1. July 2005 • Murph
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Ann Arbor submitted a grant application in April for $100,000 in State Cool Cities grant money, split roughly evenly between adding a micro-cinema installation at the Michigan Theater and funding an interactive sound/light sculpture on Maynard Street. This week, Ann Arbor was awarded a $100,000 grant – but not for the proposal it submitted. The money was awarded entirely to the Michigan Theater project.
This causes some problems. The grant requires that 1-to-1 matching funds be committed within 3 months, the Michigan Theater wasn’t prepared to find a $100,000 match, and the narrower scope of the funded project means that some partners who may have been found to match the grant for the full project may not be interested in funding only half the project. The Michigan Theater has turned to the Downtown Development Authority to ask for half the matching funds, and hopes to raise the other half through other channels, such as the State Street Area Association, which had originally planned to be a partner for the Maynard sculpture project..
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—Murph. Jul. 1 '05 - 04:06PM #
—Lizz Jul. 1 '05 - 04:13PM #
—Juliew Jul. 1 '05 - 04:22PM #
I don’t know who the motive force behind the sculpture was, but I don’t think it was anybody associated with the Theater.
It would be tragically ironic if the Michigan got no money because they were awarded twice as much as they were offered. I expect that all of the appropriate ducks will get lined up, though. Three months is a pretty decent amount of time for the kind of people who want to see the Cool City money to round up matches.
—Murph. Jul. 1 '05 - 04:54PM #
Totally off topic but has anyone been paying attention to the Detroit mayoral race? The Det. Freep covered the TV debate here.
I’ve met Hanson Clarke, really nice guy and the dream candidate for mayor. Looks young, but he’s 48 and is far more tempored than the patron boss style of Kilpatrick. The freep’s coverage also seems to take notice of his charisma. In person he’s actually very self effacing and easy to talk to. In our conversation he confided that at times he’s regreted giving up his initial dreams of becoming a fine artist to become a lawyer/politician. Very cool.
—daveSomers Jul. 1 '05 - 04:56PM #
The Cool Cities program was more or less self-defeating the moment the State started it, especially since the grants are basically limited to bricks & morter. It became doubly ridiculous when it started handing out grants, for example, to “a fountain for the Warren city center,” since, one, a fountain isn’t “cool”, and, two, Warren has no city center. (Note: I support some of the grants, like giving money to Eastern Market.)
So, granted, Ann Arbor needs the cash least, but, if it’s going to use it for something worthwhile (like the Michigan Theater project) rather than for fountains in Warren, I’m happy to support our applying for it.
—Murph. Jul. 1 '05 - 05:12PM #
I’m actually hoping that he and Hendrix do not end up splitting the reformers/kick the bums out vote. I’m also totally clueless how deep his support is outside of his senate district.
Not that I have time to kill while looking for a job and preparing to move, but heck, I may volunteer.
—daveSomers Jul. 1 '05 - 05:13PM #
—daveSomers Jul. 1 '05 - 05:20PM #
—Murph. Jul. 1 '05 - 05:39PM #
I missed out on whatever public process occurred here. Did anyone ask young people what they wanted to see in the city? As nice as the MT project and the structure project might be, I’d be surprised if it was the idea of someone who said, “If only there was this in Ann Arbor, I’d stay here instead of moving to Chicago.”
What do all you current and recent students want in your ‘cool’ city?
My best guess is that it would have something to do with transportation (and not just because some of you are planners.) Later-running buses? Cheap shuttles to the airport? An easy way to get to Hudson Mills to play disc golf?
Or is it all about socializing, drinkin’, and listening to music? (aka, S, D, and R&R.)
—Steve Bean Jul. 1 '05 - 06:03PM #
* Emilie Baratta
* Newcombe Clark
* Brandt Coultas
* Maureen English
* Leigh Greden
* Kathryn Lynn Loomis
* Willieum Jacarl Melton
* Gary Seelhorst
* Conan Smith
And, Steve, you don’t really want to get me started, do you? How about a top 4, which are all based on getting places:
# Transit service to the airport, at least hourly, 20/7.
# Transit service to Ypsi and Detroit, at least hourly, 24/7.
# A transit system that doesn’t stop at 5pm on weekends.
# My ex-officemate in Chicago pays $600/mo for a beautiful, historic 1BR apartment in a lovely neighborhood where she needs a car for nothing. Where are you going to live in A2 for $600/month and be able to get everything you want without a car?
(snarky on) Say! Maybe we should ask the Cool Cities Task Force to investigate whether a full-scale greenway is high on the list? Oh, wait, Emilie and Newcombe were two of the most visciously pro-Three Site Plan speakers at the hearing on the 13th, and Brandt also spoke pro-TSP; none of the members (to my knowledge) were among the speakers favoring the Friends’ plan.
—Murph. Jul. 1 '05 - 07:19PM #
Thanks again, folks—here’s some background information. Please feel free to E-mail me directly if you have any other questions.
The Michigan Theater was recently awarded a “Cool Cities” grant to expand its cinema programming capabilities. The grant, which must be matched with local funds, will allow the Michigan Theater to install much-needed digital cinema projection systems. Digital cinema is clearly the technology of modern filmmaking. The Michigan Theater is dedicated to presenting the moving image in all available formats, both traditional and digital, that best suit the filmmaker’s vision and excites the audience’s interest. The enhanced capabilities, made possible with this “Cool Cities” grant, will expand the theater’s programming with three new digital cinema formats:
•We will purchase two high-definition digital projector systems, one for the historic auditorium and one for the screening room, broadening the range of filmmaking that we can present.
•We will install a video monitor system in Theater lobbies, which can be used as video galleries. This will allow us to exhibit “small screen� MicroCinema programs in addition to the “big screen� films projected in the historic theater and screening room.
•We will work with Michigan based filmmakers to stream short digital video “films� in a special section on our website.
This grant will allow the Theater to become one of the few theaters in the country with this diverse, high-tech, top-level film and digital projection capability.
Russ Collins
Executive Director, Michigan Theater
—Russ Collins Jul. 1 '05 - 07:30PM #
the MicroCinema project at the Michigan Theater and Sound Fall, an innovative, public art sculpture. The grant reviewers were interested in the MicroCinema project and we revised our proposal. The potential costs of this kind of technology at the Theater far exceed a Cool Cities grant. Do not assume that we asked for ~1/2 of the money for the Michigan Theater because that was the total project cost. We asked for 1/2 for the Theater and 1/2 for the Sound Fall because we thought that was our best proposal. The funder didn’t agree and they had a legitimate point-they were looking for projects with 1 focus, not two.—Brandt Coultas Jul. 1 '05 - 07:37PM #
Ann Arbor did submit a Cool Cities proposal that included two projects—the MicroCinema project at the Michigan Theater and Sound Fall, an innovative, public art sculpture. The grant reviewers were interested in the MicroCinema project and we revised our proposal. The potential costs of this kind of technology at the Theater far exceed a Cool Cities grant. Do not assume that we asked for ~1/2 of the money for the Michigan Theater because that was the total project cost. We asked for 1/2 for the Theater and 1/2 for the Sound Fall because we thought that was our best proposal. The funder didn’t agree and they had a legitimate point—they were looking for projects with 1 focus, not two.
—Scott Trudeau Jul. 1 '05 - 07:49PM #
I’d say dog park.
Sorry, but it is the truth because I refuse to get a $500.00 ticket for letting go of the leash!
To me, Ann Arbor won’t be cool with another project not related to me hanging out with my pooch.—The dog-crazy girl.
—Lizz Jul. 2 '05 - 12:31PM #
—[libcat] Jul. 3 '05 - 11:13PM #
It’s true, Ann Arbor is doing well, but the main goal of the grant isn’t to help out faultering cities, it’s to attract and retain young workers. We believe Ann Arbor is perhaps the city with the best shot of doing just that. And yes, it will take a lot more than $100k to the Michigan Theater. But beyond the money we get awareness, the value of which is hard to codify. Now, with the cool city designation, there are many other avenues to explore in terms of funding and partnerships.
We’re already gearing up for next year’s proposal and our hope is that if we can get started early enough we can get together another great round of proposals locally. The State Street area is undergoing some profound and immediate changes right now in terms of development, both public (U of M) and private. Timing swayed a lot of our decision. That is not to say that the other areas in town are not also going thru a period of transition. Who knows what we can all go to bat for come next year.
Thank you everyone for your hard work and for your future support of the task force’s efforts.
—Newcombe Clark Jul. 4 '05 - 08:21PM #
—JennyD Jul. 4 '05 - 08:45PM #
On the grant itself, I was disappointed that the light/sound sculpture didn’t get funding, but I am tickled to death that independent video is going to get a boost here. How exciting!
—Laura Jul. 6 '05 - 12:25AM #
In addition to cars, the people moving in to Eaton, Klines, and First and Washington are going to bring dogs. It would be nice to give them a small unpaved spot somewhere downtown. It seems funny to me that people who are for a dog park are so against a green space that would probably be used by a lot of dogs. They like to have something other than pavement beneath their feet.
As for a parks not being cool? I would recommend anyone who thinks that to go to Jim Nicita’s presentation tomorrow night. The only thing that drew a universal “wow, that is so cool!” from the people around me at one of the TSP/Greenway meetings was some of the pictures of interactive water features that have been done around the world. Unfortunately, I can’t go because I would love to see this, but you can look at the Dreiseitls web site for some examples of some tremendously interesting projects. If done correctly, it could be something really fun, interactive, and educational.
I’m not naive enough to think that all parks are great. I think it is very possible that a park at First and William or any of the proposed “Greenway” sites could end up being places to pick up hookers and drugs. But I think there is enough community support and enough creative thinking around this to make it something that actually is “cool.”
—Juliew Jul. 6 '05 - 03:51PM #
—Parking Structure Dude! Jul. 6 '05 - 04:14PM #
—Scott Trudeau Jul. 6 '05 - 06:07PM #
—peter honeyman Jul. 6 '05 - 07:53PM #
—js Jul. 7 '05 - 12:39AM #
—peter honeyman Jul. 7 '05 - 11:16AM #