News

From the Southfield Sun
By Jessica Strachan Velazquez

After the café area was left vacant for nearly a year inside the Southfield Public Library, the new Southfield Eatery has taken up residence and plans a new spin on dining, Southfield-style. read more

City is First in State to Join Lean & Green Michigan™ Partnership

Commercial, industrial and multi-family property owners in the City of Southfield will now have access to an innovative new tool to finance energy efficiency projects and renewable energy improvements for their buildings. The Southfield City Council voted on June 25^th to become the first city government to join Lean & Green Michigan™, a public-private partnership facilitating economic development, the creation of good jobs, and improving the environment. read more

Construction began Monday, July 16 on the stretch of Civic Center Drive between Evergreen Road and Northwestern Highway in Southfield’s City Centre district. The project, led by the City of Southfield’s Engineering Division, includes the milling and asphalt resurfacing of Civic Center Drive, along with the installation of decorative concrete crosswalks and the upgrading or repair of pedestrian amenities along the corridor.

“The reconstruction of Civic Center Drive and the crosswalk improvements are components in the Southfield City Centre Advisory Board’s (CCAB) overall vision for revitalizing the area,” said CCAB Chair Paula Goldman-Spinner, Vice President and Director of Commercial Properties at Schostak Brothers & Company. “We already have begun to install contemporary bus shelters, benches and bike racks that make the City Centre district more visually appealing and user-friendly for pedestrians, bicyclists and public transit users.”

During the first phase of the Civic Center Drive construction project (through August 8^th), the center of the roadway will have one lane open in each direction as work takes place on the outer lanes. The construction will switch to the two center lanes from August 8 through 24, leaving the outer two lanes open in each direction. During the last week in August and first two weeks of September, alternating lanes will be open as the asphalt and crosswalk work takes place. Access to side streets and drives will be maintained throughout the construction.

“We realize the project will present some inconveniences, but the improvements to the community and City Centre district will last for many years to come,” said Leigh Schultz, P.E., Southfield’s Assistant City Engineer. “We appreciate the assistance and patience of everyone who will be impacted by the construction over the next couple of months.”

The City of Southfield Engineering Division anticipates having the Civic Center Drive project wrapped up in the fall, barring any weather delays or other unforeseen circumstances.

From The Southfield Sun
By Mary Beth Almond

Families and friends will make a splash at the Southfield Sports Arena Pool this summer, thanks to some new pool updates.

“We believe the kids will be extremely excited, as well as all the residents, about the new and improved pool features, as well as the enormous improvement in the locker room,” said Doug Lock, acting director of the Southfield Parks and Recreation Department. read more

The seventh annual Chaldean Festival attracted thousands of people to the Southfield City Centre district from June 8 to 10. The festival — sponsored by the City of Southfield, Chaldean Chamber of Commerce and the Chaldean Community Foundation — took place on the lawn in front of City Hall and on a portion of Evergreen Road from Civic Center Drive north to the Southfield Library. Families enjoyed carnival rides and games, live entertainment, children’s activities, a cultural tent, food, and 32 merchant booths. Each year, the popular event draws a diverse crowd and provides an opportunity for the Chaldean community to celebrate their culture and share traditions with residents in metropolitan Detroit. An estimated 120,000 Chaldeans live in the Detroit area.

Lawrence Technological University’s (LTU) robot, vuLTUre2, finished fifth in the Auto-Nav Challenge, the main event at the 20th annual Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC) held at Oakland University June 8-11. Forty-seven teams from around the country and as far away as India and Japan entered the prestigious competition, although only 20 qualified for the Auto-Nav Challenge. The fifth-place finish earned LTU a $2,000 prize, and the team also picked up a $1,000 prize for finishing fourth in the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) competition. IGVC promotes the development of automated and intelligent vehicles that can have both civilian and military applications. Sponsors include the Joint Project Office for Robotic Systems of the U.S. Army, the Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise of the Department of Defense, TARDEC, the Michigan  chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (both the foundation and the Great Lakes chapter), and Women in Defense. Corporate sponsors include Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Continental and Takata. A video of vuLTUre2’s best run can be found on YouTube.

Southfield-based Plante Moran made the 2011 list of America’s Top 10 Workplaces. The accounting and business advisory firm placed seventh on the list, which ranks employee satisfaction at large companies around the United States. Over 800 companies with more than 1,000 employees were included in the rankings compiled by WorkplaceDynamics, which designs and conducts annual employee satisfaction surveys for the Detroit Free Press and 29 other major U.S. newspapers. “We care about our people,” Gordon Krater, managing partner of Plante Moran told the Detroit Free Press. “All we are is people.” Detroit-based online mortgage lender Quicken Loans placed number eight in the survey.

Dr. Virinder K. Moudgil has been appointed as the next president of Lawrence Technological University (LTU) and will take office on July 1, 2012.  “Dr. Moudgill has a strong record of leading exemplary academic progress and program development,” said Lloyd E. Reuss, chairman of the LTU Board of Trustees, in an e-mail to LTU students, staff, faculty and alumni. “He has led academic affairs as provost at Oakland University (OU) since 2001 and since 2008 has also been senior vice president for academic affairs. From 1994-2001, he chaired OU’s Department of Biological Sciences. He is an excellent communicator, and we anticipate that he will accelerate Lawrence Tech’s advancement and services to students and the professions across Michigan and the nation.” Dr. Moudgill was selected by Lawrence Tech’s Board of Trustees following a ten-month national search that attracted a large number of outstanding candidates. Current LTU President, Dr. Lewis Walker, led the university for the past six years and served as provost for twelve years prior to the presidency. Dr. Walker will continue for the next year as the university’s chancellor.

Southfield’s Skyline Club has been selected as a recipient of ClubCorp’s 2011 Silver Circle of Excellence Award.  The honor is awarded annually and recognizes the Skyline Club as one of ClubCorp’s top Business Clubs worldwide. Located on the 28^th floor of 2000 Town Center, Skyline has earned a reputation as the place where business leaders meet to entertain clients, host meetings and events, or enjoy a relaxing evening with family and friends. Several members of the Skyline Club’s staff were also recognized as national leaders within the ClubCorp Network: Superstar awards were given to Membership Director Richelle Tragge and General Manager John Rodriguez. Private Events Director Kate Montgomery received ClubCorp’s Rising Star award.

Community and business leaders will gather to celebrate the rich heritage and vibrant future of Southfield and Lathrup Village at the Commitment to Community Awards on Thursday, June 21, 2012 at the Skyline Club located at 2000 Town Center, Suite 2800 Southfield, MI. Hosted by the Southfield Community Foundation, the event features Master of Ceremony Fox2 News Reporter Roop Raj. read more