Development News

Liberty Coin expands into 3,500 sq ft Frandor space

Patrick A. Heller, Liberty Coin Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Liberty Coin in Frandor is growing. The store for coin collectors and precious metals investors had already been operating out of two Frandor locations – an office and a showroom – when the opportunity to move into a larger showroom came along.

“We keep getting more customers over time, so we need to make sure we have enough space to serve them,” says Liberty Coins owner Patrick A. Heller.

Liberty Coin still has their office location, but has grown its showcase from a 3,100-square foot space to a 3,500-square foot space with higher visibility and a more open floor plan.

“The new location only has one hallway and multiple large rooms,” says Heller. “We can use a lot more space. It is also more in the center of the Frandor Shopping center, so people notice it now where they might not have before.”

Liberty Coin opened the new showroom on February 27 and celebrated their grand opening in April.

The growing isn’t over for Liberty Coin. Heller is still looking for an even larger location in which he can combine both of his Liberty Coin locations. Additionally, he hopes to hire two to four additional employees later this year.

New, 7,000 sq ft location brings cBlue closer to customers

Doug Schmidt, eBlue Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Commercial Blueprint, or cBlue, has been helping Lansing-area client with their printing needs since 1951. The family-owned business is now moving to a new, 7,000 square foot location on Pine Tree Road in Lansing Township.

“It’s a Dart Development Group building, and it’s a beautiful building, and rather new,” says Doug Schmidt, who owns eBlue/Commerical Blueprint in partnership with Pete DuMond. “A majority of our larger customers on the south side of 496, so that’s a benefit for us.”

The change in location coincides with a change in focus for the printing company. As technology has change the industry, cBlue/Commercial Blueprint has changed as well. They are now focused on color work, including advertising.

“Our bread and butter used to be construction,” says Schmidt, “One of our major focuses now is color work, especially large format. We do large signs, banners, and vehicle graphics.”

CBlue/Commercial Blueprint opened in its new location earlier in May. Schmidt says he hopes to continue to grow in their new focus area and to make area customers aware they are open to the public for a variety of projects.

Williamson family fiber farm opens handspun yarn shop downtown

Jill Blain, Beyond the Fleece Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Jill and Brandon Blain have been operating their family farm, Frosty Acres for four years in Williamson. There the family has been busy raising dozen of fiber animals, including lamas, alpaca, angora goats, Shetland sheep and angora rabbits to make handspun and dyed yarns since that time. Now, Jill Blain has opened Beyond the Fleece in Williamston’s Keller Plaza.

The 430-square foot location sells the Frost Acres yarn as well as knitting supplies and holding classes.

“We’d like to have a bigger space eventually,” says Blain. “We’re just getting established, and we keep bringing more animals into the family. Right now we’re good with what we have here.”

Beyond the Fleece joins a number of crafty and artistic new shops in the upper level of Keller’s Plaza. The store celebrated its grand opening on April 12.

“It’s a very nice space up there,” Blain says of Keller’s Plaza. “It’s all geared toward artists. They re really bringing more art into Williamston.”

Lansing Fit Body Boot Camp to open second location, add jobs

Emeka Umeh, Lansing Fit Body Boot Camp Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Emeka Umeh has only been in the United States for nine years, but he’s already committed himself to spreading health and fitness throughout the Lansing area with his Fit Body Boot Camp located in Frandor and a second location soon to open in Haslett.

“I from Nigeria to American nine years ago,” says Umeh. “When I went to the gym to workout I saw people struggling. I decided to become a personal trainer, but my one-on-one training wasn’t enough to help out the community.”

Umeh decided he could help more people by opening his own fitness center. His 3,200 square foot Frandor location opened last year and employs one additional trainer as well as Umeh. He’ll hire two more trainers when he opens his new, 2,700 square foot location in Haslett’s Village Square shopping center in July.

According to Umeh, the success of his Fit Body Boot Camp has been the for the same reason he was attracted to the fitness model in the first place: because it fits so many people’s lives.

“The boot camp style allows me to reach more people,” he says. “It’s a 30 minute workout. People don’t have time to work out for one or two hours.”

Fit Body Boot Camp also helps keep clients on track with body assessment tests and progress check-ins ever few weeks.

“You don’t just walk out and go home,” says Umeh. “We know your personality and we call you by your name.”

D&G Equipment expands into 52,500 sq ft facility, adds five jobs

Jolene Gustafson, D&G Equipment Wednesday, May 16, 2012

D&G Equipment, Inc. in Williamston has grown out of its Grand River location where the power equipment sales facility has been located for 19 years. The business recently celebrated the grand opening of its new, 52,500 square foot building at 2 Industrial Park Drive.

“My husband has dreamed of this location for a long time,” says Jolene Gustafson, co-owner of D&G Equipment, Inc. “It just all of a sudden worked out.”

Gustafson and her husband Gus purchased the new building on January 5 of this year and officially opened for business there on January 30. The new location is about three times bigger than the original spot. Already, the much larger location has allowed the D&G Equipment to hire five additional employees, and has attracted significant more attention

“Since we’ve been here we’re seeing a lot of new customers,” says Gustafson. “It’s a great facility.”

As part of the grand opening, D&G Equipment is donating five dollars to local food banks for every test drive taken during the month at all seven D&G Equipment locations.

New Delta Twp brewery to bring craft beer, eight jobs to Westside

Daniel Buonodono, Eagle Monk Pub and Brewery Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Lansing’s Westside will soon have a new place to relax and enjoy locally-brewed beer and wine. Former state employee Daniel Buonodono and his wife Sonia will open Eagle Monk Pub and Brewery on West Mount Hope in Delta Township in late June or early July.

“Delta Township is very business friendly,” Buonodono says. “We bought it in August and I’ve been there almost every day working on the facility.”

Buonodono has been brewing his own beers for nearly 30 years while working for the state in IT. Though brewing beer and maintaining technology might not seem to have a lot in common, Bounodono says both utilize a similar set of skills.

“In the IT world you have to be really good with process control, doing the same things over and over correctly and beer is the same way,” says Buonodono. “To make consistent, good tasting beer you have to do the same thing.”

Buonodono’s consistent, good-tasting beer will be front and center at the new 2,600-square foot brewery and restaurant. In addition to his craft beers, including his signature beer called Red Eye Rye, Eagle Monk Pub and Brewery will serve gourmet pizzas, salads, sandwiches and homemade sodas.

“It’s going to be a family–friendly, mellow environment,” says Buonodono. “It’s not going to be like a bar in atmosphere.”

Buonodono estimates he is investing $250,000 into the new business and expects to hire eight part-time employees upon opening.

Union National Mortgage opens in 4,000 sq ft location, adds 10 jobs

Cyndi Garza, Union National Mortgage Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Cyndi Garza has worked in the mortgage business since 1989. After working at a couple of different banks, she decided it was time to strike out on her own. She opened Union National Mortgage in East Lansing, a company that focuses exclusively on mortgages, including underwriting, closing, processing and loan officers.

“We have some of the best talent in the mortgage industry and we have grown quickly and hit the ground running with our new office,” says Garza. “With interest rates low and the several programs we are able to offer we have had some record months recently that has been very exciting.”

Union National Mortgage opened in a 4,000 square foot location on West Lake Lansing Road in late December with 10 employees. Garza says she will soon hire three additional staff members, and also recently opened another Union National Branch in Battle Creek.

“We are looking to grow Michigan with several branches in other areas,” says Garza. “It is an excellent place to work, in which people enjoy what they do and are committed to customer service.”

Your Creative Escape triples space with new downtown Eaton Rapids location

Traci Lawson, Your Creative Escape Wednesday, May 09, 2012

After being a stay-at-home mom for some time, Traci Lawson was itching to get back into the working world. One day, while driving through downtown Eaton Rapids, she saw a sign on a vacant storefront that said “For Lease, $700 per month.”

“I said to my husband, ‘I think I can sell $700 of something in a month,’” Lawson says.

She was right. Lawson and her husband Jaime opened Your Creative Escape, a paint-your-own-pottery studio in March of 2011 and received such a positive response, they were running out of room.

“We could seat 49 people in that store and we were very often full to the gills,” Lawson says. “I hated turning people away.”

Exactly one year after opening, Your Creative Escape has moved to a 3,000 square foot studio on Hall Street in downtown Eaton Rapids, tripling the business’ original footprint. Lawson attributes their extraordinary growth to the community atmosphere that has grown in the studio.

“It’s like a big conversation,” says Lawson, “and there’s lots of laugher. It’s a fun environment. There are many people who didn’t know each other before and now it’s like a big family.”

Your Creative Escape is also a fun alternative to going to the bar for many local adults. The pottery studio is open until midnight on Fridays and features such fun events as Diva Night. The studio is currently working with the Island City Dog Park Club on a community fundraiser.

Mason church builds $1.7M recreation center for community

Gerhard Weigelt, Mason Church of the Nazarene Wednesday, May 09, 2012

The idea began more than 15 years ago, and slowly but surely, the Mason First Church of the Nazarene has worked to raise funds and construct a 17,000 square foot Recreational Outreach Center for the community.

“We started by asking the question, ‘What does the community need?’” says Lead Pastor for Mason First Church of the Nazarene Gerhard Weigelt. “We have a strong concern for the youth of today and wanted to provide strong places for the youth to develop.”

The new Recreational Outreach Center intends to do just that. Located on the church’s 45 acre property on West Dansville Road in Mason, the center includes a basketball court, computer lab, warming kitchen and large youth room. Weigelt says the church hopes to add a fitness room in the future.

“Our tagline is ‘Rock Solid Fun,’” says Weigelt. “We’re excited about the journey we’re on and serving the community. We’re having a blast.”

The approximately $1.7 million project broke ground in 2007, though fundraising began way back when the idea first developed 15 years ago. The congregation is raising all of the funds through donations above and beyond their regular giving to the church.

The Recreational Outreach Center opened for use this spring. The church will continue to develop the property, looking first to outfit the computer lab with 10 to 15 workstations and tutoring services for students. Weigelt says the church has discussed adding outdoor baseball fields and other facilities to the property in the future.

New Williamston Bead Works opens in Keller's Plaza

Carol Lacca, Williamston Bead Works Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Keller’s Plaza in Williamston is quickly becoming a crafter’s paradise. Most recently, Williamston Bead Works, a new beading store, has opened in one of the upstairs suites, joining a handful of other craft businesses.

“The ten different suites are all rented now,” says Carol Lacca, owner of Williamston Bead Works of Keller’s Plaza. “It surprised me when I got here it had so much. There is a lot of traffic up here now.”

Beginning in April, all of those visitors have the chance to buy beads, beaded crafts, jewelry supplies and would also be able to take beading classes in Lacca’s new business. After teaching art and science for 30 years, Lacca put her energy into a new art form: beading. She sold her beadwork at a number of places and finally decided it was time to open a store of her own.

“I couldn’t believe it, but I realized I had enough bead in my house to make a store out of,” she says. “I have all kinds of beads from the seed bead to the big beads and semi-precious stones.”

In her 223 square foot store, Lacca offers classes, lectures, workshops and individual tutoring on beading. The former teacher especially loves working with kids and hopes her shop inspires more young people to enjoy beading.

Developer works with community to create a $6.8M housing project, generate two jobs

Scott Gillespie, Gillespie Company Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Scott Gillespie had already decided that the Genesee Neighborhood was a good place to invest in a new housing development, but he didn’t think his opinion was the only one that mattered. While developing the plans for what is now a $6.8 million housing project, Gillespie reached out to the existing neighborhood residents to find out how they might envision their community to grow.

“I’ve engaged the neighborhood association, I’ve had three community forums,” Gillespie says. “We’ve sat down and I’ve presented the project to them and taken in their feedback, questions and concerns. I’ve made a number of adjustments to the development plans to accommodate their concerns, and because of that, we have a better plan.”

The development will include three, three-story buildings that will include approximately 90 new apartments. Gillespie is working through the approval process now and hopes to begin construction by this fall.

“I think it’s a great location for a variety of reasons,” Gillespie says. “It’s a very short walking distance of downtown, and it has enough space for large, continuous area of park land. We’ll have over two acres of open park land within the development.”

According to Gillespie, this will be a positive thing for the entire neighborhood. His plans include moving the density of the apartments to the southern portion of the site to the northern boarder of the neighborhood as undisturbed as possible, including preserving most of the site’s existing trees. Gillespie estimates the development will create two permanent property management jobs.

Crosaires offers aging adults a new lifestyle in Williamston, creates four jobs

Todd Walter, Crosaires Wednesday, May 09, 2012

By the time Todd Walter opened his first aging community residence in Williamston last month, he already had 18 years of experience serving older adults under his belt. Inspired by his own grandmother’s aging process, Walter has become a leader in progressive eldercare advocacy projects in the state of Michigan and around the country.

“I’ve been involved in a culture change movement,” Walter says. “We’ve been trying to get people to look at this stage of life differently.”

Walter recently celebrated the culmination of those years of advocacy with the opening of Crosaires, a 2,800 square foot home for aging adults on North Zimmer Road in Williamston.

“This has always been a dream of mine to come back full circle to honor my grandmother in this way,” Walter says. “I’ve always had a desire to own my own place.”

Crosaires will not only be the home to six elderly adults, but will also serve as an opportunity for the community members to interact with his residents and vice versa. In addition to regular visits to events and businesses in Downtown Williamston, Walter will invite community groups to garden, enjoy firepits, stargaze and more with his residents.

“It’s an environment where they’re involved with the community,” says Walter. “They’re not just tucked away getting medical treatment.”

Crosaires’ first resident moved in on April 4. Walter currently employs four staff members at the new home.

Carlos and Jorge's to bring Latin dishes to Eastwood Towne Center, add 50 jobs

Chuck Senatore, Carlos & Jorge's Wednesday, May 09, 2012

This fall, the diversity of food options available in the Eastwood Towne Center will expand into Latin America and beyond with Carlos and Jorge’s. The new restaurant is one of four underway by developer Chuck Senatore.

“It will be a truly Latin concept with food from around Latin America and Europe,” says Senatore. “Most are just Mexican, or just tapas, but we’ll roll it all into one.”

The 5,000 square foot Carlos and Jorge’s will have a menu that is about 40 percent Mexican food, as well as Spanish, Cuban and more.

“Everything will be made from scratch,” says Senatore. “That’s something that really sets us apart.”

Sentatore expects to hire about 50 new employees to staff Carlos and Jorge’s. The restaurant is slated to open in September or October.

Blue Gill Grill adds retractable glass walls, 12 new staff members

Denise Warner, Blue Gill Grill Wednesday, May 09, 2012

There’s always something new going on at Haslett’s Blue Gill Grill. Two years ago, it was the addition of an upstairs patio; this year, it’s making the entire bar feel like a patio. The bar recently tore down its three outside walls and replaced them with glass garage doors.

“We added this to make it more of a Floridian, Caribbean flavor,” says owner Denise Warner. “We’re always keeping up with the times, constantly changing. We need to have people go, ‘Oh!’ when they come in.”

The new atmosphere at the Blue Gill Grill is certainly with the exclamation. With the glass doors retracted, the entire bar is now open and breezy. "Even with the doors closed," says Warner, "the added sunlight makes for an entirely new experience." In addition to the new doors, Blue Gill Grill also added a new restaurant in the bar as well as a new wall to separate the dining and bar areas.

In addition to the physical growth, the bar and restaurant has recently added 12 new staff members. Warner also adds that they employed all Michigan contractors to complete the work.

“We buy Michigan and local as often as we can,” says Warner. “If we can find anything in Michigan, we’ll get it here.”

MSU College of Nursing's $17.6M Bott Building nearly complete

Jill M. Vondrasek, MSU College of Nursing Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Michigan State University's College of Nursing is growing – in all sorts of ways. The college's new $17.6 million Bott Building for Nursing Education and Research is now 70 percent complete.

“Program expansion, increased numbers of students and growth of research programs have all led to a need for additional space for the College of Nursing at Michigan State University,” says Jill M. Vondrasek of MSU’s College of Nursing.

All that growth is needed. After its grand opening set for November 2, the new facility will help the school pursue research endeavors and help the state address its nursing shortage with new programs.

“As we look forward to new growth opportunities, the college will begin accepting applications for our new Doctor of Nursing Practice Program in the fall,” Vondrasek says.

The three-story, 50,000 square foot Bott Building will pursue LEED certification once complete. It will be the first on MSU’s campus to use ground-source geothermal energy for heating and cooling. The project was funded in part by lead donor the Timothy and Bernadette Marquez Foundation, which committed $7 million to the project. Another $7.45 million was contributed by a stimulus funding grant from the National Institutes of Health to support nursing research, which was the largest competitive federal stimulus grant MSU received.

“The Bott Building for Nursing Education and Research is a symbol of nursing excellence that honors the legacy of our distinguished faculty and alumni,” says Vondrasek, “many of whom have dedicated their lives to improving health outcomes.”