Powered by a collaborative spirit and inspired by their journey as mothers, these moms are reshaping the local business landscape.
One mysterious February morning, three modern, minimalist signs appeared on Plymouth and Traverwood roads: “ANN ARBOR INNOVATION DISTRICT” in clean white letters against gunmetal gray, along with a sciency, symmetrical symbol in simple blue.
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Opponents of the Oracle data center in Saline Township had a laundry list of objections—electricity rate hikes, water consumption, the spoiling of the landscape. But for the moment, the biggest concern is truck traffic.
WEMU’s music director Michael Jewett and news director David Fair will retire in June.
Read MoreTwo U-M spinouts are taking the adage “waste not, want not” very seriously.
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He was referencing Arbor South, a $588 million plan to build more than 1,000 apartments and condos, as well as a hotel, services, and public spaces, on the parking lots around the 777 Building on Eisenhower Pkwy. (“The Litmus Test,” June 2024). Proposed by Ann Arbor’s Oxford Companies and Ohio developer Crawford Hoying, it was the first response to council’s rezoning of the area for high-density development, and councilmembers had been weighing whether to support it financially for almost a year.
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“Most people explore the outdoors on four wheels,” says RealTruck’s chief growth officer Tony Ambroza.
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The Downtown Development Authority’s new development plan includes up to $21 million for improvements to the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. This may come as a surprise, since in 2017, a $1.5 million plan to build a year-round pavilion on a vacant lot facing Fourth Ave. was shelved because of cost.
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On March 16, 2020, Eunice Choi, Realtor and owner of the Broadway Party Store, confirmed a permanent closure of her business with a handwritten sign stating “We are closed … Covid 19.” Beyond the sign, sun-bleached bags of chips sat on shelves, and stocked display refrigerators stood dark.
Read MoreLamp Post Plaza owner Ron Marten has heard the rumors too. Although the sixty-three-year-old shopping center on E. Stadium is being sold, “it is not getting bulldozed,” he tells the Observer.
Read MorePinball Pete’s will close its South U. arcade in late November, as construction remains ongoing at its next home in the Carver-Gunn Building at 500 E. Liberty.
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After a landmark July court decision, the NCAA enabled schools to pay their athletes and removed limits on scholarships. Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel decided that every competing athlete would receive a full scholarship, and revenue sharing too, although the bulk of that money goes to men’s football, basketball and hockey.
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Ann Arbor businessman Nagabhushanam “Bobbi” Peddi has purchased the Sun Times News, a weekly paper covering Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, and Saline.
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Editor in chief John Hilton and publisher Patricia Garcia, who have owned the Ann Arbor Observer since 1986, were just beginning to think about a succession plan when the pandemic hit. They realized retirement would have to wait.
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Burns Park homeowners stood on street corners holding placards beckoning football fans to their lawns and driveways. West of the stadium, churches directed visitors to spots, and a line of cars waited to park at the U-M golf course on State St. Just another game day in Ann Arbor.
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How far will newspapers go to earn online revenue? Pretty far, judging from the ads that follow articles on MLive.com.
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In the alleys behind Ann Arbor restaurants, workers dump the used oil into large metal containers. Most belong to three collection companies: Evergreen Grease, G.A. Wintzer & Son Co., and Buffalo Biodiesel. They sign restaurants to lengthy contracts that create a near-territorial system.
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As move-in began this August, Vic Village South’s website advertised, “Leasing Now Open for 2025–26!” Social media ads announced, “We have 1, 2, 3, and 4-Bedroom apartments available!”
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The company’s stores in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Lenawee, and Washtenaw Counties employ 1,600 people. Busch’s is privately held and doesn’t disclose sales figures, but ZoomInfo.com lists them at $296 million annually.
Read MoreThey allege their parents were coerced with high-pressure sales tactics to purchase wildly overpriced skin care products and devices. One man, who asked not to be identified, said his father, an Ann Arborite with dementia and sciatica, paid them more than $42,000 while walking in the mall for exercise between mid-December and mid-February.
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