations to restore structure, stonework

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Arts & Culture

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July 21, 2010

The University of Michigan's Burton Memorial Tower will be getting a facelift and some interior work to repair and restore the structure.The $1.6 million project will restore damage and deterioration of the tower infrastructure and repair stonework. New metal flashings will also be installed at the openings of the bell chamber level. Interior work is to include repairs to the concrete and steel structure that supports the carillon on the 10th floor of the tower, and replacement and waterproofing of the bell chamber floor.Renovating the Burton Memorial Tower will maintain both the beauty and functionality of the "significant historic campus landmark," as well as preserve the carillon, Sue Gott, university planner, says in an e-mail."The tower and carillon are beloved by generations of U-M students, alumni, faculty and staff, and are at the heart of the musical arts at the university," she writes.The tower, built in 1936, is a 192-foot-tall structure that houses classrooms and offices for the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and the Charles Baird Carillon, the 55 bells of which weigh 12 tons. Emergency repairs were needed on the tower in 2008, after which a study of the condition of the walls found more areas needing further repair.The tower's Albert Kahn design adds to the importance of preserving the structure, Gott says."Burton Memorial Tower is not only a symbolic presence to the university, but to the community as well, and adds to the sense of place that is central campus," she says.The restoration will be funded from the general fund and is expected to start this August and be complete by fall of 2011. It's only the second time in the tower's history that the bells will be silenced; the first was for a pair of peregrine falcons.Source: Sue Gott, planner for the University of MichiganWriter: Kristin Lukowski

Ann Arbor’s Accio Energy scores $250K from Automation Alley

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Economic Development

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July 21, 2010

Accio Energy is raking in big checks from some recognizable names now that Automation Alley has invested $250,000 in the alternative energy start-up.The 3-year-old firm has made six hires in the last year, bringing its staff to 10 people. It hopes to continue expanding by using the $250,000 and other seed capital it has collected to continue developing its principal product and readying it for commercialization."We will continue to hire technologically strong individuals to help us develop the technology," says Jeff Basch, general manager for Accio Energy.The Ann Arbor-based company is building a wind turbine without the rotation. The new technology, aerovoltaic, harnesses the electrokinetic energy of the wind. The system doesn't have turbine blades and instead is silent and stationary. Source: Jeff Basch, general manager for Accio EnergyWriter: Jon Zemke

Wheeling And Dealing: Bike-Based Businesses Hit the Road

By Leia Menlove

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Entrepreneurship

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July 14, 2010

Freddy Mercury once sang: "I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride it where I like." With that in mind, Ann Arbor's bike-based entrepreneurs are pedaling and peddling their services around town. But they're not just cycling for profit, they see their efforts as a greener, healthier, intrinsically local way of doing business.