Model D

FilterD: This Week's Picks

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Capuchin Soup Kitchen has been a shining light on Detroit's East Side since 1929. The kitchen's annual SOCK fundraising dinner and inaugural afterglow are both at downtown's Ford Field this Friday.

Find out what else there is to shine on light on this week inside FilterD, Model D's guide to Arts + Culture.

Development Update: Speed Bumps or Not, Detroit's Still Moving Forward

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Some things have stalled, or worse, but Detroit is still making development happen. Here's a round up of what's still on and a look at what economic development leaders are doing to keep the ball rolling.

Good Girls Go to Detroit (to Make Crepes)

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So maybe the Paris of the Midwest is pushing it a little bit, but a good girl could go anywhere -- Paris, Milan, London, even Oakland County. The only place for Torya Blanchard to put her crepe stand, however, was downtown Detroit. And for that we say 'merci.'

Model D TV: Mercury Coffee Bar Exclusive Sneak Peek

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The anticipation builds as work winds down at the Mercury Coffee Bar on Michigan Avenue in Corktown. While you wait to get your coffee and panini fix, take a sneak peek inside with Model D video guy Tom Hendrickson.

Next Speaker Series: More Bikes and Trains for Detroit

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Streetcars like this could drive the Motor City. And what if bike lanes where cyclists wouldn't risk life and limb were the norm? At our next Speaker Series, Oct. 21, we'll feature two people -- John Hertel and Scott Clein -- who are working to make those dreams reality for Detroiters. Sign up today.

Doug Farr, Sustainable Urbanism Superstar

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If Doug Farr were a superhero, his cape, tights and calling card would be green. The native Detroiter is an architect and sustainability guru who has built a career out of thinking about cities through a very green lens. He talks with Francis Grunow about what Detroit has, and how, through sustainable practices, the city can best use those assets. And he as some advice for Mayor Ken Cockrel, too. (Hint: Think green, buddy.)

Model D TV: Downtown Detroit

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

What's Downtown Detroit got to offer? Take a video tour with Tom Hendrickson, Model D's video guru, and Jeanette Pierce, co-owner of Inside Detroit tour company and a Downtown resident.

Get Model D -- Delivery is Free

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Want Model D in your e-mail box each week? It's free. Just sign up.

Power to the People's: Record Store Rises from the Ashes

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Neither fire nor flood waters could deter Brad Hales from his calling to bring rare vinyl to collectors in Detroit. People's Records has risen from the ashes and returned to Midtown. Amen, brother.

Speaker Series This Week - Sign Ups Closed

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Model D's Speaker Series takes a field trip Sept. 25 to the Russell Industrial Center for a session on building clusters of creative businesses, which happens to be what the Russell does best. We'll also hear from Pure Detroit's owners about their legacy, 10 years of being one of the city's hippest businesses.

Sign up for the event today.

Model D TV: Cafe D'Mongo's

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Cafe D'Mongo's Speakeasy is one-of-a-kind. With a soul food menu, great cocktails and the looks of a lounge singer's estate sale, it draws a clientele that includes hipsters, politicians and neighborhood residents.

Revisiting Portland, Thinking of Detroit Regionalism

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Portland looks better than ever. As Detroiter Francis Grunow revisits the Rose City, he contemplates how the regional cooperation that's worked for Portland could could make the Motor City a better place, too.

Detroit's Gone to Their Heads: Boosters Push Love for City, Parade

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The papier-mâché noggin capital of the world is right here in Detroit, housed in an old East Side industrial complex. A volunteer group wants you to put one on and march with them in the Thanksgiving Parade.

Russell Bazaar Puts Small-Biz Success in a Big, Big Place

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Buzz, buzz, buzz. Detroit's Russell Industrial is a hive of activity, and now even more so. The new Russell Bazaar, an eclectic market of independent artists and unique retailers, is set to open this weekend, doubling the number of tenants in this former industrial complex.

Model D TV: Film Friendlier Detroit

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Not just actors, but florists, caterers, hotels and more are cashing in on the mitten state's movie boom. Hear more about it from a recent forum in Detroit that brought Wayne County leaders together to learn about how to make our region more film friendly.

Salon to locate in Midtown's Stuberstone Building

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

With a catchy name and a highly visible location to its credit, Curl up and Dye Salon is preparing to open at the end of the Month.

Owner Jennifer Williamsen was hoping for a Midtown location, and couldn't be happier with the 1,300 square-foot space she found on the ground floor of the Stuberstone Building. "It was very important for me to be in Midtown," she says. "But I never thought I'd get this space. It kind of worked out for me."

Williamsen has been a freestyle hair stylist for several years. She has a client roster of over 300 that she has been servicing in homes and on location -- and she eventually reached a point where she needed her own space. "I outgrew myself, I hit my own ceiling," she says.

The salon will have five hairdressers in addition to Williamsen, two manicurists and a high-pressure, stand-up tanning bed.

The Stuberstone is located at 4229 Cass at Willis.

Source: Jennifer Williamsen, Curl Up and Dye Salon
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Our Gallery's goal: to give emerging artists a home, exposure

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A new gallery has popped up in an off-the-beaten path section of downtown. Sandwiched in the triangle formed by the Lodge, I-75 and Grand River Ave., Our Gallery has opened its doors at 849 Henry St.

Proprietor Steven Kuypers, a fine arts student at College for Creative Studies, was scouring CraigsList for studio space when he stumbled upon what is now the not-for-profit gallery he is operating. "The owner of the space mentioned that he was always thinking of putting a gallery there, and thatâs where we got the idea," he says.

The 1,200 square feet space has been designed to fill a gap for recently-graduated art students. Kuypers has noticed that many fine arts galleries are looking to represent artists that have a couple of years of shows under their belt, which can be difficult for younger artists to achieve. Besides padding a C.V., the Our Gallery experience "is meant to give experience dealing with a gallery," he says. "This is not just putting on a one-night show -- it's more substantial."

The gallery's name is intentionally inclusive. "We wanted it to be a reference for the artists we've been showing," says Kypers. "When they're talking about it, we want them to feel like it's theirs in a way."

Shows will typically open on a Saturday and then be open two Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Currently, a show by CCS graduate Wendy Ross is up until Oct. 25.

Source: Steven Kuypers, Our Gallery
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Cass Community to green, improve 50-unit apartment building

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Green building has the reputation of being great -- if you can afford it. But Cass Community Social Services is out to disprove that notion in the redevelopment of a 50-unit apartment building on Elmhurst near its administrative headquarters, the Scott Building.

Board chair Laura Beachum says the agency was motivated to buy the building after it deteriorated in recent years. It will be developed into transitional housing for homeless men, women and families in an environmentally-sustainable manner. The agency will install low-flush toilets, energy-saving lights and solar panels; rainwater collection and water recycling will also be employed.

The building management will recycle and use organic and non-toxic cleaning products. There will be studio apartments along with one- and two-bedrooms.

All of this ties in with many of Cass' other programs. The Scott Building also has solar panels and the agency plans to become a distribution center for the same green products that will be used in the Elmhurst building.

Cass has worked to create green jobs, including the recycling of tires into mud mats to be sold; to date, the program has recycled between 4,600-5,000 tires into 1,700 mats. Cass is also involved with recycling cell phones, plastic bags and scrap metals.

Beachum credits executive director the Rev. Faith Fowler with taking the agency in a greener direction. "It is a personal passion of hers to not only take care of people, but to take care of the earth that we live in." She estimates the Elmhurst building project will cost $3 million-$4 million.

Source: Laura Beachum, Cass Community Social Services
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

New Amsterdam offers lofts, retail space to rent in New Center

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Loft-hunters, take note: the Lofts at New Amsterdam are now leasing. There are one-, two- and three-bedroom units as well as ground-floor retail space available for rent in Detroit's New Center area.

Residential units range in size from 720 to 1,600 square feet and in price from $875 to $1,750. The largest unit is three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The rest of the units have one bathroom; there are two with three bedrooms, 34 with two and 13 with one. "These units are nice and spacious, and the windows are beautiful," says leasing director Judy Jonna. "There's a lot of character in this building."

The retail space has a mezzanine and can be subdivided into up to four distinct offices or shops.

Developed by Jonna Detroit, New Amsterdam is thick in the middle of TechTown and just south of the New Center commercial district. Its location is what Jonna thinks will be a big selling point to prospective tenants.

"We're kitty-corner from One Ford Place and less than a block from the State of Michigan building," she says. She also points out that the Henry Ford Hospital shuttle stops right in front of the building.

The Lofts at New Amsterdam are located at 6200 Second Ave. at Amsterdam. Viewing by appointment only; call Judy Jonna at 313-832-0200.

Source: Judy Jonna, Jonna Lofts
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

The belle of the ball has arrived: Westin Book Cadillac is finally here after $190M restoration

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The opening of the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel on Oct. 7 was a crowning moment for Detroit. The $190 million restoration was once the most glamorous of downtown hotels -- and more recently, one of its blighted structures.

Westin's 453 hotel rooms are expected to begin hosting overnight guests on Oct. 8, and the Motor Bar is already serving from its second floor perch over Michigan Avenue. The Westin-operated Boulevard Room Restaurant also is open, to be joined by Chef Michael Symon's Roast on Oct. 21.

The Gourmet Grab and Go coffee shop will open on Nov. 1, and the gift shop and business center open Oct. 10. The fitness center and pool are already complete, as are 13 business meeting rooms and the Venetian and Crystal Ballrooms.

As for the condominiums atop the hotel, 54 of 64 have sold, with the first resident moved in and is already calling the Book Cadillac home. Director of sales Scott Stinebaugh says that more closings are scheduled over the next four to six weeks.

Stinebaugh calls the entire project a "beacon of light" for the city. "We look at the opening as a part of Detroit's next chapter," he says.

Source: Scott Stinebaugh, Westin Book Cadillac
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

HUD awards city $47M to help stave foreclosures

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit's Planning and Development Department was awarded $47 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to curb the city's foreclosure crisis. First step: the creation of a business plan that will detail, department by department, the approach the city will take.

Regulating the use of the funds are several guidelines, including:

The funds are to be used to purchase and redevelop abandoned and foreclosed homes and residential properties;
A minimum of 25% must go towards affordable housing;
Funds can be used to establish financing mechanisms for the redevelopment of foreclosed homes;
Properties must be purchased at a discount from their current market appraised value;
Investments to properties that increase energy efficiency or introduce a renewable energy source are eligible;
Funds can be used to establish land banks and to demolish blighted structures; and
Funds must be obligated within 18 months after they are received.

The department faces the challenge of making sure that any and all affected residents get help. "We want to help a lot of people, so we want to come up with the plan that is the most comprehensive that falls within the guidelines," says Marja Winters, the department's deputy director.

Because of the domino effect that even one foreclosed house can have on a neighborhood, the department wants to move quickly, as Winters says, "to prevent further deterioration, further blighting influences in our neighborhoods."

The final plan must be approved by City Council and HUD before it is put into practice.

Source: Marja Winters, PDD
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Creative Cities Summit 2.0 comes to Detroit next week -- no frills reduced fee option offered

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Creative Cities Summit 2.0 will be in Detroit on Oct. 13-15, bringing big ideas and big leaders in creating vibrant urban places to the city. The Summit has created a special "No Frills" registration for $100 that provides access to all the events but does not include food and beverages.

Keynote speakers include:

Bill Strickland, MCG-Bidwell Corp.
Richard Florida, Author Whoâs Your City
Charles Landry, Author The Art of City Making
John Howkins, Author The Creative Economy
Majora Carter, Sustainable South Bronx
Doug Farr, Architect and Author Sustainable Urbanism
Ben Hecht, Pres. & CEO Living Cities
Tom Wujec, Fellow, Autodesk
Carol Coletta, CEOs for Cities
Giorgio Di Cicco, Poet Laureate, City of Toronto and Author, The Municipal Mind
Diana Lind, Editor, Next American City magazine

There will be sessions on race, talent, transit, marketing, media, ROI, small cities and urban amenities; the role of the arts, the gay community and immigrants; how the Midwest can compete; and music and economic development.

Registration and details are at www.creativecitiessummit.com . Full conference registration is $300 for the 2 1/2 day event.

Source: Peter Kageyama, Creative Cities Summit 2.0
Writer: Clare Pfeiffer Ramsey

Model D Radio: Public weighs in on private transit plan

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Frequency. Quality. Reliability. This is what people tell John Hertel, local transit czar and a speaker at our next Speaker Series event, they want. He has been taking public input on the plan crafted by the Regional Transportation Coordinating Council.

The plan, among other things, would put light rail on Woodward between Jefferson and Grand. Hertel talked with concerned residents at as series of meetings, the last of which was at TechTown last week.

This radio program also can be heard on public radio stations across the state, including WDET 101.9 FM in Detroit. It is sponsored in part by Model D and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

For more on Michigan NOW, click here.

Greening of Detroit plants Christmas tree farm in Northend Neighborhood

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Greening of Detroit's latest tree nursery includes not just shade trees, but Douglas Firs as well. "This oneâs a little bit different," says president Rebecca Salminen Witt. "We will grow these little trees up as Christmas trees, which will actually generate revenue for the neighborhood and fund replanting the next batch of little trees."

The nursery was planted on Oct. 3 at 600 King Street, a vacant lot in the Northend neighborhood -- where the 100 shade trees will ultimately be planted after three to five years of growth. A total of 200 trees, including those destined to become holiday decorations, were planted in total by more than 100 volunteers.

Witt hopes that a few of Greening's planned 120 nurseries around Detroit will be Christmas tree farms -- and that they might inspire budding entrepreneurs. "We hope someone might see this as a good little business for them," she says. "This is about economic development as well as vacant space redevelopment."

From an organizational standpoint, the nurseries have a big job to fill. Greening is working to some day grow all the trees they plant right here in Detroit. "It's a way to reinvest these dollars rather than sending dollars out to Iowa for trees grown out there," says Witt.

The planting was supported by the Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative and volunteers from the Ford Business Unit of the Yazaki Corporation as well as residents from Holbrook-King and Alger Street Block Clubs. "It was nice -- folks came out on their porches and then filtered in," says Witt. "It was the perfect example of a community project."

Source: Rebecca Salminen Witt, Greening of Detroit
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

Michigan Citizen relocates to larger offices on Trumbull

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Michigan Citizen has moved into new digs on Trumbull, in the light industrial park on the south end of Corktown. Since 1978, the weekly has served a particular niche in Detroit: as an independent African American voice in the local media.

"We donât go to the press conferences to hear what 'leadership' has to say, we get our news from the streets -- in our world, people create the stories, not leaders," publisher Catherine Kelly says. "We think we fill a very important void in the city -- we represent a perspective that really is not reflected anywhere else."

Most recently located on Bagley in Mexicantown, the publication was interested in owning its own property, says Kelly. "We found a building that was in our price range," she says. "And repairs -- the extent needed to fix it -- were also in our price range."

"We do like the area -- we like being on Trumbull, a main thoroughfare and so close to the big post office," says Kelly. "Plus, the entrepreneurial spirit in this part of town is very encouraging."

The Michigan Citizen employs 10 in its editorial and publishing divisions as well as numerous freelancers and carriers. The building at 1055 Trumbull, most recently a daycare center, is approximately 2,000 square feet.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Source: Catherine Kelly, The Michigan Citizen
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

New Center targets infrastructure near Argonaut with $656,600 earmark

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

New Center just landed itself a $656,600 federal earmark that will be used to improve infrastructure in the area near the Argonaut Building, which is being developed to house the College for Creative Studies' graduate programs as well as student housing.

New Center Council had initially envisioned $3 million worth of infrastructure improvements, but scaled the plans back according to the funding received to date. "With CCS announcing their expansion to New Center we decided the best use of the funds would be to augment the areas that would support the new development," says Karen Gage, NCC's vice president.

The railroad viaducts at Woodward, Second and Cass will be cleaned up and lit. Art installations, with support from CCS and Summer in the City, also will be added. "Our hope is that we can finally clean up this dividing line between New Center and Wayne State University, and open the flow of pedestrian traffic between these areas," says Gage.

The earmark will also fund the construction of a 120-vehicle parking lot behind the White Castle on Woodward at E. Baltimore. "This is a retail parking lot that, hopefully, will spur development in the retail strip along Woodward," says Gage. The lots will be richly-landscaped and enclosed with a wrought iron fence. "We would like to make this lot a model -- set the bar for other lots in the area."

The remaining money will fund a traffic study looking at what's needed to restore two-way traffic to Second and Third Avenues between Grand Boulevard and Palmer. At the same time, bike lanes for Second Avenue will be designed.

New Center will hire a firm to produce the plans this winter. Read more about the future of the Argonaut here.

Source: Karen Gage, New Center Council
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

City Council adopts non-motorized plan that calls for 400 miles of bike lanes in the Motor City

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit City Council has adopted a non-motorized transportation plan as well as a resolution urging Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr. to implement it. Among other things, the plan calls for more than 400 miles of bike lanes, as well as other improvements to pedestrian and bike facilities. The Michigan Department of Transportation funded the plan's development; the city brought on Giffels-Webster Engineers as consultants to design it.

Scott Clein of Giffels-Webster says that the adoption of the plan means many things to proponents of non-motorized transportation. For starters, MDOT will now attempt to incorporate its recommendations into any future roadway projects it undertakes in the city, such as the reconstruction of Michigan Avenue.

It also does the same for city departments like the Department of Public Works. "DPW is now in charge of supporting and, hopefully, implementing portions of the master plan," says Clein.

The adoption of the plan means that community groups working to establish bike lanes know that the government, at least on paper, is on board. Clein cites Greater Corktown Development Corporation's Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink as an example. "Now they know that the city will be supportive instead of obstructionists," he says.

DPW is in the process of writing a letter of conceptual support to MDOT, a step necessary for the project to capture funds the state committed to it a few years ago.

Besides bike lanes, the plan looks at pedestrian safety via the separation of bikes and pedestrians and the continued improvements of sidewalks.

Read more about the plan here .

Source: Scott Clein, Giffels-Webster
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

Cue the Seger: Night Move launches shuttle service between Downtown, Ferndale and Royal Oak bars

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Night Move is a completely new beast for Metro Detroit: a dedicated shuttle service between its three most-happening downtown districts of Detroit, Royal Oak and Ferndale. The service officially launches Thursday, October 9, with a celebratory gala at the Woodward Avenue Brewery to kick off the inaugural weekend.

To start, Night Move will run Friday and Saturday nights between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. Tickets are $12 round-trip and guarantee you a spot at the time you reserve; as long as there is an available seat, ticket-holders are free to hop on at another time. Booking is required; the page can be found at TheNightMove.com/booking.html. Preliminarily Greektown, Woodward and E. Troy and Fifth and Washington are the three shuttle stops, although rider feedback and demand may alter those.

The bus is a 1997 vehicle in mint shape that seats 30. It runs on B20 biodiesel.The Night Move has partnered with Clean Emission Fluids, a company that specializes in biofuels and clean diesel.

Owner Chris Ramos wants to be clear that The Night Move is no party bus. "We want people to get on and go to the Opera House or the Fox Theater," he says. "It doesn't have to be a party crowd -- we're trying to increase traffic between all the cities."

Source: Chris Ramos, The Night Move
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Travis R. Wright

AIA sustainable design program kicks off with Oct. 6 meeting

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit was selected as one of nine cities to participate in the Sustainable Design Assessment Team program by the American Institute of Architects, and it is an opportunity being seized with relish by those involved. "We have a chance to make Detroit into a model for sustainability," says Eleanore Eveleth, who is working to coordinate the SDAT process, which is focusing on the Southwest Detroit, Mexicantown, Corktown, Downtown, Eastern Market, Midtown and New Center districts.

The SDAT program will look at four realms of sustainability: transportation, energy, land use and the new economy. Local experts in each area will get teamed with national ones in a three-day charette from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 -- but first, the locals are gathering on Oct. 6 to orientate and plan.

"We want to have a more productive meeting on the 30th," says Eveleth. "We will give an overview of the SDAT process, which is what the folks from out of town are coming to do."

Eveleth expects community organizations, residents, people that work within the project boundaries and those already working on green products and issues to participate. "There are a lot of people already working on small bits and pieces of this," she says. "This is a way to bring all these people together and learn from folks that have done this in other cities."

SDAT has made a survey available on-line to help frame the process' roadmap. Click here to get started.

The SDAT kick-off is on October 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will be held at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary, located at 2930 Woodward in Detroit. The three-day charette will be held at the University of Michigan Community Design Center, also in Midtown. For more information, call Zachary & Associates at 313-831-6100.

Source: Eleanore Eveleth, SDAT
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

T-PLEX celebrates 100 years of the Model T, unveils new facade

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The historic Ford Piquette Avenue Plant has a completely renewed facade. The facelift was unveiled Sept. 27, on the 100th Anniversary of the Model T, appropriate because the first 12,000 Model Ts were assembled at the Ford Piquette site.

The front facade has undergone extensive work to return it to its original 1904 appearance, including window and masonry repair and replacement and the restoration of the original arched entryway that had been replaced by a garage door.

The restoration efforts were handled by architects Quinn Evans of Ann Arbor and contractor Grunwell-Cashero of Detroit. Work went on throughout the summer, and was funded by a $250,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The anniversary was commemorated by a parade of 50 Model T's that also proceeded to Ford World headquarters, Edsel & Eleanor Ford House, The Henry Ford Estate - Fair Lane and The Henry Ford.

Source: Pat Liebler, Liebler Group and Marcia Pilliciotti, T-Plex
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Photo by Marvin Shaouni

Sporting News ranks Detroit No. 2 sports town in America

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit slipped slightly in the latest Sporting News rankings for best sports city in America. The city fell one spot from No. 1 to No. 2. Not bad, considering Detroit is home to the (so far) winless Lions.

Excerpt:

"The Red Wings are a highlight for Motown, but the Pistons are a consistent winner in the winter, too, and though the Tigers struggled this year, they are a fan favorite," said Sporting News chief of correspondents Bob Hille, who has coordinated the rankings the past 12 years. "And like the Wings' Darren McCarty told us: If and when the Lions get things together, watch out!"

Read the entire article here .

View the whole list here .

Mass transit can anchor the city, create jobs, retain population

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit is the only major American city without a rapid transit system. That, potentially, will change in the next five years as the city's transit developments start to take shape. With these developments, as proven in other cities, jobs, people, and investment follow.

Excerpt:

As the years have gone on, however, the cry for mass transit in our urban areas has grown and grown.

It's a way for the poor in the inner city who lack access to reliable transportation to get and keep jobs in the suburbs â the place where the jobs are these days.

Mass transit can be a force to reduce racial segregation. It is well known â and completely deplorable -- that the Detroit area is one of the most segregated in the country. The fact that it lacks any real system of mass transit is no coincidence.

Mass transit is highly desired by the young, highly educated "creative class" who want to get around a metro area after relaxing downtown -- without having to designate a driver.

Read the entire article here .

Weekend conference focused around a sustainable Detroit

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Between Oct. 17 and 19, Marygrove College will be hosting the 2008 Detroit Great Lakes Bioneers conference, which focuses on developing a sustainable Detroit.

Excerpt:

Detroit and the surrounding region need solutions for the challenges that face us. The Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit conference will provide a robust look at the practical and visionary solutions for our communities.

For more information and details go here .

Ghost haunts Whitney, other Michigan paranormal tales in new book

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Where is Ghostbuster Bill Murray when you need him? He's obviously not at the Whitney where, according to a new book about Michigan hauntings (and a bus boy from the restaurant), a ghost is lurking around. Maybe even waiting to slime someone.

Excerpt:

Tedsen and Rydel said thereâs much more evidence â including an event that occurred in front of their very eyes that directly correlates to the Whitney family history and dates back 100 years â to be discussed during the presentation Oct. 25.

âThe Whitney, from our experiences, is one of the most active in paranormal activity,â Rydel said.

Read the entire article here .

National City first to close on new Book Cadillac Hotel condo unit

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Lead investor has been in the forefront of community development for downtown Detroit, closes on first condo unit in restored Book Cadillac Hotel.

Excerpt:

David Boyle, president for National City in Michigan, said, "As the lead investor in the Book Cadillac renovation, with over $38 million invested, and as the presenting sponsor of the Oct. 25 grand opening gala, we are proud to announce this milestone, which establishes a new residential value for condo sales in the city."

He emphasized, "Over the past 10 years, National City has been at the forefront in community development for downtown Detroit and the surrounding neighborhoods. We welcome our responsibility to lead the way as a partner in our city's renaissance."

Read the entire article here .

Huge section of Tiger Stadium to be recycled

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Beloved Tiger Stadium may no longer be on the corner of Trumbull and Michigan, but it'll be everywhere else. Nearly all of the debris will be recycled into trucks, parking lots and roads.

Excerpt:

Bits and pieces of the old stadium may soon turn up in the body of a new Ford F-150 truck or underneath a freshly paved Wal-Mart parking lot in the suburbs.

More than 94% of the demolished part of the stadium is being recycled. That includes over 11.4 million pounds of steel and almost 17.4 million pounds of concrete and other debris.

Some of it wonât go far â crushed structural concrete from the ballpark will likely be used in southeastern Michigan as fill material under roads, parking lots and foundations. Some of the metal, like steel from the stadiumâs blue structural beams, could end up in anything from new cars to kitchen appliances.

Read the entire article here .

Detroit mass transit hot topic at urban redevelopment conference

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Transit was a hot topic at an urban redevelopment conference that focused on areas near universities.

Excerpt:

Panelists at a conference on urban redevelopment took the chance to stump for mass transit in Detroit and particularly near Wayne State University.

âThat will encourage more folks to live here, making living in a core city an option for students, professionals and the general workforce,â said Sue Mosey, president of the University Cultural Center Association.

âItâs one of the components that helps us get to that density that will make a lot of other things all into place,â she said.

Read the entire article here .

Fifty years of Motown, complete with logo, 191-song compilation boxed-set release

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Fifty years of Motown has been packaged into a new 191-song boxed set and a logo commemorating five decades of dancing in the street. The art for the set, plastered across the front of the packaging, includes a photo of Detroit's own Hitsville, U.S.A. on W. Grand Blvd.

Excerpt:

Universal Music will announce details next week for Motownâs anniversary showpiece, âMotown: The Complete #1sâ â a 10-disc, 191-song boxed set to be released Dec. 8.

The setâs masterstroke is its packaging, a replica of Motownâs old Hitsville, USA, headquarters in Detroit, as seen in product images obtained today by the Free Press. Included will be a photo book with an essay by Smokey Robinson.

The track list features music by 50 artists and includes every Motown song to have hit No. 1 on assorted charts in the United States and elsewhere, starting with the Miraclesâ 1961 song âShop Aroundâ through Erykah Baduâs 2000 hit âBag Lady.â

Read the entire article here .

Kid Rock's new video was 'made in Detroit,' debuts wherever they still play music videos

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit takes center stage in Kid Rock's new video hitting CMT, VH1, and MTV last weekend and the Detroit News has it for your viewing pleasure.

Excerpt:

There are shots of Rock driving around town in an early '60s Lincoln Continental, visiting downtown headwear emporium Henry the Hatter, and sitting down for a couple of Coney dogs at Lafayette Coney Island with his brother, Billy, and Rock's pal Uncle Kracker.

The "Roll On" clip also features footage of Rock and his Twisted Brown Trucker Band performing the song inside Motown's famed Studio A and on the front steps of the Motown Museum. There are shots from this year's Dream Cruise, which directors Robert Deaton and George Flanigen --who also lensed the video for Rock's "All Summer Long" --shot when they were in town scouting locations in mid-August.

Read the entire article and see the video here .

Other Kid Rock news:

He's finally accepted the future. One of the last holdouts, refusing to carry his stuff online, Kid Rock has reached an agreement with Rhapsody to carry his complete catalog on the Web.

Read the entire article here .

Take survey to road map Detroit's next economy for AIA's SDAT initiative

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit has been selected by the American Institute of Architecture to participate in the Sustainability Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program. Their goal is to find action that will guide the city toward a better quality of life. The survey below will help shape some of that action.

Excerpt:

The American Institute of Architects has selected Detroit for its Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program. The SDAT will design a roadmap for improving Detroit's sustainability. The results of this survey will be utilized for this process, which includes a three-day charrette, October 30th to November 1st.

For more information go here.

Take the survey here.

England's The Independent visits Detroit to explore 100 years of the Motor City

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Travel writer Ben Ross from England's Independent comes to Detroit, travels around Michigan, and sees the sights that the city and state has to offer.

Excerpt:

Jeanette is the founder of Inside Detroit, which, she says, "exists to fill the holes. We want to show people this incredible city." We drove downtown together, then left my Kia behind and continued on foot. Her enthusiasm for the place was evident and infectious: Downtown Detroit is an impressive place, and it's surprisingly easy to get around. There's even a loop of monorail called the People Mover that takes in a three-mile circuit of the area. Tickets cost just 50 cents.

The glistening blue tube of the modern GM Tower, which juts upwards from the waterside Renaissance Centre, served as a handy navigational aid as we took in some of the Art Deco architecture that lies nearby. The 1920s Penobscot building features striking reliefs inspired by Native American culture; the Guardian building, once a cathedral to finance, is decked out in gaudy tiles. The banking room is now given over to retail outlets; here "Pure Detroit" sells handbags made out of car seatbelts.

Read the entire article here .

Bills allowing Detroit's private rail line begin legislative journey to reality

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit is again inching closer to mass transit as the bills clearing the way for Detroit's $103 million private rail line hit the legislature.

Excerpt:

The private-sector plan to build a $103 million light-rail loop on Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit is getting the legislative action needed to become a reality.

Bills that would allow such a system, which eventually would operate as a public-private entity with some type of public subsidy, were introduced last week in the House and will be introduced this week in the Senate.

Read the entire article here.

New initiative ensures Detroit's Near East Siders healthcare services

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A new initiative on Detroit's Near East Side aims to bring healthcare services to its thousands of residents.

Excerpt:

"This initiative is indicative of what we can achieve when the health care community comes together to solve a problem. The synergy of these efforts doesn't just solve a problem, it creates a model of health care delivery that is replicable elsewhere," said Chris Allen, Executive Director and CEO of the Health Authority. "We are pleased with the leadership of St. John Health and the many community organizations that have made this initiative possible."

"The collaborative effort undertaken on Detroit's East Side can be a model for development of the medical home for families in the area," explained Adam Jablonowski, Executive Director of the Wayne County Medical Society. Jablonowski also serves as Chair of the Health Authority's Provider Advisory Committee. "Now, we must move forward with the training of more primary care physicians to meet the challenge of delivering the care."

Read the entire article here .

All My Red Wings: Soap star flaunts love for Hockeytown

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Straight out of Pine Valley, "All My Children" star and Wayne State University grad Thorsten Kaye flaunts his love for Hockeytown on the ABC soap. The British transplant, who has homes in Detroit and NYC, has fallen in love with the Motor City and hockey.

Excerpt:

Kaye said his most memorable night at Joe Louis Arena was Jan. 2, 2007, when the Red Wings retired Steve Yzermanâs No. 19 jersey.

âI have been around actors my entire life, but I can tell you that the tears for Yzerman that night were very real,â he said. âAnd I donât think Iâve ever heard a longer standing ovation.â

Read the entire story here .

Rock 'n' Rummage Sale set for Oct. 11 at Hamtramck's Painted Lady

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Rock 'n' Rummage will be hosting their Treats and Treasures Show on Oct. 11 at Hamtramck's Painted Lady. Ten vendors will be on hand serving up CDs, vinyl, vintage, and just about everything else you can find at a rummage sale.

Excerpt:

Rock 'N' Rummage isn't your moms typical yard sale!!!

So you're sitting in Metro Detroit bar, and people start setting up tables with stacks of vinyl records, t-shirts, and nostalgic items with words attached to them like "The Goonies", "Garbage Pail Kids", and "The Dark Crystal". No, this isn't a retrospective decade show on VH1. This is Rock 'N' Rummage you have just witnessed.

Rock 'N' Rummage brings the yard, garage, market, and fair into a bar/coffee house setting. The event is centered around music, drinking, and merchandise.

For more information go here .

Wayne State takes big role in $57 million study of children's health

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A large consortium of major universities and health care providers are taking part in a multimillion-dollar study of children's health, and Wayne State University is right in the mix of it all.

Wayne State is working with Children's Hospital of Michigan, Henry Ford Health System, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Michigan Department of Community Health and Wayne County and City of Detroit Health Departments. The study is focusing on the health of children from birth to adulthood.

Michigan's role in the National Children's Study is to monitor more than 1,000 children from across the state. By studying these children, researchers will be able to determine cures for childhood diseases such as autism and cerebral palsy or come up with ways to prevent them.

Wayne State will oversee the assessment and care of pregnant women in the study and take in part of the $57 million grant to fund the study. That money does not include $18.5 million announced last fall for additional work in Wayne County. The study is set to kick off next year.

Source: Wayne State University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Huron Capital Partners takes advantage of economy, creates five jobs

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Panic in the financial system doesn't worry Huron Capital Partners too much. Actually, it's a good thing for the downtown Detroit-based company.

The late-stage private equity company specializes in buying stakes in existing corporations in need of recapitalization, corporate spin-offs, family business succession, leverage buyouts or firms its just looking to buy and build up. Since the world is in the process of revaluing just about every existing asset, it means there are great deals galore for Huron Capital Partners.

"It's a good time for us because the valuations of the businesses we normally go after have dropped," Beauregard says.

Even better news is that employment is up at Huron Capital Partners. It's gone from three to 11 employees in just under a decade. That includes five people it just hired. The firm hopes to hire another 5-10 people within the next 3-4 years.

That's just the people that work in its Guardian Building offices. Huron Capital Partners indirectly employees about 4,000 people in the 44 companies in which it has invested in its first 10 years.

It plans to acquire stakes in another 20 companies within the next couple of years. That would jump its revenue from $400 million to $750 million. A big jump, but keep in mind that the company has grown from a $50 million equity fund at its start to a $600 million equity fund today.

Those are indeed confidence inspiring numbers in a time when they're needed.

Source: Michael Beauregard, partner of Huron Capital Partners
Writer: Jon Zemke

One of Us Films pitches reality show, turns interns into employees

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

One of Us Films is looking to stand out in Detroit and beyond as the non-profit gets ready to grow more.

Carrie LeZotte, director of One of Us Films, started the company in 1994 as a student at Michigan State University. Today the Lafayette Park-based firm has expanded to four employees and is getting ready for some explosive growth. It also gives work to 20 freelance workers and an intern. The company's last intern recently became its most recent hire.

One of Us Films has made videos for Automation Alley, Comerica Bank and Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office. It's now trying to sell a reality show to network TV about raising leader dogs.

If that show gets picked up it will mean a steady stream of income and big growth for the little firm. LeZotte expects it would mean turning many of the company's 20 freelancers into full-time employees.

"We're trying to work ourselves into a situation where we are doing what we want to do," LeZotte says.

Source: Carrie LeZotte, director of One of Us Films
Writer: Jon Zemke

DIA goes bargain-hunting in stock market

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Detroit Institute of Arts not only has a wealth of art but a wealth of investments to capitalize on in the face of a tough economy.

Excerpt:

While some were watching the stock market anxiously this week, others saw opportunity there.

After increasing its cash position in December, the Detroit Institute of Arts was able to take advantage of the lower stock prices in the market, said CFO Loren Lau.

âWhile investments overall for the calendar year are down slightly, weâre doing quite a bit better than the market and our peers,â he said.

Read the rest of the Crain's Detroit Business story here .

Michigan's movie role pays off for Detroit

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Filmmakers are flooding into Michigan, hitting Detroit with a big wave of new business opportunities.

Excerpt:

Brian Meganck is a big movie fan. Not of watching them, necessarily. Of making them. In Michigan.

A few years ago, as the number of commercials shooting in Michigan began fading, Meganck had to move his business Kind Services, which provides drinks and snacks for film crews, to Oregon. There just wasn't enough work here. Now Meganck is back, and business is booming.

"We went from two full-time employees to now six and a host of part-timers," he said in August on the phone from the set of "Whip It," starring Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page. He's now working on the set of "Demoted," starring David Cross. "We went from the capability of doing one movie at a time to three movies," Meganck said. "We've knocked out six features and I've probably turned down six or eight more."

Read the rest of The Detroit News story here .

Wayne State prof's research examines climate change and beetle outbreak

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Global warming and Yellowstone beetles, not exactly the link most would make. But one Wayne State University professor thinks there just might be something to them.

Dan Kashian, an assistant professor of biological sciences, is investigating what looks to be a connection between climate change and large scale outbreaks of beetles in Yellowstone National Park.

The U.S. Dept of Energy's National Institute of Climate Change Research is funding the $306,000 grant paying for Kashian's work. He points out this is critical work because of recent huge beetle outbreaks from northern Canada to Mexico, a series of outbreaks he says are unprecedented.

These beetles go after mature conifer trees, slowly killing them. During this process the trees' needles turn bright red and fall off, becoming tinder that could make forest fires easier to start.

Trees consume global-warming gases like carbon dioxide. However, they also release carbon dioxide into the air when they die, rot or burn. Beetles killing more trees could accelerate and upset the carbon cycle, Kashian says, causing more beetle outbreaks and more tree deaths.

Source: Wayne State University
Writer: Jon Zemke