Development News

The days of digging for parking money coins or forgetting to re-fill the meter may be dwindling in downtown Birmingham since the installation of pay-by-phone meters.

Parkmobile lets drivers use its app to set up an account that lets their phone communicate payment to the meter, sends reminders of when time is up, and offers other services.

There are 1,238 meters in downtown Birmingham and John Heiney, executive director of the Birmingham Principal Shopping District, says "I think visitors to Birmingham are going to embrace this new parking option.  Today's shoppers are looking for the convenience that comes from dialing on their cell phone, or using a smart phone app."
 
Downtown Birmingham visitors still have the option of using one of the five parking decks that offer two hours free parking - $1 after that - where customers can pay using debit or credit cards.

Parkmobile meters are becoming a more common site across the country. Birmingham becomes the sixth city in Michigan after Ferndale, Dearborn, Grand Rapids, Petoskey, and South Haven.

“It is our hope that the ease of parking will encourage people to stop in Birmingham. Whether it’s to shop, dine or play, a quick visit to Birmingham just got easier,” Birmingham City Manager Robert Bruner says in a statement announcing the launch of the meters last week.

Parkmobile's applications are available for the iPhone, Android, Windows 7, and Blackberry smartphones. To use the new Parkmobile system, customers can register for free at www.parkmobile.com. Once registered, they can use a mobile app, the internet, QR code, or call toll free, 1-800-280- 4146 to pay for parking. After setting up an account, customers can immediately pay by mobile and also choose whether to receive text message alerts and reminders.

Source: John Heiney, executive director, Birmingham Principal Shopping District
Writer: Kim North Shine

The attraction of painting over a glass of wine has proven so strong that one metro Detroit business, Painting with a Twist, is thriving at a second location.

Owner Michelle Lewis has added a downtown Farmington location at 33033 Grand River Ave. Her first was in Ferndale at 320 W. 9 Mile.

Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington Downtown Development Authority, says "it's a fantastic business" and part of several changes lighting up downtown Farmington's Grand River Avenue.

"Michelle Lewis is a very sharp woman," she says. "What she's done is bring a business that's serving as a destination, something we all would like to have."

Painting with a Twist pairs groups - or individuals - with an artist who teaches them how to work with a brush. Often parties are held that have the students sipping on beverages they bring. Everyone leaves with a canvas of their own creation.

Source: Annette Knowles, executive director, Farmington DDA
Writer: Kim North Shine

A hair salon and boutique has opened in downtown Wyandotte, joining several other new businesses, some of them run by young owners who are working together to bring more new blood to the 'dot.

Mary Karasinski, the owner of Beauty Lounge Salon and Boutique which held a pin-up-era models-meet-cool-cars grand opening over the weekend, is one of the new business owners excited about a new era of businesses coming to downtown.

"Wyandotte is a great city and has been for a long time, but we're trying to bring a younger crowd and feel to downtown," she says.

She and other new business owners have special events planned for October and February for starters.

Karasinski, Southgate-born and a hairstylist for 11 years, has lived in Chicago and New York. She moved back to Michigan in 2008 and chose Wyandotte for her first salon because she loves the city's vibe.

"It's a closer knit community, but we still have that walkability of an urban area, the downtown feel," she says. "Plus we're only 10 minutes from downtown Detroit…and my salon is right on the water."

The Beauty Lounge, 2909 Biddle Avenue, opened about two months ago. It has a boutique stocked with clothing and accessories, some of brought back from a trip Karasinski made to the Los Angeles Design Center last week. The Beauty Lounge has an Aveda-trained staff working with Aveda products and make-up artists wokring with MAC cosmetics.

The salon is one of several new businesses along Biddle to open in the last several months. Among them: Coastal Thai restaurant, a sushi bar and coffee shop with a twist, Tongue's Protein Bar and Chill Lounge.

"It's exciting to see what's happening here," she says.

Source: Mary Karasinski, owner, Beauty Lounge Salon and Boutique
Writer: Kim North Shine

Moonlink Studios, a provider of production and satellite services in Michigan, has opened two new stages in metro Detroit where live shoots can be done and productions can be recorded.

The expansion of the company, which also rents recording and production equipment and staff, opens doors for metro Detroiters who have been learning production and film industry skills - even as cuts to the state's tax incentives have led to uncertainty in the industry.

One of Moonlink's new stages is in Southfield and was the site of ESPN's sports analyst Jalen Rose's basketball analysis during the London Olympics. The other stage is in Ann Arbor  is located at Domino's Farm office Park and has been used by CNN International and CNBC networks already.

The two new stages bring the company's total number of stages to five. The other three, in Warren, Troy and Detroit, can all be used for live shots or recorded productions.

Moonlink, based in Oak Park, was formed when RingSide Creative Integrated Media Studio and Jeff Moon Production Services Inc. went into partnership last year. Read the metromode story here. Through the partnership the companies became the largest single source provider of start-to-finish production and satellite services in Michigan.

Moonlink rents stages, crew and equipment, including cameras and satellite trucks that cover the Midwest and Eastern half of the country.

Source: Amy Weishuhn, spokesperson, Ringside Creative and Moonlink Studios
Writer: Kim North Shine

The closing of one of Farmington's long-established restaurants is being seen as an opportunity to shape the development of the city's downtown as it moves through a resurgence.

Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington DDA, says the DDA decided to purchase the parcel that includes Dimitri's restaurant, 33200 Grand River, as a way to control what comes to the stretch of road that is downtown Farmington's Main Street. The cost: $430,000 to be paid back to the City of Farmington, which approved a loan to the DDA earlier this month.

"The DDA does have an interest in bringing something to downtown that will really add to the energy and excitement that's going on here," said Annettesaid. "We are looking to kick it up a notch…We are looking to attract a restaurant or redevelopment project that will really contribute to the progress being made."

Now the DDA is entertaining potential buyers, and Knowles is holding open houses for the spot "so people can come through casually, without pressure. One open house was Aug. 14. The next is Monday, Aug. 20, from noon to 2.

"Interest has been pretty brisk," Knowles said. "We have had numerous folks come who are interested in the restaurant component…We're still debating and discussing the options and opportunities."

The proactive development approach gives the DDA and city officials control over a crucial spot of downtown, one that is across the street from a city park and pavilion that hosts summer concerts and events throughout the year.

"It does have a good location in a central part of downtown that's accessible and walkable," Knowles says.

The restaurant is 3,000 square feet, she says, and "there's room for expansion. The building could be re-used or demolished, depending on the proposals that come in.

What's known for sure is that a parking lot will be added behind the building, part of a larger plan to improve parking options downtown, Knowles said.

"The bigger picture is there are a lot of redevelopment opportunities here," she said. "This is one we where we hope to start a major trend of investment in our community."

Source: Annette Knowles, executive director, Farmington Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine

What Crepe, the creperie that had planned to add a Grosse Pointe location, has scrapped that plan, but the vacant space on Kercheval in The Village shopping district has already been spoken for.

In its space is going Sweet Little Sheila's Pastry and Crepe Cafe, an offshoot of Side Street Diner, a restaurant around the corner from where the pastry shop will go. Renovations are going on now. Co-owner Sheila Taylor is known for her cakes, brownies and other desserts.

It's one of several changes coming to The Village this fall.

A few doors down from the soon-to-be Sheila's, the Grosse Pointe Art Center, a gallery and gift shop that regularly draws crowds to its openings and special events, has relocated from a spot down the road. The corner spot gives the art center a more visible presence with windows on two sides.

In the same block of the Village the restaurant and bar, City Kitchen, is expanding into the art center's old space, capitalizing on locals interest in the bar area, which currently is often to capacity. The new bar will have pub tables, a larger bar to satisfy customers' desires to eat and socialize at the bar rather than in the dining room.

Still unspoken for is the largest vacancy in the Village, the former Border's bookstore.

Source: City of Grosse Pointe
Writer: Kim North Shine

A prominent downtown Birmingham location will be filled by international retailer lululemon before the winter holidays, the second metro Detroit store and fourth Michigan store of the popular yoga and running outfitter.

John Heiney, executive director of the Principal Shopping District in Birmingham, says the Canadian athletic retailer will take the majority of space at 101 South Old Woodward, a space vacated by Ann Taylor Loft in January.

He says a second national retailer is finalizing plans to move into the remaining square footage in the prominent storefront, and the name can be disclosed within days.

A store such as lululemon, he says, fits Birmingham, and is the latest example of the city's decision to hire a national retail recruiter.

"This lifestyle brand aligns well with Birmingham customer and they will draw from a large segment of the market," he says.

Source: John Heiney, executive director, Birmingham Principal Shopping District
Writer: Kim North Shine

Entrepreneurs needing an outlet to share idea and make business connections can give their neighbors, friends and family a rest and consider using the Idea Hub at the Velocity business incubator in Sterling Heights.

Idea Hub, or I-Hub, is a project of the Macomb-OU INCubator and is meant to be a place not only to exchange business ideas, perspectives, but also for resources such as a monthly meeting spot, a mailing address for start-ups and wi-fi hot spot.

A $95 monthly membership or $10 daily fee gets members access to the services that Julie Gustafson, executive director of the INCubator says, a way to connect to the entrepreneurial community and possibly launch a business.

"A lot of startups often do business in coffee shops; the I-Hub provides the perfect alternative and so much more," says Gustafson. "We envision that in many cases it will also become a stepping stone for full incubation services."

The I-Hub is located in the Velocity building at 6633 Eighteen Mile Road, the same location as the INCubator that is a collaboration between Oakland University and Macomb County and provides development and support services to startups and emerging businesses in the areas of defense, homeland security, advanced manufacturing and technology sectors.

Source: Julie Gustafson, executive director, Macomb-OU INCubator
Writer: Kim North Shine

Aaron Stone is hoping to play up a different aspect of Ferndale's cool vibe by opening a self-serve yogurt business downtown.

Stone, the owner-operator who has hired six part-time employees since his Easy Like Sundae opened at 172 9 W. 9 Mile July 20, says "

The former marketing agency employee and personal sports performance and football coach decided to go into business for himself after hearing his parents rave about a self-serve yogurt shop in Tennessee.

His Easy Like Sundae, like other self-serve yogurt businesses, lets customers pick their cup, their ice cream and then pick from a buffet of toppings.

"I thought it would fit great in Ferndale so I went for it," says Stone, who is also looking to hire an assistant manager.

Source: Aaron Stone, owner Easy Like Sundae
Writer: Kim North Shine

Metro Detroit's car culture is driving the creation of the Woodward Warehouse in Royal Oak, a place for car enthusiasts and their cars to come together and more.

Woodward Warehouse, at 4260 Edgeland in Royal Oak near Coolidge and Normandy, is the brainchild of Joe and Blenda Polito, husband and wife car lovers turned entrepreneurs.

Their concept of offering car storage in "museum quality, heated, air conditioned, climate controlled" storage facility along with car care services and a social club is a local take on similar clubs on the east and west coasts, says Polito, a retired attorney who owns at least 11 classic cars.

The Warehouse, named after Woodward Avenue, a national historic scenic byway that's taken over annually each August by classic cars, opened June 23, "It's taken a lot of effort, time and money...we're starting to get some traction," he says.

Besides having 11,000 square feet of storage space for 45-55 vehicles to be stored under nearly 20 security cameras, Woodward Warehouse offers club membership that includes a 3,000-square-foot clubroom with a game room with regulation pool table and vintage pinball machine, a large screen TV, a kitchen, a an patio with grills,  game a cigar smoking room, meeting rooms and conference rooms that can be rented. They are considering setting up a model train room.

Polito also has found reputable contractors to provide services such as detailing.

One thing that makes Woodward Warehouse different is getting access to cars anytime.

"It's a great place to spend time with like-minded people," he says, "people who love and know cars."

Source: Joe Polito, owner, Woodward Warehouse
Writer: Kim North Shine

A Rouge River island with a deep history and a washed up appearance is looking better than it has in years, and though it's more industrial than natural its become a place of interest for recreational water users and environmentalists.

Fordson Island, an 8.4 acre piece of land born in the early 1920s when a channel was dug by the Army Corps of Engineers to increase shipping transportation, fell into decline in the 1970s after the water levels dropped, sediment rose and residents left.

Rundown homes, dozens of old and rusty boats and poor water quality were discovered years later, and a now two-three year old effort by several organizations, including AKT Peerless, an environmental and energy consulting firm; NOAA, the marine debris division National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority; and Friends of the Rouge have removed tons of debris, literally, which has resulted in an improvement in water quality.

Slowly, the island, although private, is starting to attract nature lovers and kayakers, along with fish and other wildlife. Hundreds of volunteers have removed many many cubic yards of junk and garbage, and water testing has shown an improvement in the amount of pollution.

Several goals have been set, including the return of fish once common to the area.

The island is about 3 miles inland from the Detroit River on the River Rouge owned by the city of Dearborn and accessible only by boat or a one-lane bridge from Detroit.

Source: Tim McGahey, regional manager of operations for Southeast Michigan at AKT Peerless
Writer: Kim North Shine

Found Sound, a new record store at 234 W. 9 Mile in downtown Ferndale, is finding nostalgia and a craving for the listening quality of vinyl and is attracting a loyal customer base.

The store, opened July 21 on 9 Mile near Woodward, is run by two record store veterans from Recordtime in Roseville.

They know of what they speak of when it comes to vinyl's rise, demise and resurrection. Found Sound stocks new and used records and special orders them. It will also host concerts twice a month and show music-related movies.

Ferndale was chosen as the business location for Found Sound because of "what you might call a counterculture, an art-based culture," says Found Sound manager Ray Hayosh.

"The first day was great. We had people waiting at the door, he says. "I saw this building and thought it is the best location in metro Detroit for a record store. Besides the culture here, we're close enough to the city to get the city traffic and close enough to upper suburbs to get their traffic."

He says the customers are a mix in age, interest and level of knowledge.

"There are enough collectors to make it a niche store, but we have a lot of people who just enjoy music. They're not obsessive fanatics, they're just casual listeners," he says.

And they're not necessarily mostly customers who knew and miss playing records.

"There's a big interest in vinyl with teens. Theres' a pretty big nostalgia factor to it..Even if only their parents listened to the records, they want to know more about it," he says. "For some it's the actual listening…People talk about a warmth to vinyl..The digital just has a very cold kind of feeling…with analog there's a much more inviting feeling. For some it's not the sound but the aesthetics of vinyl records. They can display them on a  shelf and share them with people."

The comeback of vinyl records has been helped by the availability of portable turntables and the business of independent labels that continued pressing records that major labels wanted only in digital format. Some bands, such as Pearl Jam, never stopped putting out vinyl records, he says.

"Now major labels are re-releasing everything under the sun," he says, "and there's a lot of stuff that's available in vinyl."

It may not be high-tech, he says, but it's still a fascinating thing how records play music.

"What's bizarre to me is the idea of a record needle reading a groove, he says. "It's crazy it's been over 100 years and it's still such an amazing thing."

Source: Ray Hayosh, manager, Found Sound
Writer: Kim North Shine

Kurt M. Lienhard is another example of job loss leading to entrepreneurism. His Perfectly Sweet Cakes & Desserts in downtown Plymouth has continuously grown since opening nine months ago in a shared space with Boule Artisan Bread .

But as Perfectly Sweet's business grew it became clear it needed its own space. So in May Lienhard moved into his own shop at 470 Forest, next to the Cozy Cafe.

"The day after Mother's Day, as promised, my friends and family and I were literally pushing freezers, everything down the street," Lienhard says.

Initially the former pharmaceutical sales rep (who was lost his job in late 2008) went into business with a friend and baker in another downtown Plymouth spot. "With a wife and three kids to take care of, I had to reinvent myself," he says.

He thought about what to do next. "My colleagues and I used to spend a lot of money at one of our favorite bakeries to entertain our customers, doctors,whatever," Lienhard says. "The  owner and I befriended each other and decided to go into business together. It went off unbelievably successful for two years, but we later decided to part ways."

After their Sweets 21closed, Lienhard opened Perfect Sweets, which became his full-time job and the full-time jobs of four others.

"Our whole premise for being in downtown was being near all the events that are going on here," he says.

Source: Kurt M. Lienhard, owner, Perfectly Sweet Cakes & Desserts
Writer: Kim North Shine

The artists behind the tribute sculptures planned for points along Woodward Avenue are putting the intricate finishing touches on the first two in the project: The Royal Oak Tribute and the Highland Park Tribute.

The 30-foot-tall lighted solar-powered glass and concrete interpretive sculptures, a project of the Woodward Avenue Action Association and the National Scenic Byways, will tell different stories at each location and honor the heritage of Woodward Avenue, which has been federally-designated as an All-American Road.

In Royal Oak, where organizers had hoped to unveil the sculpture in time for the Woodward Dream Cruise Aug. 16 - 18, the Royal Oak Tribute will honor the link to car cruising, drive-in theaters and such.

In Highland Park, says Lori Ella Miller, spokesperson for the Woodward Avenue Action Association, the tie-in will be Henry Ford and automobile innovation.

The Royal Oak sculpture will stand in the median at Woodward and 13 Mile and Highland Park's will be at the corner of Gerald and Woodward, but neither will be ready until mid-August, "more like late August," Miller says.

"You just want to be sure they're done right," she says.

"Iluminatinon events" will be held to unveil the sculptures.

"Our ultimate goal is to have eight to ten of these along Woodward," Miller says. "We hope to start working on a Detroit Tribute next."

The artists, Kyle Evans and his Royal Oak Tribute and Julie Jankowski and her Highland Park Tribute, are completing the concepts that link the past to the present. The $150,000 sculptures are paid for with federal grants and matching donations from  supporters such as businesses and nonprofits, and more contributions are needed, Miller says.

Source: Lori Ella Miller, Woodward Avenue Action Association
Writer: Kim North Shine

Livonia's busy shopping district at Plymouth and Middlebelt roads has taken on a new tenant. It is a test store in Children's Orchard's plans to expand their business into the adult and teen resale arena.

Style Trader, the newest branch of Children's Orchard, opened July 14. Children's Orchard is a national chain of resale shops which offers used children's clothing, toy and furniture. It has dozens of stores in more than 20 states and is based in Ann Arbor.

Style Trader's resale store in Livonia offers "a unique alternative to traditional shopping, where local shoppers can get an entire wardrobe at a huge discount while trading in clothes they have outgrown or just don’t wear anymore," says a statement announcing the opening.

CEO Taylor Bond says the new stores will appeal to a built-in base of budget-conscious consumers in the market for discounted name brands, a base that is growing along with the company's sales.

"Style Trader is the first upscale resale store to cater to women, teens, kids, and men all under one roof," Bond says in a statement announcing the store opening.

The Livonia store is located at 11502 Middlebelt Road and is 7,500 square feet of space fill with more than 20,000 pieces of merchandise.

Source: Taylor Bond, CEO, Children's Orchard and Style Trader
Writer: Kim North Shine