East Lansing : Development News

The Michigan State University Federal Credit Union broke ground on their newest branch last week, the North Marsh Branch, located in Bath Township. The estimated $3.8 million project is being managed by Granger Construction and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2012.

"It is one of our busiest branch locations," says April M. Clobes, Executive Vice President for MSUFCU. "This is the best location to relieve some of that traffic. We also have many members to the north of this location, and this will help serve those members."

"We will plan to have enough people hired ahead to get them trained," Clobes says. "When we open a new branch we pull employees from other branches so we have some experienced and some new people. That way we have a very knowledgeable staff that is able to take care of the membership."

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

Consumers Energy is one step closer to building its first wind energy park in the next two years.

The Jackson-based company has signed a contract with a national manufacturer to supply 56 wind turbine generators for the utility’s Lake Winds Energy Park in Mason County on the state’s western shore.

The contract calls for Vestas-American Wind Technology, Inc. to manufacture, deliver and commission the V100-1.8 MW turbine units. The total installed generation capacity of the units is 100.8 megawatts.

“Securing this agreement is a major milestone in the development of our first wind energy park and continues our commitment to environmental stewardship,” says John Russell, president and CEO of Consumers Energy.

“Consumers Energy already is the largest supplier of renewable energy in Michigan. By the end of 2012, including the addition of our Lake Winds Energy Park, about eight percent of the power that Consumers Energy supplies to its customers is expected to come from Michigan-based renewable sources.”

Consumers Energy provides natural gas and electricity to 6.5 million of the state’s 10 million residents in the 68 counties of Michigan’s lower peninsula.

Source: Consumers Energy

Writer: Louise Knott Ahern

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

East Lansing has a unique consignment store that includes a small lounge area, a large TV tuned to ESPN and a lot of suits.

The Man Store is a high-end consignment store for men only and includes name brand clothing, sporting gear and some jewelry. The 6,000 square foot  building was a Hollywood Video before Kellie Johnson opened The Man Store.

“I’ve never seen another men’s-only store,” says Johnson about what she perceives as an untapped market. “I certainly haven’t seen one around here.”

Johnson, who also opened four-year-old K2 Boutique, a high-boutique geared toward women, also offers style assistance.

“A lot of men don’t know how to dress or don’t take the time to dress and we help with that,” she says. “No one does that anymore.”

The Man Store is located st 2786 E. Grand River in East Lansing near Tom’s Party Store.

“We wanted to be on Grand River,” Johnson says. “Women will find K2, but for men it needs to be right there.”

Johnson is gradually adding a furniture consignment spinoff to the space next to The Man Store.

Source: Kellie Johnson, The Man Store

Writer: Ivy Hughes 

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

It’s been less than six months since Michigan State University (MSU) students David Spitzer, Adam Root and Joseph Brummitt launched Spartanicity, but they’re already rolling out another new venture.

The three recently received nonprofit status for Student Solutions, a nonprofit designed to offset the rising cost of higher education. Student Solutions will provide $1,000 tuition scholarships and $500 textbook scholarships for qualified Michigan students.

“We wanted to do something where we could help MSU students because the Promise Scholarship got cut and the economy is so bad and tuition got raised. So we thought a nonprofit that gave money to students would be good,” Spitzer says.

Students Solutions scholarships are available to students attending public and private Michigan-based colleges and universities. Students will have to apply for the scholarships and the first round of scholarships will be awarded in the summer 2010 or fall 2010 semester.

So far, the Student Solutions team has raised $10,000 in scholarship funding.

“I think our first-year goal is $40,000, and the second year is $100,000,” Spitzer says about fundraising goals.

David Spitzer, Adam Root and Joseph Brummitt launched Spartanicity, a product delivery service for MSU students in the fall.

“Spartanicity is doing really well,” Spitzer says. “We just started delivering text books for the student book store.”

Brummitt is a recent MSU graduate. Spitzer and Root graduate this spring.

Source: David Spitzer, Student Solutions

Writer: Ivy Hughes

Michigan State University’s (MSU) chemistry building has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. This is the first MSU building to receive LEED certification.

The $18.8 million laboratory renovation was completed in 2007 and included 15,000 square feet of additional research space. Some of the green components that helped the university obtain LEED certification for the chemistry building include recycled green glass in the flooring; low flow fixtures in the restrooms; demand ventilation; drip irrigation; recycling stations in the hall; and motion sensors for classroom lights.

The building received a silver LEED certification. The energy efficient building will likely save the university 25 percent in energy costs compared to a standard building of its size.

“MSU is saving money by voluntarily participating in the rating system, while also being environmentally responsible,” says Bob Nestle, university engineer for MSU’s Physical Plant. 

Six other MSU buildings are in the LEED certification registration process. They include the Secchia Center, the MSU Surplus Store and Recycling Center, the Kellogg Biological Station dairy barn, Brody Hall, the life sciences building and the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

“This was truly a team effort and started with the schematic design and goal in mind,” says Lynda Boomer, MSU’s energy and environmental engineer.

Source: MSU

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

The City of East Lansing council has approved a new Green Building Policy. This innovative policy will ultimately lead to an increase in environmentally friendly public and private development within East Lansing’s city limits in the future.

“This policy makes East Lansing the first community in Michigan to condition our economic development incentives on LEED certification,” says East Lansing councilmember, Nathan Triplett. “We are leading the way in the promotion of sustainable building practices. The policy will make our city a hub for green development in a market where consumers are increasingly looking for green options.”

Along with LEED certification requirements that differ for public and private development, the new Green Building Policy also encourages all new private developments in the City to incorporate LEED or similar green building practices, such as ENERGY Star certification, and low impact design elements.

“In addition to a strong environmental case for this new policy, there is a rock solid business case. LEED certified buildings typically cost zero to two percent more to build, but result in a 20 percent energy costs savings over the life of the structure," says Triplett. "In other words, on a percentage basis, the return on investment is ten times the initial cost. Green buildings help reduce carbon emissions, water usage, electricity usage and lower utility costs for consumers."

Source: Nathan Triplett, City of East Lansing

Suban Nur Cooley, interim development news editor, can be reached here.

Wharton Center employees certainly are pleased with the facility’s $18.5 million renovation as many of them were literally working from closets. But the public will be just as pleased when the new facility is unveiled at a public open house from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 11.

“We were quite literally stacked in broom closets,” says Kent Love, spokesman for the Wharton Center.

The $18.5 million project included a 24,000 square foot expansion as well as a 9,000 square foot renovation of existing space. The expansion includes a large administration office, a four story backstage addition with a new service elevator, crew restrooms, a second-story 20-person dressing room and a third floor storage space.

The renovation includes an extensive, attractive façade, landscaping that includes an amphitheater and gardens, a new lobby, expanded gift shop and ticket area and restrooms. Second floor renovations include new restrooms and two new lounge spaces sponsored by Jackson National Life and the Christman Company.

“This is our first significant renovation,” Love says. “We opened our doors in 1982. This really has stood the test of time and the architects of the building created a contemporary design that really is timeless.”

The building also includes green elements, most notably 75 percent of the construction materials were diverted from landfills.

The facility was completed on time, but the Wharton Center still needs $4 million to meet its $11 million fundraising goal.

“We’re confident that we will continue to do that,” Love says.

The open house will include self-guided tours (definitely worth it if you have the time) and visits from influential guest such as Clifton and Dolores Wharton.

Source: Kent Love, Wharton Center

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

In the spring of 2010, the City of East Lansing will start the last phase in a five-year, $1.7 million public pathways development project.

“This provides a linkage,” says Todd Sneathen, director of Public Works for the City of East Lansing. “We have very few east-west routes throughout the city.”

The project was designed to increase sidewalk access and safety for pedestrians along major thoroughfares. The Saginaw Pathways Project will result in an additional 1.4 miles of sidewalk on each side of Saginaw Street.

“The City has a vested interest in making Saginaw Street more pedestrian and bicycle friendly for public school children, Michigan State University (MSU) students and others that regularly travel along that corridor,” says East Lansing City Manager Theodore Staton. “We’ve spent a lot of time behind the scenes laying the groundwork for this project and are excited to see it included in plans for the 2010 construction season.”

The Saginaw Pathways Project is the final piece of the project and is scheduled to begin in April 2010. Completion is slated for August 2010.

Source: Todd Sneathen, City of East Lansing

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

The Michigan State University (MSU) Friends of Kresge raised $1 million for the $45 million Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at its annual Twilight in the Garden event.

The 46,000 square foot museum is being designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid who also designed the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati and the Bergisel ski jump in Innsbruck. The museum is slated for a March 2010 groundbreaking.

“Our Make it a Million campaign really allowed the whole community to come together to support the university and support the arts in the Lansing area,” says Scott Sowulewski, co-president of Friends of Kresge.

MSU alumnus Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe, donated $18.5 million toward the construction of the museum, giving an additional $7.5 million to commission a signature sculpture and to provide funding for acquisitions, operations and endowment for a total gift of $26 million, the largest gift ever made to the university.

“These donations are evidence of the community’s embrace of the museum,” says Susan J. Bandes, director of the Kresge Art Museum. “The support we receive from our donors shows their understanding of the importance of enhancing mid-Michigan’s cultural profile and of how this new signature building can contribute to economic and cultural tourism.”

The groundbreaking will be followed by 23 months of construction and a 2012 museum opening.

Source: MSU

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

NuWave, an East Lasing-based technology management and telecommunications company, recently opened a new location on Lansing’s Westside.

The 3,500 square foot 6539 Westland Way location houses NuWave’s network services and telecommunications personnel.

“We were looking for office space that gave us mixed use and had both nice office and warehouse space,” says NuWave Vice President of Sales Chad Paalman. NuWave also has offices in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.

NuWave recently added a new medical solutions division that focuses on electronic medical records as well as a residential network support division that focuses on the retail market. 

“There’s been a lot of downsizing and consolidation in the industry, and we’ve taken over a couple of companies,” Paalman says about company growth.

NuWave has added six to eight people within the last year and continues to grow.

“Probably over the next year we’ll add a couple of more people in the Lansing area,” he says.

Paalman says the company is testing a lot of new software, including the very recently released Microsoft Windows 7, which NuWave been running for six months.

“We try to be very bleeding edge so that we can keep our clients leading edge,” he says. “We internally test and run software months if not years before its available to the public so we’re up to speed for clients when it does become available.”

Source: Chad Paalman, NuWave Partners

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

An $187,632 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) is allowing the Entomology Department at Michigan State University (MSU) to develop a 1,000 square foot space for its A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection.

The 1,000 square foot space is being renovated and will include two protective barriers against pests that feast on dead animal and plant matter. The funding will allow for the construction of cabinets and drawers that will protect the specimens from exposure.

“We will specifically get 13 cabinets, about 1,200 drawers and 35,000 trays,” says the collection's director and MSU Associate Professor Anthony Cognato.

When Cognato joined the department in 2006, nearly 90 percent of the collection space was filled.

“We didn’t have any floor space, either. We had part our butterfly collection out in the hall,” he says. "Now with this storage and new space, we should have enough for growth for the next 10 years. It will take about 10 years to fill up this space.”

The grant will fund what Cognato hopes will be a two-part renovation.

“We still have a room in the main part of the collection that has our vintage 1950s cabinets that we wish to replace because those do not close and are broken,” he says.

Cognato is from New York and worked at Texas A&M University before joining MSU.

Source: Anthony Cognato, MSU

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

In July, Red Cedar Oncology moved from the Sparrow Professional Building into its own 6,000 square foot space in East Lansing.

After 10 years in the professional building, Red Cedar Oncology outgrew its space.

“It just became very inefficient,” says Julie McClure, registered nurse and the practice manager. “We started looking at building or leasing space. Rent was really expensive and the economy was such that we could afford a building.”

In December, Red Cedar Oncology found an existing building and built it out to fit their needs.

“We gained a lot more space than what we had in the other location so we are much more effective in doing what we do and we’re able to call it our own,” she says.

Though Red Cedar Oncology operates out of 6,000 square feet, the entire building is 12,030 square feet. The majority of the extra space is being used by a title company, leaving 1,000 square feet unused.

The new facility is located at 1550 Watertower Pl. in East Lansing.

Source: Julie McClure, Red Cedar Oncology

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Michigan State University (MSU) is putting its new, $400,000, 450 square foot mobile air research laboratory on the road with the intention of better understanding the damaging effects of air pollution.

The researchers are also trying to understand why certain airborne particles that are emitted from plants and vehicles, induce disease and illness.

The advantage of the mobile lab is that it goes directly to the source, pulling 5,000 liters of air per minute through a smokestack-like structure, allowing researchers to immediately extract and study very fine particles.

The first MSU Mobile Air Research Laboratory, AirCARE 1, spends about half of the year in metro Detroit and half of the year in Los Angeles.

AirCARE 2 is headed to southeastern Michigan to study the cardiovascular health effects of transported air pollution originating from distant emission sites in Michigan or adjacent states.

“With the new mobile lab, we’re able to do different studies simultaneously in different areas of the country,” says Jack Harkema, a university distinguished professor of pathobiology and diagnostic investigation in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Source: Jack Harkema, MSU

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

MSU Technologies' new 6,500 square foot space in the same building as the East Lansing Technology Innovation Center (TIC) should be finished by the end of the year.

MSU Technologies works with MSU researchers and inventors to commercialize technologies. MSU Business-CONNECT, a new MSU group, is also moving in with MSU Technologies. 

“Our primary mission is to be the visible front door for anyone in business to interact with the university,” says Charles Hasemann, executive director of MSU Business-CONNECT.

Hasemann and his MSU Business-CONNECT team want to make it easy for businesses to connect to the university and its intellectual capital.

“We want to get deals done at the speed of business,” he says. “We’re being proactive about looking at our faculty, actually going out and soliciting collaborations.”

Last fall, MSU Technologies, which is currently located on the fringe of the MSU campus at 3900 Collins Rd., was asked to look for a new space. The TIC was a natural fit as it fosters innovative enterprises, many of which have been started by MSU faculty and graduates.

“Ideally, we needed to be on campus because we wanted to be near faculty and inventors,” says Mike Poterala, assistant vice president and executive director of MSU Technologies. “This was the next best thing.”

Poterala says he’s thrilled to be a part of East Lansing’s growing business and technology hub.

“We’re really excited to be next to the TIC, where there’s a real energy,” Poterala says.

The MSU Technologies interior design will not be quite as industrial in style as the TIC, but it will be right next to the TIC and Enliven Software.

Source: Mike Poterala, MSU Technologies

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Mindful Movement co-owners Sue Forbes and Jolynn Nelson recently purchased the building they’ve been using for more than two years.

Mindful Movement used to share the 5,000 square foot 2740 East Lansing Dr. building with Anderson Travel, which recently moved to a new space. Now the company has the entire space to itself and is renovating to better accommodate clients.

“We’re adding a couple of big studios and creating more space for treatment rooms and office space,” says Office Manager Debbie Nimphie. “This has allowed us to really redo the whole space rather than just the half that Anderson was in.”

Mindful Movement offers rehabilitation and physical therapy services as well as yoga, Pilates and other movement-based classes.

Forbes, who is a movement specialist, and Nelson, a physical therapist, went into business together to offer clients a one-stop wellness shop.

“In the past, people would go to one place for one service and then when they were finished, they’d seek out the other,” Nimphie says. “The two women wanted to create something that was all in one place, under one roof.”

Mindful Movement added seven new teachers just to accommodate the expanded class schedule.

Source: Debbie Nimphie, Mindful Movement

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Arts and culture aficionados have been waiting for movement on the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum for some time, and Michigan State University (MSU) has finally set a groundbreaking deadline of March 16, 2010.

The $45 million project will be beacon of the Capital region’s growing arts scene. The 46,000 square foot building is being designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid who also designed the Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art in Cincinnati and the Bergisel ski jump in Innsbruck.

The three-level museum will include 69 percent gallery space and will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification eligible.

MSU alumnus Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe, donated $18.5 million toward the construction of the museum, giving an additional $7.5 million to commission a signature sculpture and to provide funding for acquisitions, operations and endowment for a total gift of $26 million, the largest gift ever made to the university.

The groundbreaking will be followed by 23 months of construction and a 2012 museum opening.

Source: MSU

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

ENSO, the new 9,500 square foot restaurant and night club on the north side of East Lansing, definitely brings a little something the Capital region that’s been lacking. Not only is a reasonably priced, high-end restaurant, it’s also a nightclub.

“During all of my travels, especially in the Mediterranean, any restaurant that enters the area and is popular has the right location, the right owners and converts their restaurant to a nightclub,” says Dennis Branoff, ENSO principle. Harry Saites is the other principle.

Branoff grew up in Flint, has lived in East Lansing since1975, partnered on two Planet Hollywoods — one in D.C. and one in Hawaii — and owned Weight Watchers in Indiana, Italy, Greece and Sypris.

ENSO has a 3,000 square foot patio. It’s non-smoking indoors, but has a humidor to accommodate outside cigar smokers. ENSO also has its own in-house DJ and turns into a nightclub at 11 p.m. every evening.

 “We wanted to have a patio, and this had enough space for one,” Branoff says. “It’s a growing area with homes and neighborhoods and office buildings. The MSU Federal Credit Union has a huge facility here.”

One of ENSO’s most remarkable features is the 150 square foot waterfall in the dining and bar area. Branoff and Saites completely renovated the space to give it a New Age atmosphere.

ENSO opened Oct. 1. Branoff says business is doing very well.

“The response has been tremendous,” he says. “Even as we were in the build-out phase, we were booking Christmas party lunch reservations.”

Most of ENSO’s 60 employees live in the region, but chefs have been brought in from Las Vegas, New York City and Traverse City.

ENSO is in East Lansing’s Northern Tier area with an address of 16800 Chandler Rd., Suite 101.

Source: Dennis Branoff, ENSO

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here. 

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

The $3.5 million John and Marnie Demmer Shooting Sports Education and Training Center on Michigan State University’s (MSU) campus is now open.

MSU broke ground on the facility last fall. The sports center has three outdoor archery ranges, an indoor archery range and two, eight-lane ballistic ranges for accepted .22 caliber rifles and pistols.

“The focus is on training and education, it’s not just another shooting range,” says Chuck Reid, director of MSU’s Office Land Management, which oversees the facility. “Originally, this was conceived for the home of a future NCAA mixed rifle team.”

Reid says the team may eventually come to fruition, but in the meantime, the facility is used by faculty members and is also open to the public. Everyone who uses the facility receives training and safety education. 

The center is one of the largest indoor shooting facilities in the Midwest. Individuals can bring their own equipment, but can also rent archery, .22 firearm and air rifle equipment.

The John and Marnie Demmer Shooting Sports Education and Training Center, 3365 E. Jolly Road, is located south of campus, midway between College and Hagadorn Roads.

Source: MSU

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

The Pizza House in East Lansing is in the middle of its second expansion. The popular restaurant is expanding its 6,400 square foot space into a 10,000 foot space.

“We’ve done it before and they’re hectic,” says Pizza House's Chris Tice. “We’ve gotten to that point again.”

The Pizza House, located in the Hagadorn shopping mall in East Lansing, opened in 2001 and added two dining rooms and a liquor license in 2003. Tice says business has once again reached a point where expansion is the only real option.

“We’ve kind of become the place around town where people know they can bring and big group and get good food and good services,” he says. “We want to be able to accommodate everybody.”

The expansion will include a new bar, sit-down area, new seats, a new design and expanded kitchen. The renovation will be done in phases so the Pizza House will not close during renovations.

“It will be hectic, but we hope the public will be patient with us,” Tice says. “We hope that everything will be completed in April.”

Tice says he’ll have to hire 25-30 more people when the renovation is complete. The Pizza House is located at 4790 S Hagadorn Rd.

The Pizza House Ann Arbor location has also undergone several expansions.

Source: Chris Tice, Pizza House

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here. 

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

Michigan State University (MSU) students David Spitzer, Adam Root and Joseph Brummitt spent their summer developing a website to save MSU students and money by delivery groceries to their dorms and apartments—for free.

“Most students do not have any efficient way of getting their groceries and bedroom supplies,” Spitzer says. “The bus to Meijer can take upwards to two hours and the groceries at Sparty’s have a high markup.”

Students can peruse through Spartanicity, add items to their cart, pay for the items with credit card or Spartan cash and specify when they want them delivered between 5 p.m. and midnight.

“We don’t charge to deliver and we don’t accept tips,” Spitzer says.

Spitzer says they’ve worked out deals with distributors so they can sell their products for less. Right now they’re working with advertisers to boost advertising and revenue for the site.

They launched the site during the first week of school and operate out of a small office at 1231 Michigan Ave.

All three business owners are seniors. Spitzer’s a hospitality major and Root and Brummitt are in finance. Root won the recent Eve of Ignition event, giving Spartanicity access to community entrepreneurs to foster their business.

“Our goal as of right now is to get this off and running the best we can; and if we can, we’ll expand to other schools,” Spitzer says.

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Inventure Enterprises, a company that specializes in streamlining background checks and other business processes, has moved into East Lansing’s Technology and Innovation Center (TIC).

“They offer a lot of services here (in the TIC), says Robert Fulk, president of Inventure Enterprises. “The whole idea is to have a big support system to get businesses in here.”

Inventure Enterprises is slated to occupy the TIC space formally used by Enliven, which recently moved out on its own, but that spot could change due to the shuffling of other TIC businesses.

Inventure Enterprises doesn’t conduct background checks, but it enables organizations that do, such as school districts and government, to electronically access multiple databases — state police records, FBI records and state and federal data — to cross check potential employees. It also helps these entities comply with state and federal legislative mandates.

The company also streamlines other business processes. Fulk says they’re working on a new core system he projects will increase business. Fulk is working on obtaining a $12 million contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Fulk estimates that Inventure will be in 10 to 15 states within the next 15 months. He also expects to see a revenue stream of $5 million in 2010.

“We’re looking at rapidly expanding now,” he says, adding that this expansion will likely include 10-20 new employees.

Source: Robert Fulk, Inventure Enterprises

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Well, it had to happen some time. Enliven Software is the first company incubated in Technology Innovation Center (TIC) in East Lansing to leave the tech hub and move into its own, bigger space.

By November, Enliven will move from its 402 square foot TIC space to a 1,100 square foot office next door to the TIC. The new office space is being built out and should be ready for occupancy fairly soon.

“We want a more cohesive space,” says Enliven's owner, Bunmi Akinyemiju. “We want to break out our business development from our operations team.”

Enliven specializes in e-invoicing and e-payment for small to mid-size businesses. It started with two or three people and has grown to 10. Akinyemiju expects that growth to continue and is excited about having a larger space without giving up access to TIC talent.

“I feel like this setting is good and its a great example of the success of the TIC,” he says.

The TIC was developed to foster small, technology driven businesses with the intention of seeing the businesses move to larger locations after three years of incubation.

“Companies can come in and ramp up and essentially start selling their product and then move into a space where they’re paying full rent,” he says. “We want to be close to the TIC because we want the same atmosphere in our office.”

Source: Bunmi Akinyemiju, Enliven

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

It’s been less than a year since the Technology Innovation Center (TIC) opened in East Lansing and its already full—bursting at the seams, as some would say—and local entrepreneur Bunmi Akinyemiju is ready to add incubators number two and three to the region.

At the beginning of the month, Akinyemiju and Jeff Smith with the City of East Lansing announced the opening of The Hatch, an incubator for enterprising Michigan State University (MSU) students.

Now, Akinyemiju says he’s ready to open Skunkworks, a prototype lab incubator, in East Lansing.

“We’re hopeful that very soon we’ll see one in the City of East Lansing,” he says.

Skunkworks will be similar to the Hatch and may initially operate inside of the The Hatch. Skunkworks will be a prototype lab where entrepreneurs can test their ideas. Like the Hatch, it will also connect entrepreneurs to physical and intellectual resources necessary to get their ideas into the marketplace.

“We’re connecting the ideas to the lab,” he says. “This gives them a space to vet their ideas and then help sell investors on products that can be distributed.”

Ultimately, Akinyemiju would like to have several Skunkworks throughout the Capital region. He suggests each Skunkworks may have a “theme.” For example, one may exclusively focus on biotechnology.

“I think Skunkworks will really help people move their ideas toward commercialization,” he says.

Akinyemiju says the City of Lansing has also expressed interest in Skunkworks.

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Michigan State University (MSU) opened a $13 million Surplus Store and Recycling Center, allowing the university to handle three times the amount of recycling material processed by its old facility.

The 74,000 square foot facility houses recycling operations and an education center; the MSU Surplus Store; storage areas for compost and metal scrap; a truck scale; and space for roll-off and semi-trailer storage containers.

“The facility emphasizes the reuse and recycling functions that are critical to keeping waste out of the landfill,” says facility Manager Ruth Daoust.

The new building and expanded recycling programs will allow the university to expand recycling collection in 553 campus buildings.

MSU has submitted the facility for Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Green building components such as concrete with recycled green glass, rainwater collection tanks on the roof of the building and solar array panels, were used in the construction of the building.

Source: MSU

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Local and state officials recently celebrated the opening of IBM’s 144,000 square foot global delivery center on Michigan State University’s (MSU) campus.

The delivery center for application service provides innovative application development and support service to modernize older IT systems for state and local government agencies and universities.

IBM renovated the building to fit its needs, but it strategically opened on MSU’s campus to obtain immediate access to the university’s young talent. The first floor of the building remains an MSUFCU branch.

“MSU provides a great pipeline of students that will populate this center,” says Governor Jennifer Granholm. “This is jobs for Michigan residents and it’s keeping our young people here.”

IBM is expected to create at least 1,000 jobs over five years through the center, which is the first of its kind in the U.S. for IBM.

The center has already resulted in new hires. MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon says the collaboration between IBM and MSU will stretch the research corridor further north.

“This really is a synergy with the university research corridor,” she says.

Source: Jan Walbridge, IBM

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

The 80s are back. And with revived 80s fashion comes revived 80s logos. The new East Lansing clothing store Take 2 Authentics, is bringing back the growling face of “Gruff Sparty,” the Spartan logo popular on the Michigan State University (MSU) campus 20 years ago.

“It seems that vintage is the way things are going right now,” says Michael Krause, district manager for Take 2 Authentics. “We know there’s a huge market for the old school designs.”

These designs include cardigans and roll-neck sweaters, which Take 2 Authentics tested on MSU’s campus before adding them to its retail space.

“People were coming up to us all of the time and asking us about them,” he says.

The 3,000 square foot store opened just in time for MSU’s first football game. Take 2 Authentics also sells framed sports photos and other MSU gear. The East Lansing-based Take 2 Authentics is affiliated with the original Troy-based Take 2 Authentics. It’s located at 630 Grand River Ave. in downtown East Lansing.

Krause says the plan is to expand Take 2 Authentics to other Big 10 markets.

“We’re looking at Purdue, Northwestern and Michigan,” he says. “We’d like to go to most of the Big 10 schools.”

Source: Michael Krause, Take 2 Authentics

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

The Sharon Smith Myers Wharton Gifts shop is preparing to more than double in size, moving from a 400 square foot space to a 1,000 square foot space inside the Wharton Center at Michigan State University.

“What’s new about Wharton Gifts is that we’re assuming the mission statement of the Wharton Center to enrich and strengthen the value of the arts,” says Nina Silbergleit, house manager for the Wharton Center.

Previously, the gift shop carried general merchandise such as cards, MSU gear and jewelry—items that can be found in a variety of gift shops in the Capital region.

“Now, 90 percent of everything that we have will have a music or dance or theater them that helps develop creativity,” she says. This includes instruments, music books and instructional DVDs. The Sharon Smith Myers Wharton Gifts is also working with Urban Samaritan, a New York-based company that employs homeless people and transforms recycled show posters and vinyl banners into tote bags.

“We’re really excited about this,” she says. “We’re also trying to do a lot of fair trade items.”

The gift shop expansion is part of the overall $11 million Wharton Center renovation expansion that started in 2008. The expansion includes larger dressing rooms, a new façade, a multi-purpose space, corporate lounges, an educational space and administrative offices.

The Sharon Smith Myers Wharton Gifts will have a clearout sale from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 9-10 in the Sierra Lobby (formerly the Box Office Lobby). The expanded gift shop will be revealed the weekend of Oct.10.

Source: Bob Hoffman, Wharton Center

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Newly formed benefits firm, Papazian Smalley & Harp, has moved into a 2,400 square foot East Lansing office space.

Papazian Smalley & Harp is the result of a merger among two Capital region finance companies: Independent group insurance agency Michigan Group Benefits, founded by Michael Harp, and private wealth management firm Smalley Investments, created by Joe Smalley.

Jim Papazian, former president of local benefits firm Financial Technology and managing partner of Papazian Smalley & Harp, says the new company meets client demand for comprehensive investment and benefits plans.

"We just thought this (the merger) would make a good fit because we can take care of someone's professional, business and personal investment needs all together," says Jim Papazian.

Papazian Smalley & Harp may also hire a new employee within the next year.

"It's likely we will hire a part-time cafeteria plan administrator in the near future," Papazian says.

Papazian Smalley & Harp is located at 2900 West Rd. in East Lansing. They have eight employees.

Source: Jim Papazian, Papazian Smalley & Harp

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

The Michigan State University (MSU) College of Nursing is nearing its $14.5 million fundraising goal for a three story, 45,000 square foot addition.

"Additional space is needed to accommodate the existing enrollment growth of the college," says Monique Dozier, director of Development and External Relations for the College of Nursing. "The college is currently housed in three buildings on MSU's campus."

The addition will hopefully enable the college to bring all faculty, staff and nursing students together. The addition will connect to the existing nursing facilities located in the life sciences building. 

"This will be a prominent addition in the health sciences corridor on campus," she says.

Dozier says it will be six to nine months before the College of Nursing is ready to move to the construction phase of the addition.

The College of Nursing has raised $14.5 million for the $16 million project. In order to continue raising funds for the development, the College of Nursing will host its "60 for Sixty Challenge" through June 2010. For more information about the challenge, click here.

Source: Monique Dozier, MSU

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here. 

The City of East Lansing recently acquired two remaining properties for the $11 million Avondale Square development in East Lansing.

For $352,880, the city purchased the two additional properties located at 660 and 672 Virginia Ave., leaving only one of the 25 original properties left for acquisition. The Avondale Square is on the 600 block of Virginia Avenue.

“We were excited to get those pieces, and now that the majority of the land is assembled and will be cleared and have the infrastructure, it will be much easier for builders to sell homes,” says Lori Mullins with the City of East Lansing.

The Avondale Square project is an effort to improve the area by drawing in more families and replacing rundown homes with more attractive residences. When the project is finished, 30 new homes will stand on the property.

“There was a desire to have new home