Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
Algonac Resident Wins 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor in Fair Lane Sweepstakes
John Gilbert of Algonac has won a 2022 Bronco Raptor in a fundraising sweepstakes to benefit Fair Lane: Home of Clara and Henry Ford in Dearborn.
More than 90,000 sweepstakes entries were received from Bronco enthusiasts across the state and around the world, bringing in over $300,000 that will help fund the continued restoration and reimagination the National Historic Landmark.
The winner was announced live on BroncoNation by Edsel B. Ford II, great-grandson of Clara and Henry Ford and chairman of the Fair Lane Board, and Bob Bury, president and CEO of Fair Lane. Gilbert and his wife took delivery of his new Bronco, the most powerful street-legal Bronco ever, at the estate last week.
“We are thrilled that John was the lucky winner,” Bury says. “He is a lifelong proud Ford owner, outdoor enthusiast, and someone who values history and appreciates our work to restore and reimagine Fair Lane. Special thanks to the Southeast Michigan Ford Dealers whose generosity helped make this a great success for Fair Lane.”
The Bronco Sweepstakes is one of several fundraisers that support the restoration of the home, the grounds and gardens, and several significant structures on the estate, including Clara’s Potting Shed and Henry’s Powerhouse.
Fair Lane, an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit entity, is the final home of Clara and Henry Ford. Since 2013, a team of artisans, conservators, historians, and craftspeople have worked to restore and reimagine the estate. That work continues and the home and other structures remain closed to the public. Fair Lane’s gardens and grounds are open, however, free of charge from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. For more information visit henryfordfairlane.org.
Eastern Market Brewing Co. Releasing Two Paczki-inspired Beers
Eastern Market Brewing Co., located in the heart of Detroit’s Eastern Market district, will be celebrating Fat Tuesday (Feb. 21) again this year with its third annual release of Paczki Beer. For the first time, however, there will be two fruited variations of the beer — raspberry and blueberry.
Having sold out the past two years, the brewer increased production and is moving to a pre-order process to ensure that more beer can get to more paczki-loving people.
“This is the third year in a row that we’ve doubled production, and we still anticipate selling out,” says Pauline Knighton-Prueter, vice president of sales and marketing for Eastern Market Brewing. “Our 2023 version of Paczki Beer is at another level with a second flavor and redesigned labels, plus real vanilla cream and 42.5 pounds of real fruit per barrel of beer.”
The public pre-order will open at noon on Feb. 1 while members of the brewery’s lifetime membership program get early access, 24 hours prior to the public release. Beer will be available for pick up at the taproom in Eastern Market Feb. 2-17.
Next week, Paczki beer also will hit a limited number of store shelves as a mixed four-pack with two cans each of raspberry and blueberry flavors, the brewery’s first distributed mixed four-pack. Both flavors will also be available on draft at key venues throughout the greater Detroit area.
In addition to the beer release, Eastern Market Brewing Co. is hosting a Paczki Block Party Feb. 18 in partnership with their Riopelle Street neighbors, Detroit City Distillery. Festivities include a paczki-eating contest, live music from John Stevens’ Polka Band, plus perogies from Eastern Market’s famous Pietrzyk Perogies.
The brewery also owns a vegan donut brand, Dooped Donuts, which will be on-site with paczkis.
To pre-order Paczki Beer follow @easternmarketbrewing on Instagram and Facebook for details on the release, save this link, which will go live at noon Feb. 1, or visit the Eastern Market taproom.
Renovations Have Begun on Historic Kingsley Arms and Lee Arden Apartments
Local Initiatives Support Corp.’s Detroit office (LISC Detroit) and developer Hazelwood Partners have started to renovate two historic buildings in Detroit’s Piety Hill neighborhood (south of the Boston-Edison Historic District) that will bring 87 units of new affordable housing to the city.
The two neighboring buildings on Hazelwood Street — Kingsley Arms Apartments (646 Hazelwood) and Lee Arden Apartments (660 Hazelwood) are the latest projects to tap the Detroit Housing for the Future Fund (DHFF), which helps developers bridge financial gaps in their efforts to create and renovate quality affordable housing options in neighborhoods across the city.
The renovations are being led by Hazelwood Partners, which includes Ryan Zampardo and Devon Caldwell of Detroit-based Inkwell Partners; David Conca of Vera Development; and Todd Rodgers of Essential Property Management. All 87 units in the buildings, which have been vacant for more than a decade, will be affordable housing, some as low as 45 percent area median income (AMI).
The combined $10.3 million total development ($4.9 million for Kingsley Arms and $5.42 million for Lee Arden) was made possible by $6.69 million in loans from DHFF. The PACE Loan Group also made loans to each project totaling $2.1 million. The restoration will include full renovations to the 87 units, in addition to installing new electric, plumbing, and HVAC systems; replacement of windows and roofs; improvements to the common areas; and other work. In addition, the affordability on all the apartments will be guaranteed for at least the next 13 years.
The buildings will feature nine apartments at or below 45 percent AMI, nine at or below 55 percent AMI, and the remainder at or below 80 percent AMI. The units are targeted at Detroiters making between $31,350 and $50,160. Rents start at about $805 and average less than $1,000. The buildings offer three studios, 63 one-bedroom apartments, and 21 two-bedroom apartments between them.
“The Detroit Housing for the Future Fund is proving to be a powerful tool in our efforts to create affordable housing for Detroiters” says Detroit mayor Mike Duggan. “In the case of this developer, almost an entire block will be completely renovated, and ready for new people to move in and enjoy a high quality yet affordable home in a beautiful neighborhood. It also gets us that much closer to fulfilling our goal of creating or preserving 15,000 units of affordable housing to ensure that Detroiters of all income levels can live in any neighborhood they wish.”
Hazelwood Partners also is nearing completion on the Weber Apartments (655 Hazelwood), directly across the street from Lee Arden and Kingsley Arms. Forty-four newly renovated units at the Weber will start leasing in the spring. Once Lee Arden and Kingsley Arms renovations are complete in late 2023, almost an entire block will have been transformed from vacant, decaying structures to thriving, renovated and occupied buildings.
“We appreciate the city of Detroit, LISC Detroit, and the Detroit Housing for the Future Fund for helping us transform these beautiful, historic buildings” says Ryan Zampardo of Hazelwood Partners. “It is extremely important to us as developers to make sure our apartments are attainable for all Detroiters. Without the DHFF, achieving these affordability levels would not be possible.”
For more information about the DHFF and the Developers of Color programs, visit here.
J.D. Power: January New Auto Sales Expected to Reach 1.043M Units
Total new-vehicle sales for January 2023, including retail and non-retail transactions, are projected to reach 1,043,100 units, a 5.4 percent increase from January 2022, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power in Troy and LMC Automotive.
New-vehicle retail sales for January 2023, however, are expected to decline when compared with January 2022. Retail sales of new vehicles this month are expected to reach 859,800 units, a -1.7 percent decrease from January 2022.
“As we start 2023, supply chain disruptions continue but are becoming less severe,” says Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power. “This is leading to an increase in the number of vehicles being delivered to dealerships and fleet customers.
“Retail inventory at the end of January is expected to remain above 1 million units for the fourth consecutive month. However, the overall volume of new vehicles being delivered to dealerships in January is still not sufficient to meet consumer demand, resulting in record transaction prices for the month.”
The record transaction prices means that buyers are on track to spend nearly $39.9 billion on new vehicles this month — the highest level ever for the month of January, an increase of 2.4 percent from January 2022.
Total aggregate retailer profit from new-vehicle sales for the month of January is projected to be down 23.4 percent from January 2022, reaching $3.4 billion for the second-best January on record.
Other details from the report include:
- The average new-vehicle retail transaction price in January is expected to reach $46,437, a 4.2 percent increase from January 2022. The previous high for any month — $47,362—was set in December 2022.
- Average incentive spending per unit in January is expected to reach $1,260, down from $1,355 in January 2022. Spending as a percentage of the average MSRP is expected to fall to 2.7 percent, down 0.4 percentage points from January 2022.
- Average incentive spending per unit on trucks/SUVs in January is expected to be $1,265, down $98 from a year ago, while the average spending on cars is expected to be $1,290, down $31 from a year ago.
- Retail buyers are on pace to spend $39.9 billion on new vehicles, up $0.9 billion from January 2022.
- Truck/SUVs are on pace to account for 78.7 percent of new-vehicle retail sales in January.
- Fleet sales are expected to total 183,300 units in January, up 59.4 percent from January 2022 on a selling day adjusted basis. Fleet volume is expected to account for 18 percent of total light-vehicle sales, up from 12 percent a year ago.
- Average interest rates for new vehicle loans are expected to increase to 6.79 percent, 264 basis points higher than a year ago.
Southwest Detroit Business Association Launches Affordable Housing Grants
The Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA), in collaboration with the City of Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department (HRD), have started its Second-Floor Residential Grant Program, which aims to convert vacant, second-floor space above commercial spaces into affordable apartment units in southwest Detroit.
The program, which will reimburse property owners up to $10,000 for performing eligible improvements on their unused second-floor apartments, is expected to result in 24 new affordable housing units. Property owners can apply now until 5 p.m. March 31.
“At the city of Detroit, we are always looking for ways to create affordable housing and opportunities for Detroiters,” says Julie Schneider, director of HRD. “This great program does both, by converting unused space into affordable places for Detroiters to live, reinvigorating our commercial corridors and helping to stabilize income for local property owners.”
The funding allocated by the city is part of the $203 million housing plan announced in July by Mayor Mike Duggan and City Council members as part of an effort to increase the number of code-compliant, naturally occurring affordable rental housing units.
Eligible properties must have unused second-floor apartments located above ground-floor commercial space. They also must be located within the geographic boundaries of West Vernor Highway from Woodmere to 15th Street; Springwells Street from West Vernor to the West Fisher Service Drive; Junction from Michigan Avenue to Konkel Street; and Bagley Avenue from the West Fisher Service Drive to 25th Street. Anticipated rental rates for apartments are $780-$1,250, making them affordable to residents earning between 50 percent and 80 percent of area median income. More information can be found at southwestdetroit.com.
“We are excited for our continued partnership with the city of Detroit, bringing economic development opportunities to southwest Detroit and simultaneously increasing access to safe and affordable housing for Detroit residents,” says Laura Chavez-Wazeerud-Din, vice president of programs and compliance for SDBA.
Genisys Credit Union Leads Nation in Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts
Genisys Credit Union in Auburn Hills has won the 2022 Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award, presented by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) for outstanding social responsibility projects in their communities.
The credit union was honored for its efforts with Pontiac-based nonprofit Lighthouse. Lighthouse has a mission to build equitable communities that alleviate poverty. In 2021, the two organizations furthered their partnership with a comprehensive campaign called “One Kitchen, Unlimited Reach: Eliminating Homelessness with Genisys Credit Union and Lighthouse.”
With this campaign, the credit union team donated $60,000 to renovate the commercial kitchen at Lighthouse, which hasn’t been used in more than 10 years; volunteered over 140 hours to transition a building on their campus into a family emergency shelter; and hosted a company-wide employee campaign to stock the kitchen raising $8,000 plus.
“Our goals for this project were rooted in advancing the mission of Lighthouse,” says Jackie Buchanan, president and CEO of Genisys Credit Union. “Throughout the campaign, the credit union team came together to do good, in big ways. I want to thank each team member who made this campaign possible and successful. Receiving recognition as a nationwide leader in corporate social responsibility within the credit union movement is an awe-inspiring nod that we are honored to have received.”
They followed up the campaign with an open house and fundraiser in October. Conducted at the Lighthouse headquarters, the open house aimed to raise awareness and additional funds around the commercial kitchen renovation.
Buddy’s Pizza Set to Open Second Grand Rapids Location
Detroit-based Buddy’s Pizza is expanding its Grand Rapids footprint with a new carry-out restaurant located at 3957 Alpine Ave. It will be the 22nd Buddy’s location in Michigan and the third in west Michigan, which includes two full-service restaurants, one in Grand Rapids and one in Portage.
The new location is now hiring. Those interested in becoming a part of the Buddy’s Pizza Grand Rapids team can apply here.
For more information, visit buddyspizza.com.
National Black Footwear Forum Returns this Fall
The Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) and Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design in Detroit, co-founders of the Black Footwear Forum (BFF), have announced the return of the National Black Footwear Forum Sept. 15-17.
The event will once again welcome the black footwear community to the Pensole Lewis College campus. New this year, it will kick-off with a DEI Summit, Sept. 14, that will bring together CEOs and executives across the industry to focus on increasing diversity and equity within the footwear industry.
Additionally, the BFF is launching a “fresh and innovative” podcast — “Blacklights” — which continues conversations on diversity, highlights black footwear industry leaders, and provides resources on how to navigate the footwear industry as POC.
The podcast launches March 13 with hosts Dion Walcott, director of partnerships and engagement at Pensole, and LaShae Boone-McCray, director of strategic accounts at RG Barry.
Visit blackfootwearforum.com for more details.
Farmington Hills-based Gale Digital Scholar Lab Adds New Collaboration Feature
Gale in Farmington Hills is bringing real-time team collaboration to the Gale Digital Scholar Lab platform to support project-based learning. The new collaboration feature is called Gale Digital Scholar Lab: Groups.
Developed based on feedback from lab users, this new functionality enables researchers, instructors, and students at the same institution to collaborate on digital humanities projects within the platform and explore Gale Primary Sources in “new and exciting” ways. The new feature promises to strengthen the lab’s use in a classroom environment and helps students develop workplace skills they can use well beyond college.
“We recognize the value of project-based learning, especially in the field of digital humanities,” says Seth Cayley, vice president of global academic product at Gale. “Groups offers an approachable way to facilitate collaboration on projects.
“Digital humanities instructors and students will be able to work together efficiently to create the visuals, data, and content sets they need to take a project from start to finish. Not to mention, they will be learning important workplace skills like collaboration and project management by using the new features.”
For more information, visit here.
Detroit Poet Named 2023 Kresge Eminent Artist for Lifetime Achievement
Poet, essayist, biographer, filmmaker, and professor Melba Joyce Boyd has been named the 2023 Kresge Eminent Artist, the 15th metro Detroit artist to receive the award, which includes $50,000 and the creation of a video and monograph.
Boyd’s selection marks the 15th time that The Kresge Foundation has issued the award. Kresge launched the award in 2008 to spotlight the contributions of singular metro Detroit artists whose dedication to their craft and commitment to the community have elevated their chosen genre and significantly deepened Detroit’s cultural footprint.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, Boyd is no stranger to recognition. At 72 her resume overflows with local, state, and national honors including multiple Library of Michigan Notable Book awards and a 2010 Independent Publishers Award. In 2010 she was a finalist in for the NAACP Image Award for Poetry.
“The one thing that’s great about this award,’’ Boyd says, “is that you don’t apply for it. You’re getting real appreciation for your work from people who understand what it means to make work in Detroit. That’s something special. It’s a reminder and celebration of the culture we have here and the way that it continues.’’
Rip Rapson, president and CEO of The Kresge Foundation, says: “In our Eminent Artist initiative, we lift up individuals who have for decades both reflected our times and fired up our imaginations. Melba Joyce Boyd is yet another of these fulcrums of creativity. As both a scholar of important African American artists and an artist in her own right, she grounds us in history and inspires us to think about the future.”
Detroit Public Theatre Premiers ‘The Peculiar Patriot’ Feb. 10
Detroit Public Theatre announces the Michigan premier of “The Peculiar Patriot,” Feb. 10-March 5, at organization’s new venue at 3960 Third Ave. in the heart of Detroit’s cultural district.
Written and performed by Liza Jessie Peterson, “The Peculiar Patriot” was inspired by her work in prisons, including on Riker’s Island. Peterson’s award-winning, solo piece is “an important, funny, and profound investigative look into America’s criminal justice system.”
The play tells the story of LaQuanda “Betsy” Ross. Betsy knows a lot about the New York State Penitentiary system. Her regular visits to loved ones in various upstate institutions have made her quite the expert and a self-proclaimed Peculiar Patriot. In-between neighborhood updates and gossip, Betsy educates herself and the audience on the systemic inequity within America’s prison complex system and its effect on those behind bars, as well as their family and friends.
DPT’s upcoming production of “The Peculiar Patriot” offers audiences the opportunity to directly connect a Detroit Public Theatre performance with the work of its signature community program — Shakespeare in Prison — for the first time. Shakespeare in Prison participants and facilitators will host a post-show dialogue after every performance. Detroit Public Theatre is offering justice system-impacted people and their loved ones discounted tickets to “The Peculiar Patriot” and a free performance on Feb. 11. For discount codes and more information, email patriot@detroitpublictheatre.org.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit detroitpublictheatre.org or call 313-974-7918.
