Crain's Detroit Business, Aug. 31, 2020 issue by Crain's Detroit Business

THE CONVERSATION

Developer, school board member Sonya Mays on learning to adjust PAGE 22

UM’s Schlissel: We will test thousands. PAGE 3

CRAINSDETROIT.COM I AUGUST 31, 2020

FADING GLORY BY KIRK PINHO | On Jan. 17, workers in the Penobscot

Building downtown streamed out as an elevator fire sent them to Griswold Street in freezing weather. The fire wasn’t the first sign something was the matter with the 47-story office skyscraper that at one point was the city’s tallest. Instead it was just the most publicly noticeable manifestation of years of what some say is deferred maintenance, making it one of the last major buildings in the central business district to get a serious renovation during the decade-long historic renovation and building boom in the city’s core. The lack of upkeep hasn’t been without consequences.

FOCUS | OFFICE DESIGN

THE OPEN OFFICE ERA MAY BE OVER COVID-19 forces work spaces to evolve. PAGE 10

NEWSPAPER

LARRY PEPLIN FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Once Detroit’s crown jewel, the Penobscot Building is losing tenants, facing a lawsuit and struggling to avoid repercussions from the city

The Penobscot, 645 Griswold St., has lost two major tenants and has been socked with no less than 161 tickets totaling over $92,000 in blight violations this year alone, with the city threatening a nuisance abatement lawsuit if the Toronto-based ownership group, Triple Properties Inc., doesn’t fix the neglected portions of the building. One of the tenants that vacated, Strategic Staffing Solutions LLC, has sued Triple Properties in Wayne County Circuit Court,

claiming it sent its landlord approximately 70 written notices with building maintenance issues between May 2018 and August 2019 alone. They included “repeated and severe issues involving water leaks, heating, cooling, insect infestations, broken and/or malfunctioning elevators, lighting, construction noise and dust, plumbing, electrical wiring and structural issues.” See PENOBSCOT on Page 20

NONPROFITS

Capacity limitations strain arts, culture organizations even as patrons come back BY SHERRI WELCH

On typical busy summer days before COVID-19 was ever a thought, 10,000-15,000 people showed up to visit the Detroit Zoo. These days, the zoo is hosting 3,500 people most days but an additional 400 for special hours on weekend nights through August. Like other cultural organizations and all businesses, there are limits on how many people it can host each day. And that’s putting a crunch on

arts and cultural organizations — even those partially supported by an operating millage. “We often see the daily maximum numbers reached … (but) earning at the gate less than half of what we would normally earn … pre-COVID,” Communications Manager Alexandra Bahou said in an email. Like the Detroit Institute of Arts, the zoo benefits from a tricounty millage which covers about a quarter of its operating budget. A paycheck protection program

loan, donations, reserves and earned revenue (albeit decreased) are enabling it to continue operating, Bahou said. But it’s cut its budget from $45 million to $25 million. “We are fortunate that the community supported the millage … (and) that so many members and donors continue to support the organization,” and there is about $26 million in accessible endowment funds, she said. See LOSSES on Page 20

NEED TO KNOW

THE SELF-DRIVING VALET

THE WEEK IN REVIEW, WITH AN EYE ON WHAT’S NEXT  ESTIMATE OF MICHIGAN’S BUDGET HOLE GETS SMALLER THE NEWS: Michigan’s budget outlook is not as bad as was thought — thanks to federal pandemic relief aid, higher consumer spending and tax payments than expected, and a quicker recovery by the manufacturing and auto industries, state officials said last week. In May, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration and legislative economists projected a combined $6.3 billion shortfall in the state’s two main funds over this fiscal year and next. They revised that hole downward, to $3.4 billion, in a revenue-estimating meeting on Monday. WHY IT MATTERS: Though the budget shortfall is still massive, special factors not typical of a recession have made it more manageable than was previously feared.

 TAPESTRY HOTEL PLANNED FOR PARK AVENUE THE NEWS: An investment group planning a $50.3 million redevelopment of the Park Avenue House downtown has received a state brownfield incentive totaling $2.52 million for the project. Mario Kiezi, managing member of the Downtown Hospitality Detroit LLC investment group along with MHS Group founder Mike Abdulnoor and L.A. Insurance founder Anthony Yousif, said permitting for the project to turn the former

ment Program grant and a $400,000 Jobs Ready Michigan Program grant. The company plans to invest up to $5 million and create up to 303 jobs in Detroit. WHY IT MATTERS: The plan adds some diversification to metro Detroit’s automotive- and mortgage-heavy economic picture.

 JUDGE: FEDS CAN BE SUED OVER FLINT WATER CRISIS

Park Avenue House at 2305 Park Ave. into a 172-room Hilton-branded Tapestry hotel is expected in the late fall. Construction is expected to be complete in 2023. WHY IT MATTERS: The plan progressing is a sign that the hotel business is still moving forward in Detroit despite a sharp decline in guests since the coronavirus pandemic began.

 INSURANCE COMPANY TO ADD 300 JOBS IN DETROIT THE NEWS: Detroit could soon be home to 300 new jobs in the auto insurance industry as a Chicago-based carrier seeks to expand its Midwest footprint. The board of the Michigan Strategic Fund on Tuesday awarded Clearcover Inc. a $3.5 million Michigan Business Develop-

THE NEWS: The federal government can be sued for negligence in the Flint water crisis, a judge said Wednesday, citing the failure of regulators to act in a timely manner as good Samaritans and blow the whistle on lead in the water supply. The ruling was made by U.S. District Judge Judith Levy. WHY IT MATTERS: The decision came days after the state of Michigan said it’s willing to pay $600 million to settle a raft of lawsuits by Flint residents over disastrous decisions by Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration.

 BORGWARNER TO PAY $950K OVER ASBESTOS DISCLOSURE THE NEWS: Auburn Hills-based auto supplier BorgWarner Inc. misled investors about future liabilities for asbestos lawsuits, according to federal regulators, and will pay a $950,000 fine to settle an investigation.

Ford, Bosch, Bedrock start self-parking test  Ford Motor Co., supplier Bosch and Bedrock, a commercial real estate company, are launching a project to test connected Ford Escape crossovers that can drive and park themselves. The project uses Ford driver-assist technologies and a set of Bosch intelligent parking infrastructure sensors for automated valet parking inside Bedrock’s Assembly Garage in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, the companies said Wednesday. That’s the same area where Ford is establishing a mobility campus at the historic Michigan Central Station, an abandoned train depot. Upon arriving at Assembly Garage, the driver will leave the vehicle in a designated area and use an app to initiate an automated parking maneuver. Drivers also use the app to request the return of the vehicle to the designated pickup area. In addition to parking, the technology can navigate the vehicle to service areas within the garage, such as a charging station or car wash.

A project to test connected Ford Escape crossovers that can drive and park themselves began this week and is to run through September. | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

WHY IT MATTERS: Asbestos, which can cause certain kinds of cancer, has been a decades-long issue for manufacturers who use the heat-resistant material in their products. BorgWar-

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Q&A

SPORTS BUSINESS

A WIDER APPEAL

Schlissel: Testing, cleaning key to reopening UM president: Students will return to Ann Arbor even if classes are online BY KURT NAGL

Construction crews work on renovating the South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club on a sweltering August day. | KURT NAGL/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Fabled Oakland Hills South Course tries to thread needle of getting harder, easier at the same time BY KURT NAGL

Oakland Hills Country Club has made the turn on a $12.1 million restoration of its famed South Course as it targets a final product that is easier for members and suitable for another major golf tournament. Construction crews are overhauling the final five holes of the undulating land in Bloomfield Township that has staged some of professional golf’s greatest moments. The project began when the 18-hole course closed after the 2018 season. The 18hole North Course across the street has remained open. Despite delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project is on pace to be complete by next July, said Steve Brady, head professional at the private golf club.

Views of the iconic clubhouse at Oakland Hills Country Club have been restored in the renovation of the famed South Course. | KURT NAGL/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Progress was showcased during a media event last week during which high-profile golf course architect Gil Hanse said they were well on the way to completing the impossible: Making the golf course, famously nicknamed “The Monster,” easier and more difficult at the same time,

while also melding the old and the new. “How do we find the sweet spot of honoring the past, honoring the evolution and recognizing the golf course the membership knows and loves?” Hanse said. “It’s not like this golf course was broken or there was

any serious need to alter it.” Club members voted in favor of a $7.65 million renovation project in 2018 shortly before also approving the installation of high-tech temperature control systems on each green, which accounted for the hike in project cost. Hanse and his team have had to balance a slew of demands from the 575 members bankrolling the project while designing a course that catches the eye of the USGA and PGA Tour for future major championships. The club’s leadership have made it clear they are after majors, not smaller tournaments such as the Rocket Mortgage Classic that has played the last two years at the Detroit Golf Club. See COURSE on Page 18

INFRASTRUCTURE

Deal will reverse pipeline, provide propane to Michigan BY CHAD LIVENGOOD

A new Dallas-based petroleum pipeline company believes it has a solution to one of Michigan’s problems in distributing liquid propane gas across the Great Lakes State. Silver Wolf Midstream, a company founded by petroleum pipeline industry veteran Niel Rootare, has purchased the 225-mile Michigan Express Pipeline that runs from Kalkaska to Sarnia, Ontario, in a $47 million deal backed by investors at Boustead Securities in Irvine, Calif. The gas pipeline company intends to reverse the flow of the Michigan Express Pipeline to send liquid propane

gas from refineries in Sarnia to a terminal in Kalkaska and build additional distribution terminals in Gratiot and Clare counties, Rootare said. Built in 1973 by the Shell Oil Co., the Michigan Express Pipeline is a pressurized 8-inch-wide steel pipeline that flows natural gas liquids from northern Michigan to a refinery in Ontario. It most recently has been used for sending ethane to a natural gas liquids refinery in Sarnia. The pipeline will begin carrying liquid propane within 90 days, with a capacity of 500,000 gallons of the gas per day, Rootare said. See PROPANE on Page 19

More than 40,000 students are returning to Ann Arbor regardless of whether classes are online or in-person, University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel said, so the school might as well open its campus. UM has spent months planning and many millions of dollars on COVID-19 testing and safety measures, leaving Schlissel Schlissel to believe it will be the cleanest and safest place in town. There are many who argue that welcoming back students, physically, could be a grave mistake. Michigan State University President Samuel Stanley made the call two weeks ago to go online-only this fall and encouraged students to stay home. At the same time, Central Michigan University brought back more than 15,000 students to Mount Pleasant and is scrambling to contain an outbreak of more than 100 cases tied to its campus and students. “We would be fooling ourselves if we thought that we would greatly diminish the number of young people in Ann Arbor by going fully remote,” Schlissel, 62, told Crain’s leading up to the first day of class Aug. 31. For Schlissel, the first physician-scientist to lead UM, opening the Ann Arbor campus is a calculated risk. Classrooms will remain largely empty, as nearly 80 percent of student credit hours will be online. The libraries and student unions on campus will be open at reduced capacity, and the recreation centers will remain closed under state government orders. The Dearborn and Flint satellites will be mostly online-only. “We’re going to monitor the circumstances all along and see whether the set of interventions we’ve put in place diminish the level of transmission of the disease to an approximation of what our students would be experiencing if they were living at home,” Schlissel said. In a video call with Crain’s, Schlissel made the case for why he thinks it is the right move to resume activity on campus during a pandemic that has already been so costly for students and the university. The following transcript has been lightly edited. ` Crain’s: Why not take MSU’s lead in going fully remote? Schlissel: Different universities have taken different approaches. At the end of the day, there are two things that pushed us to this position where we are now. One is the realization that a significant majority of the students who live off campus were going to come back to town anyway.

Silver Wolf Midstream’s propane terminal in Kalkaska will be the end of a 225-mile pipeline from Sarnia, Ontario. | SILVER WOLF MIDSTREAM

See SCHLISSEL on Page 18 AUGUST 31, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 3

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The Platform LLC is scaling back its development plans in Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Islandview neighborhood. A little more than four years after unveiling Kirk building and renPINHO ovation efforts for a series of properties around the city, the Detroit-based developer has faced setbacks, including in the Milwaukee Junction and Fitzgerald neighborhoods. Its former president and CEO, Dietrich Knoer, left in October. But still others have been completed or are moving forward under construction, such as in the TechTown and New Center areas, plus northwest Detroit. The Detroit-based developer run by Peter Cummings has opted out of developing the corner of East Grand Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue by allowing property there to revert to the Detroit Land Bank Authority. The fate of the former Big Boy restaurant site on Jefferson Avenue is not known; a message was sent seeking an update on that project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Platform was approached by the Detroit Land Bank Authority about re-marketing a property in the Islandview neighborhood we had a previous agreement to purchase,â&#x20AC;? Cummings, executive chairman and CEO of The Platform, said in an emailed statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our company believes strongly in working with the city to support positive development and revitalization and agreed that the parcels should be re-listed for sale. Our commitment to strengthening Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighborhoods remains unwavering, and we continue to invest

This property at East Grand Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue near Belle Isle hit the market again this summer after Detroit-based The Platform LLC backed away from redeveloping it. | KIRK PINHO/CRAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DETROIT BUSINESS

in developments across the city.â&#x20AC;? James Bufalino, the owner of Detroit-based Premier Property Services LLC that is marketing the site for sale for $815,000, said The Platform declined to pursue purchasing the property â&#x20AC;&#x153;a few months ago.â&#x20AC;? It was re-listed for sale on June 1 with offers due by Aug. 1, he said. Bufalino declined to reveal who bid for the property. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had three or four proposals submitted Aug. 1,â&#x20AC;? Bufalino said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the review process right now ... They are intensive proposals reviewed by the land bank and the city ... One is primarily apartments, the other two are mixed-use developments that would be great for the site.â&#x20AC;? The property is about 1.21 acres with four buildings on its footprint, including an 1898 mansion/nursing home designed by architect Louis Kamper.

Hines founder dies at 95 Gerald Hines, the founder and chairman of the international Houston-based development company Hines Interests LP, died Aug. 23 at age 95. While his company is not a huge name out here these days, it does still maintain a presence. It manages the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center and developed what today is known as Ally Detroit Center, formerly Comerica Tower and One Detroit Center, the second tallest building in the city. It is currently owned by Dan Gilbert. Hines also played a role in the redevelopment of the Renaissance Center by General Motors Co. and the Guardian Building by Wayne County. Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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The Michigan Strategic Fund has approved a pair of loans totaling $2.49 million and brownfield incentive of $1.26 million for a nearly $20 million project to redevelop the former Lincoln Motor Co. property. The project, spearheaded by Matthew Naimi and Oren Goldenberg, would bring 81 apartments and about 38,000 square feet of commercial space to the 3.8-acre property west of the M-10 (Lodge) freeway and north of I-94 in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Elijah McCoy neighborhood. The redevelopment consists of parcels at 1331 Holden St. and 5924, 5960, 6120, 6126, and 6132 Lincoln St. According to a Michigan Strategic Fund memo, the development would include Naimiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Recycle Here! recycling center, an entertainment venue, art studio and retail and office space. The memo says apartments would be available for rent at 50 to 120 percent of the Area Median Income, which includes incomes from Detroit suburbs and is often criticized for inflating affordable housing costs in Detroit, where incomes are lower.

The property at 1331 Holden St. in Detroit is part of a broader redevelopment plan in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Elijah McCoy neighborhood expected to cost nearly $20 million.| COSTAR GROUP INC.

In Wayne County, the AMI is $55,000 for one person; 50 percent of that is $27,500 while 120 percent is $66,000. For four people, 50 percent of AMI is $39,250, while 120 percent is $94,200. Financing for the project is as follows: ` Capital Impact Partners: $5.7 million. ` Developer equity: $3.16 million. ` IFF loan: $3 million.

` Michigan Community Revitalization Program loans: $2.49 million. ` Historic tax credit equity: $2.12 million. ` Local Initiatives Support Corp., or LISC, equity through the Affordable Housing Leverage Fund: $1.5 million. ` Invest Detroit loan: $720,000. ` Deferred developer fees: 562,000. ` LISC loan through the Affordable Housing Leverage Fund: $500,000.

CARING FOR KIDS SPONSORED CONTENT

Advocating for the health and wellness of children and families Host Larry Burns, President and CEO The Children’s Foundation

Advocating for the health & wellness of children and families

About this report: On this monthly radio program, The Children’s Foundation President and CEO Larry Burns talks to community, government and business leaders about issues related to children’s health and wellness. The hour-long show typically airs at 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month on WJR 760AM. Here’s a summary of the show that aired August 25th; listen to the entire episode, and archived episodes, at yourchildrensfoundation.org/caring-for-kids.

Kathy Donovan, CEO, Children’s Hospital of Michigan

Larry Burns: You have over 30 years of experience working in leading children’s hospitals across the country. What attracted you to Detroit? Kathy Donovan: I’m extremely passionate about the impact that healthcare can make on a community and how important it is for the survival of the community. I was drawn to Children’s Hospital of Michigan and the Detroit area because of the opportunity to truly make an impact on the care received by kids in this town and throughout the state. Encompassing the entire community, focusing on what needs to be done: getting kids to primary care visits, nutrition and exercise programs, health education and addressing behavioral health needs. Burns: What are the differences between an adult hospital and a freestanding pediatric hospital? Donovan: Children are extremely unique and require very specialized care. They’re not just little adults, which is a common misperception. Each child that we treat could be a one-in-a-million case. They require a large, multidisciplinary team to work with them. For example, one patient may need 12 different subspecialists. In Michigan, we have all those subspecialists at our fingertips—we do not take that for granted. These are physicians who could work anywhere and they choose to be here. It takes a very special healthcare worker because

it’s not easy to watch kids go through difficult situations. We need to protect them and advocate for them. Burns: What are your shortterm objectives? Donovan: We all know the impact that COVID-19 has had on our entire country. The healthcare industry was hit particularly hard. We’re trying to figure out how we emerge from this and get back to business while keeping everyone safe in this new environment. The other piece of this is supporting our staff who have gone through something that you would never expect in your entire lifetime. It’s a different type of post-traumatic stress. Burns: Tell us about your goals for the hospital. Donovan: We do some incredible innovative research here in Michigan. How do we elevate that to a national level and gain the attention that Michigan deserves on that stage? The other thing I want to emphasize is the mental health focus initiative that The Children’s Foundation is going to join us in. We’re putting together a collaboration of organizations within the state to create a facility that would take kids and families. Burns: Have you seen any increase in behavioral health issues with COVID-19? Donovan: Children are experiencing things that they’ve never experienced in their lives. They’re isolated and don’t have a normal routine. This is contributing to some of their behavioral health issues. Our volume has increased dramatically in our emergency department for kids and parents. Where do these kids go to receive the longer-term treatment that they desperately need? That’s what we’re going to work on together.

Greg McLaughlin, CEO, PGA Tour First Tee Foundation and CEO, World Golf Foundation

Dr. George Kikano, Dean, College of Medicine and Vice President for Health Affairs, Central Michigan University

Burns: What brought about your affiliation with The Children’s Foundation?

Larry Burns: Tell us about the First Tee Foundation. Greg McLaughlin: The First Tee’s goal is to use golf as a platform to introduce kids to the game and also teach them life skills and provide character education-related programs. It’s a great organization that has been around for close to 25 years that has reached 15 million kids in all 50 states and there are some 20,000 people who are connected to it, either staff or volunteers. Burns: Give us some examples of the life skills First Tee teaches. McLaughlin: All of our programs are delivered by trained instructors and every one of them has gone through varying levels of training in order to deliver the programs. We describe it as a youth development character education program. Our age of focus is the 10- to 14-year-olds with the goal of getting kids ready for high school. That’s a time of significant transformation in an individual’s life. Our goal is helping develop these young people’s values. We also have a school program where kids are introduced to First Tee through a physical education class. We reach nearly 3 million kids annually through that program. Then we connect the kids from the school program to local chapters. Our next push is with technology. We feel like that’s a long-term opportunity for us to be able to reach more kids.

McLaughlin: The outreach that The Children’s Foundation has in reaching out to young people has been extraordinary. The reputation that you have in the community in and around philanthropy was exactly what we were looking for in a partner. We think Detroit has a tremendous appeal and opportunity. The Children’s Foundation can extend that reach. Currently the First Tee on a national basis is about 39 percent gender diverse and about 52 percent non-Caucasian. It’s a big focus for us to provide our programs in underserved and underrepresented communities. Burns: Tell us about the launch of the new brand for First Tee. McLaughlin: Most people will say we’re a junior golf program. But if you ask people who are connected with the program, they say it’s really a youth development program. It began with a logo review; it’s the original logo from 23 years ago. We started going down that path, and it became more of a question of what is our brand identity and what do we want to be known for? What do our constituents believe are the most redeeming qualities within our organization and how do we communicate that? That was the process. We wanted to find something that was a little more kid-friendly, something that kids want to wear. A brand company out of New York did the leg work for us. This process lasted about a year and they interviewed a bunch of kids from the New York and New Jersey areas who helped them create something that they wanted to see.

Give an overview of the college of medicine at Central Michigan University. Dr. George Kikano: Our country’s been facing a major shortage of physicians and there are major shortages happening in urban and rural underserved areas. Conservatively we’re looking at over 50,000 physicians needed in this country in the next 10 years. It takes over 10 years to produce a physician, so solving the problem that we’re going to have in 2030 starts now. Based on that need, the leadership of CMU decided to open a medical school over 10 years ago. Our mission is to provide the future workforce of physicians to care for underserved populations. Our footprint has been in Michigan. We are a school for Michigan, from Michigan. By choice, not by need, 80 percent of our students have been selected from Michigan. We are hoping, based on the data, that they’ll stay in Michigan to take care of urban and rural areas. We have only 100 positions for over 7,500 applicants and we select students from Michigan because there’s a higher likelihood that they’ll stay here. Burns: How are the graduates doing and where are they going? Kikano: We have graduated four classes and the match records for residency have been almost perfect, which is amazing for a startup. Over 50 percent of our classes have stayed in Michigan and the other ones are being recruited

nationally to the top programs in the country. Approximately 75 percent selected the primary care specialty. In our current fourth year students, 16 of 100 will be going into psychiatry. Burns: Tell us about the mental health residency program. Kikano: There is still a new patient bottleneck in our region. To get an appointment with a mental health provider takes over six months and that’s unacceptable. Five years ago we started the residency program in psychiatry. It is the only one in our area. The other piece that’s been great for us has been all the relationships we’ve created with local mental health agencies—grassroots organizations that address suicide prevention, suicide education, mental health stigma and geriatric health. Burns: You have a growing relationship with the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Kikano: There is a bottleneck for student teaching around pediatric issues, whether it’s primary care, subspecialty or mental health. It’s a problem for all medical schools in the country. To partner with the hospital and its pediatrician group to provide opportunities to educate our students on pediatric issues was something we could not pass up. It’s been a great partnership. Burns: The college of medicine is still relatively new. What is your vision? Kikano: The next piece for us over the next three to five years is to develop and invest in research. That’s meaningful to take care of the mental, physical and economic health of the community. We are hoping to expand class size, develop more interprofessional teaching and have more partners in Michigan and beyond.

NONPROFITS

New Oudolf Garden on Belle Isle to take root in short order

Three years in the making, famed landscape designer’s plan includes 25,911 plants BY SHERRI WELCH

More than three years in the making, the Piet Oudolf garden on Belle Isle is becoming a reality. When completed, Detroit will join New York City and Chicago in laying claim to a garden created by the famed landscape designer. Professional crews were set to begin the plantings for the garden last Thursday. Oudolf Garden Detroit, the volunteer group leading the project, had to shelve its earlier plan for “a volunteer-driven, barn raising-style Oudolf planting” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The garden is being planted on a grassy 2.6-acre site near the Nancy Brown Peace Memorial Carillon and the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, a site chosen by Oudolf. A total of 25,911 plants will go into the ground, 90 percent of them from Michigan growers. Next year the rain garden plants will go in before the official opening of the entire garden in summer 2021. Work on the garden will continue through Friday but skip Monday in deference to the Detroit COVID-19 memorial taking place on Belle Isle, the volunteer group said. The group is posting picture and video updates on Instagram, Facebook and its website, and planned

Planting for the Piet Oudolf Garden on Belle Isle near the Nancy Brown Peace Memorial Carillon will take place over the next week. | OUDOLF GARDEN DETROIT

to hold a virtual chat with Oudolf from the Netherlands, Janine Krasicky Sadaj of J9 Media Solutions, a member of Oudolf Garden Detroit, said speaking on behalf of the organization. The plantings are the culmination of efforts that began in 2017. Maura Campbell, a past president of the Garden Club of Michigan, and fellow

board member Jean Hudson cochaired the effort to bring Oudolf and one of his famous gardens to Detroit. The Dutch-born Oudolf is considered by many to be a modern-day Frederick Law Olmsted, the 19th-century designer credited with much of the original design for Belle Isle, as well as New York City’s Central Park. Oudolf worked on the design of the

High Line park in New York City — which transformed an old elevated rail line into a public space — and the Lurie Garden in Chicago. He is known for designing year-round gardens that look good even when the plants are dormant. Operating with the Belle Isle Conservancy as its fiduciary, Oudolf Garden Detroit has raised $4.2 million of

the project’s $4.5 million cost, Krasicky Sadaj said. The campaign amount includes a $2 million endowment held at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan to permanently maintain the garden. Contact: swelch@crain.com; (313) 446-1694; @SherriWelch

TOURISM

Michigan tourism outpacing national average, with optimism for fall BY SHERRI WELCH

After getting a late start because of the pandemic, Michigan’s summer tourism is outpacing the national average. And virtual schooling could provide an opportunity for the state’s tourism industry to recoup even more of the revenue it lost early in the season. “I think we’re going to have families travel throughout the fall to Michigan and within Michigan as they do virtual studies,” said Dave Lorenz, vice Lorenz president of Travel Michigan, the state’s business development unit for travel and tourism. Travel Michigan is in the process of reaching out to cultural, historical and natural attractions that could serve as family field-trip destinations to curate educational materials they’ve already developed. It plans to post them at Michigan.org to help parents-turned-teachers, he said. “There are so many things travelers could see in history, nature, culture. ... This is an opportunity for the travel industry not only to get more business but to be part of the educational solution in a very difficult time.” Last week, Michigan’s state campgrounds showed heavy bookings into October. 6 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 31, 2020

Visitors line up at Miners Falls in Munising. | SHERRI WELCH/CFRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

A number of factors, including the halo effect of the Pure Michigan campaign, the conservative moves by the governor to help stem the spread of COVID-19 and locals’ knowledge of the fleeting nature of summer weather, have continued to spur travel into August, creating “a really strange, positive opportunity” for the state, Lorenz said. License plates not normally seen traversing northern Michigan are exploring the peninsulas from states as far away as Massachusetts, Iowa, Missouri, Colorado, Oregon, Kentucky and Texas. Michigan is doing better than many other states on the tourism front, Lorenz said, citing U.S. Travel Association numbers that showed tourism in the state from mid-July to mid-August was down about 35 percent from last year, vs. average national declines of about 50 percent. Statewide hotel occupancy in July was 56 percent, vs. the national average of 47 percent, according to data from Tennessee-based hotel-industry analytics firm STR. Last year in July, Michigan occupancy and U.S. occupancy were 73 percent, Lorenz said. At 53.6 percent, hotel occupancy in Detroit last month also outpaced the national average in July. Northern Michigan averaged around 65 percent occupancy for July, he said. “That’s an indication … we’re doing better than the average for the

rest of the country ... and that’s mostly because of northern Michigan ... above the knuckles,” he said. As of July, 978,206 fishing licenses had been sold, more than the total sold in any year since at least 2015, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. And visitor numbers at the state’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore set a new record with 590,000 visitors in July, as Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the Upper Peninsula handily passed last year’s number, according to a recent report from Bridge. The Pure Michigan campaign promoting the millions of acres of forest, lakes and small towns in Michigan was defunded this year. Travel Michigan has continued to push the Pure Michigan brand on social media with pictures, messages videos, in public speeches and media, despite the loss of funding this year, Lorenz said. Because of the many years the campaign ran, “a lot of people around the country have had Michigan on their bucket lists,” he said, noting that won’t last forever but is benefiting the state this year. “Combine that with what became ... our relative good fight with COVID-19, Michigan looks like a pretty good place to come,” Lorenz said. Contact: swelch@crain.com; (313) 446-1694; @SherriWelch

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COMMENTARY

A tale of two approaches to COVID, and many more

f nothing else, the fall return to Michigan’s colleges and universities this year will be a great natural experiment. Schools are taking a variety of tracks in considering how heavily to rely on virtual classes, whether to sharply limit dorm populations and how to conduct testing regimes for the coronavirus. Some are even testing wastewater to keep track of how much coronavirus is floating through the system, as it were. Maybe the most interesting — and critical — contrast is that between the heavyweight intrastate rivals, both run by presidents who are physicians. University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel, an internist and immunologist, makes the argument that those students are going to show up in Ann Arbor regardless of whether dorms are open (see story, Page 3) — the great natural population increase that accompanies fall in the city will happen anyway. The university is taking heavy precautions, testing every single dorm resident (at more than $100 a pop), and is rolling out an extraordinarily aggressive testing regime going forward Schlis-

Michael

LEE

Managing Editor

MAYBE THE MOST INTERESTING — AND CRITICAL — CONTRAST IS THAT OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT INTRASTATE RIVALS, BOTH RUN BY PRESIDENTS WHO ARE PHYSICIANS. sel said is capable of doing the frequency of testing of people without symptoms that experts say gives a fighting chance of finding and isolating cases early so the virus doesn’t spread. Michigan State University and its President Samuel Stanley — an epidemiologist — came to a different and abrupt conclusion two weeks ago and asked students planning to come to campus to stay home if at all possible. (My youngest son is one of them, and he’s now en-

tering his sixth straight month of virtual classes of one kind or another — and I’m starting to wonder if he’ll ever see the inside of a classroom or the outside of his bedroom again). Both UM and MSU are midsized cities, and the experience of returning to campus will teach things that cities trying to control outbreaks can learn from. And that comparison is apt: A university has more in common with a city than it does with a high school. Universities don’t close, and you can’t send everybody “home” because many of the residents are home. But universities also have advantages that most cities and even county health departments might envy. They have budgets that dwarf those of most cities, large contingents of physicians, scientists and other smart people, and control of the physical environment and population that a city can’t necessarily replicate. Michigan has already had its first experience with a spike in cases tied to back-to-school at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, where health officials say more than 100 cases have cropped up related to about 15,000 stu-

dents’ return to campus. It remains to be seen whether that outbreak — small but significant in a county that’s seen less than 500 cases during the whole of the pandemic so far — will grow. But universities’ experiences could offer the wider world is a sense of nuance. We now know that we’re not going to manage this outbreak with an all-or-nothing approach. More economists and scientists are suggesting that mass shutdowns did more damage than good, and that a more nuanced approach might have mitigated both the virus and the economic wreckage it has left behind. The colleges’ varied approaches mean we’re about to learn a lot about how to manage the virus, how people respond to it, and our own fears. A lot is riding on the answers.

MORE ON WJR ` Listen to Crain’s Group Publisher Mary Kramer and Managing Editor Michael Lee talk about the week’s stories every Monday morning at 6:15 a.m. Mondays on WJR 760 AM’s Paul W. Smith Show.

COMMENTARY

White board members can do their part to add diversity Dear white board members: You’re sitting on some amazing boards. They offer you access to new networks, intellectually stimulate you, and give you the opportunity to give back to the world. But some of you are sitting on far too many; you can’t be effective on more than a handful of boards. And realistically, too many of those boards are white-dominated, and more specifically white-male-dominated. A 2017 report by Board Source indicated that 90 percent of chief executives and 84 percent of board members self-reported as white. In fact, 27 percent of nonprofit boards reported as all-white. Some question whether the current structure of nonprofit governance is serving anyone well. Here’s the thing: You can advance equity — right here, right now. Instead of putting out more statements about Black Lives Matter, why not take action? The amazing thing is that you don’t need others’ consent to do it! Just QUIT YOUR SEAT. Free up the space for Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) leaders to engage. What’s holding you back?

Alok Sharma is founder of Sharma Analytics and serves on the board of Nonprofit Enterprise at Work. Tammie Jones is an executive in residence with EarlyWorks LLC and a board member of Detroit Parent Network and Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance, organizations whose boards are majority African American and reflect the communities they serve. Myths you tell yourself: 1) I am a big contributor and/or fundraiser for this organization — it would hurt them financially if I stepped off the board. Fact: You can contribute and fundraise for an organization AND not sit on the board… There is no reason for you to stop donating to and championing this great cause just because you resign from the board. In fact, it’s critical that you continue to give in light of all of today’s financial uncertainty. 2) We might not have racial diversity, but we have diverse backgrounds and skill sets. And I’m filling a unique role (e.g., legal, finance/ accounting, HR, etc.). Fact: There are extraordinarily talented peo-

ple of color in your field, who could not only support in that space but also benefit personally from the exposure and connections that come with board service. And a lot of those talented folks are not being asked to sit on any boards — what a missed opportunity. 3) We just can’t move that fast on board diversity without potentially creating major disruption. Fact: “It’s all right once you’re in.” Much like entering a cold lake, things may feel very uncomfortable at first but they get better the further you go. And so long as you delay, you are only perpetuating the norms of white supremacy that deny BIPOC leaders access in

Write us: Crain’s welcomes responses from readers. Letters should be as brief as possible and may be edited for length or clarity. Send letters to Crain’s Detroit Business, 1155 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, or email crainsdetroit@crain.com. Please include your complete name, city from which you are writing and a phone number for fact-checking purposes. 8 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 31, 2020

the first place. Plus, the data clearly demonstrates the benefit of diversity in board membership to organizations and businesses (see the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s “The Business Case for Racial Equity”). Don’t tell your CEO or executive director to take diversity and inclusion seriously, and then refuse to take action yourself — action you know is desperately needed when you look around the table. If stepping down leaves you feeling unfulfilled, consider where you might offer your time, talents, treasures and connections to support BIPOC-led businesses and organizations. It’s like signing the “Billionaire’s Pledge” — you want to be among the first to do it, not the last. And don’t just resign from the board; push yourself to identify some of the awesome BIPOC talent to replace you — specifically individuals who haven’t been asked to serve on a board before. This act will pay dividends of a different kind, and you and the business or nonprofit you serve will be better off for it. And if you don’t have BIPOC names to replace you, don’t worry, we can help.

Sound off: Crain’s considers longer opinion pieces from guest writers on issues of interest to business readers. Email ideas to Managing Editor Michael Lee at malee@crain.com.

OTHER VOICES

Renaissance zones brought no renaissance in Michigan BY MICHAEL LAFAIVE AND MICHAEL HICKS

Each year, the state of Michigan’s economic development programs had to offer hand-selected companies almost $594,000 for Michael LaFaive each job these programs creatis the senior ed. That’s one director of fiscal finding in a new policy at the study from the Mackinac Center for Public Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Policy. To measure the impact of state economic development programs, we constructed a database of thousands of companies incentivized by the state of MichiMichael Hicks, gan. We then Ph.D., is an tracked their economist and employment reprofessor of cords over time. economics at Of nine incenBall State tive programs University. studied, only three produced a positive result, but it is a very costly one: more than a half a million dollars offered to produce one job. The other programs produced no impact. One such is the state’s so-called renaissance zones. They should be eliminated in favor of better and more broad-based policies. Renaissance zones are areas or enterprises the state designates for special tax relief. There are several major types of renaissance zones. One specific type of zone — no longer granted — is the tool-and-die recovery zone, which was born in the early 2000s and announced by Lansing politicians promising “to fight for every Michigan job.” Of the 447 firms we identified in state reports as having benefited from renaissance zones, 338 were part of the state’s tool-and-die program. Our study found no jobs impact from renaissance zones in Michigan, and other studies have questioned their efficacy, too. Such renaissance zones programs merit more scrutiny. In January 2016 two research units at Michigan State University — the Center for Economic Analysis and the Land Policy Institute — jointly published a report about the state’s renaissance zone program, with some emphasis on tooland-die recovery zones. The report was commissioned by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., a state agency that helps run the program. The overall findings were mixed, and researchers said, “We could not conclude that the Tool & Die Recovery Zone program enhanced employment growth for Michigan’s tool and die sectors, but neither could they confirm that no impact was present.” In 2010, the Anderson Economic Group examined a number of Michigan-specific incentive pro-

grams, including renaissance Evaluation of Renaissance Prozones, and compared their impact grams of Michigan,” found that emagainst a broad tax cut. AEG found ployment effects were not signifiat the time “that Michigan has GIVEN THE EXISTING EVIDENCE ON 12,806 fewer jobs and over RENAISSANCE ZONES IN MICHIGAN, IT $260 million less in earnings WOULD NOT BE UNREASONABLE TO END than it would THEM IN FAVOR OF BROAD-BASED have” without the renaissance POLICIES, SUCH AS PERSONAL INCOME zone law. TAX CUTS FOR ALL A December 2005 doctoral dissertation by West- cant for manufacturing and large ern Michigan University graduate firms. They were, however, positive student Yuanlei Zhu, titled “An for service firms and small firms,

sance zones, such as lowering costs of existing businesses. Sands noted that “as a tool for the redevelopment of geographic areas, the potential of the Renaissance Zones seems limited.” The data, he added, was insufficient to do a full assessment of the costs and benefits of Michigan zones. Given the existing evidence on renaissance zones in Michigan, it would not be unreasonable to end them in favor of broad-based policies, such as personal income tax cuts for all, instead of those with whom lawmakers and their lieutenants have found special favor.

with an increase of 9 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively. That seems like the extent of the good news, however, as Zhu also reported that the “[renaissance zone] program appears to cause the real wage to drop by 10.8 percent for manufacturing firms, by 11.7 percent for service firms and 6.5 percent for small firms. In addition, being in a renaissance zone did not increase the viability of a business. A 2003 analysis by Gary Sands, professor emeritus at Wayne State University, reported some positive effects from Michigan’s renais-

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END OF THE OPEN OFFICE?

As employees make their way back into the office, social distancing and wearing masks in open spaces will probably be the norm, as well as reminder signs, wipes and hand sanitizer (below).

Office spaces already evolving in response to COVID-19 When COVID-19 reached Michigan in early March, businesses were in shock — trying to imagine how they’d function with diminished revenue, a shattered supply chain and a workforce based at home. More than five months later, many still are trying to find their way back to the office. Shock has turned to strategizing on how to sanitize, configure and staff the workplace, when there’s no end to the virus in sight. A July survey of 100 Midwest business executives by JLL Research found that slightly more than one-quarter — 27 percent — of firms had at least half of their employees working from the office. That number was expected to increase to 60 percent by year’s end. “Our clients are at different stages in returning to the office,” said Megan Robinson, marketing team leader for NBS Commercial Interiors, a Troy-based Steelcase dealer that also provides cleaning services. “People want to get back to their spaces.”

10 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 31, 2020

NBS COMMERCIAL INTERIORS

BY DOUG HENZE

TECH CHECK Technology will play a big role in ‘distanced’ office of the future. PAGE 11

For many employers, getting the day-to-day work done — other than at production centers — is not the issue. Thanks to video conferencing sites such as Zoom, and delivery services, they’ve figured out how to do that. It’s become more about maintaining company culture, which relies on face-to-face, human interaction. Employees have been making it work remotely by tapping into “social capital,” said Don Ricker, senior associate with global architecture, planning and design firm Gensler. “We’ve known each other for a period of time,” said Ricker, director of strategy for the firm’s Detroit office. “We know things about people’s families. “(But) imagine you’re a new person. These people are going to struggle.” Adds Robinson, “Task work can be done at home, but the office can

be the place where we come together. The office, we believe, is not going to go away.” In addition to making it difficult to maintain company culture, inhome isolation brings employee morale issues. Workers may enjoy trading the commute and workwear for sweatpants and fuzzy slippers, but they also miss their office colleagues. “We have Zoom fatigue,” Robinson said. “People need to get out of their homes.” The flip side of that need is the fear of contracting a deadly virus from a co-worker. “Most people will probably choose to stay working from home” if employers can’t demonstrate the office is safe, Robinson said. So, how can employers allay employee fears about coming back? Communication is key, Robinson said. See OFFICE on Page 11

COURTESY OF GENSLER

OFFICE DESIGN

FOCUS | OFFICE DESIGN

Technology will play big role in ‘distanced’ office of the future BY DOUG HENZE

NBS Commercial Interiors in Troy has reminder signs, wipes, hand sanitizer and bagged chairs in meeting rooms as part of its plan for office safety during COVID-19. | NBS COMMERCIAL INTERIORS

OFFICE

From Page 10

One step may be the use of digital signage to let workers know their employer is mindful it’s operating in the COVID world. Signs can tell workers and office visitors that wearing masks and physical distancing is required. Staggered work shifts — varying the days workers come in to avoid crowded offices — is another way to reduce risk, said Robinson, whose employer has gone that route. Preventing the spread of the virus may mean your desk, again, is “your” desk. “We’re kind of moving back to those assigned workstations,” Robinson said. “Pre-COVID, it was all about shared workspace.” While a return to the office will mean workers coming back together, the presence of the virus will require that they’re also kept apart. “(Companies) need to think about reducing density,” Robinson said. Workstations can be turned 90 degrees, versus placed back to back or right next to each other, she said. The open office — encouraged in the past to enhance efficiency and productivity — may be another casualty, said Alhan Jaafar, director of interior design for Detroit-based Hamilton Anderson Associates. The firm provides architectural and interior design services. “Unfortunately, we’re going to probably have to retreat a little bit and look at more screens,” she said. “Maybe we do have enclosures, but they’re made of glass.” As with individual workspaces, common areas will need a redesign. Ricker envisions an office environment of “less desks and more of everything else.” “Eighty percent of the space will be focused on social collaboration,” he said. A conference room with a single, large table and a video screen for presentations may be transformed into a larger space that includes several smaller tables — huddle spaces for smaller groups. Additional technology, such as video screens and cameras, would connect workers who don’t return to the office. Large cafeterias, which workers packed elbow to elbow, will change. “The cafeteria spaces won’t go away,” Ricker said. “We’re going to see more of the spacing out of tables — similar to restaurants.” Coffee bars may disappear, at least for a while. “You may find companies saying

goodbye to the Bunn coffee maker and encouraging employees to go outside and get it at the local Starbucks … rather than leaving your fingerprints,” said Mark Farlow, principal of design for Hamilton Anderson. One thing employers need to think about in returning to the workspace is how to set the mood, Ricker said. “Plants and music are just some of the basics people are going to need to feel well when they’re in the space,” he said. “Folks that have invested in spaces that have direct access to outside, those are going to be really critical.” Fans, heating sources and wind buffers can be used to turn outdoor areas into three-season spaces, he said. And, of course, sanitation will be important for peace of mind. That starts with stations with wipes and hand sanitizer, plus deep cleaning by maintenance crews. “We need to think about materials that have antimicrobial properties or materials that can be bleached,” Robinson said, referring to work surfaces and upholstery. Office layout changes to bring workers back don’t have to be expensive, Robinson said. Companies can bag some chairs to keep workers apart and they can purchase cardboard partitions that are disposable. One pricey fix companies are talking about is upgrading HVAC systems to provide better air filtration in offices, Farlow said. Those systems represent about 35 percent to 40 percent of construction costs, he said. And those systems don’t have any guarantees of prevention. “We don’t even know if those work,” Farlow said. With a least a segment of the workforce expected to continue working from home post-COVID, employers now are evaluating space needs. “Why does somebody need to pay for all that square footage if they only have half the employees any given time?” Jaafar asked. Employers already are providing employees with desks and other furniture for their homes, she said. Ricker expects big changes. “You can imagine a 30 percent reduction in space,” he said. Companies will look to downsize once leases expire or repurpose space they own. The JLL survey tells a different story. It found that 73 percent of the companies surveyed expected to occupy the same amount of space when they return. Companies need to leave themselves flexibility, Robinson said. “Spaces are going to have to be a lot more flexible and adaptive,” she said “They cannot be fixed. We’re planning for the unknown.”

Employers will rely on a fair amount of technology to bring workers back to the office in the COVID-19 age, office design experts say. Some of it will be to connect to offsite co-workers and clients, while other components will be used to reduce coronavirus transmission. “There’s got to be a lot of touch-free features,” said Don Ricker, senior associate with global architecture, planning and design firm Gensler. After walking into meeting spaces with automatic doors, or with no doors at all, workers could access room amenities without touching light switches or presentation screen knobs. “We already have sensors, so the

lights will turn on,” Ricker said. “People will be able to turn (on the TV) from their phone. That technology already exists.” Once the meeting begins, some of the attendees will be missing — physically, that is. Even when offices begin to fill, immune-compromised workers or those who simply fear contracting the virus may continue to work from home using video conferencing. “We need to still be able to connect to the people who are working from home,” Ricker said. “We’re going to see more (conference room) screens. We’re going to have cameras.” For onsite workers, electronic room scheduling will become even more important, he said. Use of hands-free toilets and infrared thermometers will be other ways

technology will help repopulate offices, said Megan Robinson, marketing team leader for NBS Commercial Interiors, a Troy-based Steelcase dealer that also provides cleaning services. Employers also can use technology to gauge employee mental health with the added stress of COVID, she said. “We’re going to be a little more fragile and the organization will have to be mindful of that,” she said. That may include communicating company disinfecting and social distancing procedures to workers or taking surveys about employee morale. “Leaders may have to spend more time managing their people,” Robinson said. “Are we taking care of people’s emotional and mental health, as well as their physical well-being?”

AUGUST 31, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 11

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FOCUS | WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

Sarena Shivers, deputy executive director, Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators

THE QUEST TO MAKE AN IMPACT

Educator Sarena Shivers on her career path, challenges and navigating COVID-19 BY RACHELLE DAMICO

When Sarena Shivers attended a career exploration symposium in Michigan as a high school student in 1987, she told the symposium speaker that she wanted to be a teacher. Instead of being praised for her decision, the speaker told her she was too smart to be an educator and she should consider another career option. “I was taken back by that comment,” Shivers said. “Why wouldn’t you want people who are the best prepared to be in the classroom?” Today, Shivers is the deputy executive director for the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators, a Lansing-based advocacy organization. The organization provides assistance that includes government relation services, professional development opportunities and personal and legal services to its members. More than 700 public school superintendents and central office administrators in 584 school districts and 56 intermediate school districts receive support from MASA.

“I’VE NEVER REALLY FOCUSED ON THE CHALLENGES. I’VE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON THE IMPACT. HOWEVER, GREATER IMPACT DOESN’T COME WITHOUT GREATER CHALLENGES. THE MORE IMPACT I HAVE, THE MORE CHALLENGES AND DECISIONS I KNEW WOULD REST UPON ME. “ — Sarena Shivers, deputy executive director, Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators

Shivers was named deputy executive director in July. In her role, Shivers provides support to the MASA executive director and provides leadership for MASA’s professional development programming. Shivers has almost three decades of experience in education. Before joining MASA, she was the superintendent of Redford Union School District, where she improved high school graduation rates by 12 percent and created a school attendance campaign in the community that included public service announcements and working with parents, students and teachers to spread the message about the importance of kids being at school every day. In 2017, Shivers created an early college program, the Redford Union Early College and Careers Program, in partnership with Wayne County Community College and Schoolcraft College. The program allows high school students to earn an associate’s degree or equivalent while attending high school. The first class of the pro-

gram will finish in 2021 with about 30 students achieving the goal. Currently, Shivers is helping MASA’s members navigate COVID-19. Those members lead and manage the school districts tasked with educating more than 1.5 million of Michigan’s students. ` Did you know what you wanted to do when you were growing up? I come from a long family history of educators. I knew at a young age that I was going to be in the classroom one day. I specifically remember being at a symposium in Michigan when I was in high school that was related to career exploration. The speaker was talking about being an educator and somehow I got to the microphone and made a statement about wanting to be a teacher. The response from the speaker was “You are so articulate and smart. You could do so many different things. Why wouldn’t you want to do something else?” See IMPACT on Page 14

AUGUST 31, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 13

OBITUARY

Longtime chairman, CEO of NSF International McClelland dies Drawn to science early in life, she spent her career working for cleaner drinking water BY SHERRI WELCH

Nina Irene McClelland, the longtime former chairman and CEO of Ann Arbor-based NSF International, died Aug. 16 just five days shy of her 91st birthday. The Ohio native spent her career working for cleaner drinking water around the world. McClelland, named among the most influential women in 1997 by Crain’s Detroit Business, was drawn to science early in life. At the age of just 7 years old, she could be found sitting in her Aunt Fern’s calculus class at the University of Toledo. After earning a B.S. in chemistry/ biology from the University of Tole-

IMPACT

From Page 13

I remember thinking there was this perception that the best and the brightest needed to do something other than become teachers. I felt that was counter to what kids needed in the classroom. I certainly didn’t see myself being limited as a teenager. I saw myself wanting to be the most impactful that I could possibly be even back then. `You started teaching at Baltimore Public Schools and eventually worked your way up to superintendent at Redford Union School District. What’s the transition like going from being a teacher in the classroom to being an authority figure? What drove me to the superintendency and leadership in general was wanting to have a greater impact. I’ve never really focused on the challenges. I’ve always focused on the impact. However, greater impact doesn’t come without greater challenges. The more impact I have, the more challenges and decisions I knew would rest upon me. I’ve been fortunate that each position has prepared me for the next, even some nontraditional positions I have taken along the way. For instance, I was the (interim) director of transportation for about nine months for the Washtenaw School District. The operation side of education isn’t something I had a lot of experience in, but in many ways it prepared me even more for the superintendency because I understood more holistically how all the pieces have to fit together in order for the whole (system to work). `What did you learn from that experience? I became that director temporarily because there needed to be a change in leadership and I happened to be the right person, at the right time, with the right experience to fill that void. The issue (with the previous director) was the way various personnel was treated. Being in that role taught me that the people are what can change the system. When people don’t feel valued or cared about they can impact a system negatively. Whether it’s food service, transportation, custodians or whoever they are... if people aren’t truly invested in and know that they are cared about, they will not bring their best selves to work with them every day. The purpose of those different roles and responsibilities is to provide the very best school experience to students as possible, from the moment they get to the bus door in the morning to the moment they get off the bus at the

do, she planned to transfer to Purdue University for medical school but took a job in Toledo, instead, to help her newly widowed g r a n d m o t h e r. Through a job in a McClelland local laboratory, she got hooked on chemistry. Her role as a graduate student was part of the effort to change the chemical structure of surfactants in household detergents to make them more biodegradable. McClelland went on to earn an M.S. in interdisciplinary studies

from the University of Toledo, a master of public health, environmental health and Ph.D. in environmental chemistry from the University of Michigan. Her career at NSF, a global nonprofit that helps develop standards for food and water safety and test against them, spanned 27 years, 15 of them as chairman and CEO. She became chairwoman emeritus at NSF in 1995 and served as a consultant to the United Nations as a water expert. She was a member of the board of American National Standards Institute and called upon as a water expert on two U.S. Department of Commerce trade missions to Russia.

The Shivers file Education: Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md. Master’s degree in Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. Career Ladder: Shivers began her career in education as a teacher at Baltimore Public Schools in Baltimore, Md., from 1992-1993. She left her position in 1993 to teach overseas for the Department of Defense. Upon returning to the United States in 1994, Shivers was a teacher, assistant principal and principal in metropolitan areas outside of Indianapolis from 1994-2004. In 2004, Shivers came to the Ann Arbor area and led Honey Creek Community Schools for Washtenaw Intermediate School District from 2004-2006. In 2006, she co-led the opening of one of the first early college programs on a four-year campus, the Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. In 2007, Shivers became the director of curriculum and instruction for Southfield Public Schools. She returned to Washtenaw Intermediate School District in 2010 as the assistant superintendent of achievement, where she remained until 2015. She left that year to become the superintendent of Redford Union School District, where she remained until 2020. She left her role this July to join the Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators as deputy executive director. Fun Fact: Shivers practices Detroit ballroom dancing for exercise and socialization.

McClelland also served on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Drinking Water Advisory Council for three terms and as chairwoman of the board of directors at the American Chemical Society. During her career, McClelland was a principal and consultant with the International Clean Water Program, a humanitarian program dedicated to providing health care, safe drinking water, good education, disease control and other essential needs to developing countries. She also served on the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Water Treatment Chemicals and addressed the United Nations on the issue of clean drinking water. Her

leadership as chairman of the board at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Ann Arbor was recognized last fall by naming their board room the Nina I. McClelland, Ph.D. Board Room. McClelland was interred at Toledo Memorial Park. Services took place earlier this month at Ansberg-West Funeral Home in Toledo. Memorial contributions can be made to the Dr. Nina McClelland Laboratory for Water Chemistry and Environmental Analysis (fund #1302517) at the University of Toledo Foundation, 4510 Dorr St., Toledo, Ohio 43615-4040.

“I’VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO TEACH AND BE AN ADMINISTRATOR IN SOME OF THE MOST AFFLUENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTRY, BUT ALSO IN SOME OF THE MOST ADVERSELY POOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTRY. ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND CHALLENGES WAS THE INTERNAL ANGST THAT I FELT SEEING THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE TWO. “

e-learning. What’s your opinion?

Current Role: Deputy executive director at Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators

— Sarena Shivers, Deputy executive director at Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators

end of day. If you don’t take care of the (people), it comes out on the students. You have to build relationships with people. You have to let them know how important they are. You have to be able to solve problems. You have to be accessible. Those are all of the things that I believe no matter what role or responsibility I’m in. That’s paramount.

where you are. The first and foremost thing we have to focus on — and it becomes an issue of equity and funding — is how we medically protect our students, teachers and families. That has to be dealt with first before we can then move on to the equity issue that is created by the disparities in education.

`What were some early challenges in your career and how have you overcome them? I’ve been fortunate to teach and be an administrator in some of the most affluent school districts in the country, but also in some of the most adversely poor school districts in the country. One of the most profound challenges was the internal angst that I felt seeing the disparity between the two. There’s an opportunity gap for students in the least-affluent school districts often defined by just a ZIP code. I’ve taken what I’ve learned from the more affluent school districts and made some of those things happen for kids in some of the least affluent areas. For example, the early college program started in Redford. That was a game-changer in the lives of students. About 30 students will graduate for the first time with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree or equivalent. Opportunities like that should be provided for all students, no matter who they are and where they live. Another challenge for me is being a minority and a woman in leadership roles. Oftentimes it puts me in positions where I am the first. I have no issue being the first, but being the first comes with a lot of

14 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 31, 2020

perceived challenges. The real challenge is people’s perception of you before you even open your mouth, walk in the room, or get to know you. The way I have dealt with that is by being authentic to who I am. I realize the opportunities that I have are gifts that have been given to me. I treat them as such. I don’t take anything for granted. I believe I’m destined to do the work that I have been called to do. I’m determined to walk in that light and not allow for people’s issues to interfere with the work I have been given to do. `If you could change things around the issue of affluent children having different educational opportunities than less affluent children, what would that be? It comes down to more of a funding issue and the policies around how schools are funded more than anything else. The pandemic has exacerbated challenges around school funding even greater. If there’s any sort of opportunity that has come out of it, it has been for people to truly see (the issues) around school funding. So, how do we protect students, teachers and families in the midst of a pandemic that is a medical emergency and not a teaching and learning emergency? It comes down to addressing this issue of equity. I think our communities, constituents and lawmakers are going to have to grapple with this issue around equity if we want to see differences occur in public education, or just the education experiences of students as a whole. The issues of educational opportunities for kids, racism and classism ... those issues have always existed in education, no matter

`Why did you decide to leave your superintendent role and take your current position? Sometimes you just know when it’s time for a change. I’m fortunate to be in a position where I now get to work with all of the superintendents across the state. I look forward to not only providing the professional learning they may need and desire, but I also will be able to support, mentor and help usher in novice superintendents as they navigate the opportunities, challenges and needs that come along with their new responsibilities. Having that greater impact is something that became a no brainer for me when this opportunity was available. I’m still learning, but I will say there’s never a time as crucial as this to meet leaders where they are and provide a lot of support for them. I’m finding a lot of my days are being spent as a resource more than anything else. Leaders are in the midst of trying to navigate COVID-19 and re-entry, returnto-learn plans and the legislation behind it. They want thought partners as they navigate through this process. `With COVID-19, parents are worrying about whether or not they want to send their kids back to school or do

Contact: swelch@crain.com; (313) 446-1694; @SherriWelch

It’s a personal decision each family is going to have to make that takes into consideration the health of the child, the health of other members of the family or whomever they may live with, and the impact that going to school or not going to school will have on that family. It’s a tough decision for school leaders and school boards to make: deciding whether or not to be fully remote, fully open or a hybrid. I think we have to provide our families with as many options as possible because what may be the best decision for one family may be completely different for another family. If I was in a position to make the decision based on everything I know right now, I’d probably decide to go fully remote. I understand there’s going to be economic hardship and other challenges based on that decision, but I read a statement recently that said, “if one life is lost by the decision to return to school, then it’s one life too many.” I feel that way fully. I would just have a hard time making a decision knowing returning a child back to school would not be in the best interest of the family or the child and then subsequently other families and other children. This virus is too contagious and there are too many obstacles in the way of being able to provide teaching and learning in the most safe way. That’s my answer today, but that decision may shift in a completely different direction three weeks from now. That’s what makes this so tough. `What is the number one worry you’re hearing from educators right now? What tactics is MASA using to help educators amid COVID-19? I think the number one issue is simply: What is the right thing to do right now? Superintendents across the state all have such varying demographics and needs in their community. They are faced with different degrees of the spread of the virus. What may be going on in one part of the state could be different than what’s going on in another. We want to get this right and it’s hard to know what the answer is. That’s probably the one thing that keeps educators up at night: What is the right answer and are we fully prepared for what the fall may bring, regardless of what mode of instruction we are in? MASA is trying to provide as much of a roadmap as we can to leaders and be responsive to what they need, through resources such as webinars or question and answer (sessions) that may help answer questions that may be dispelled a little bit further. For instance, there may be language in the legislation they may need more clarity around. The key is being a resource and recognizing these leaders need us to press in and be available.

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

To place your listing, visit www.crainsdetroit.com/ people-on-the-move or, for more information, contact Debora Stein at 917.226.5470 / dstein@crain.com ADVERTISING / MARKETING

ARCHITECTURE / ENGINEERING

TGI Direct

Klein and Hoffman, Inc.

Carmel Hill Acquisitions, Inc is pleased to announce the acquisition of TGI Direct, Inc., a Michigan-based communications and distribution company servicing enterprise clients in highly regulated industries. Monica Weaver, Managing Director of Carmel Hill Acquisitions, Inc., will serve as TGI’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “TGI Direct has a rich history of managing complex processes and data. Along with our highly experienced and dedicated associates, we have a great foundation from which to accelerate growth by strengthening our partnerships and expanding our client base across the US.”, said Monica. TGI Direct is now a woman-and minority-owned company.

Terry McDonnell, PE SE PEng joins Klein and Hoffman as an Associate Principal. With 20+ years of structural engineering expertise, he delivers cutting-edge solutions for commercial office, education, hospitality, health care, sports and entertainment, and transportation. He is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan as well as multiple other States and Canadian Provinces. He is a recognized expert for glass design and breakage analysis.

ARCHITECTURE

Gibbs Planning Group Andrew Littman, JD, has been named Vice President at Gibbs Planning Group. Littman joined GPG in 2017 as Director where he oversaw its real estate advisory services and market research for cities and new town centers. At GPG, Littman has directed research for the Arkansas College of Health, Bethlehem, Central Michigan University, Easton, Farmington, Grosse Pointe, Hilton Head, Kalamazoo, Las Cruces, Missoula, Naples, Omaha, Palm Desert, Savannah, Troy, Upper Arlington, Warren, Wayne State and Westland. Littman is a graduate of Skidmore College and the College of Law at The Ohio State University.

WHAT’S YOUR COMPANY’S NEXT MOVE? Create your own headlines with Companies on the Move

16 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 31, 2020

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Miller Johnson law firm acquires Detroit-based Lusk Albertson Grand Rapids-based law firm Miller Johnson is acquiring the Detroit-based law firm Lusk Albertson, expanding its Detroit presence by adding a firm that specializes in legal services for school districts. The deal was expected to close Monday, the firms said in a news release last week. Financial terms were not disclosed. Founded in 2010 by partners Bill Albertson and Bob Lusk, Lusk Albertson has six attorneys. The combined firms will have 105 attorneys practicing out of offices in Grand Rapids, Detroit and Kalamazoo. Miller Johnson is a full-service law firm founded in 1959. It did not previously have an office in Detroit but said about 15 percent of its attorneys regularly practice in Detroit or serve Detroit-based clients.

Western Governors University Western Governors University (WGU) has announced Dennis Beste as the online university’s new Strategic Partnerships Manager in Detroit. Beste brings more than 15 years of education experience to his new role, where his primary focus is to sustain and develop relationships with local companies, organizations and municipalities to provide workforce development through continuing education to their employees and members throughout the state.

HEALTHCARE

BlueWillow Biologics BlueWillow Biologics, a clinical-stage, privately-held biopharmaceutical company, announces the appointment of Donald Cumming as VP of Marketing and Sales. Cumming is a marketing professional with over 15 years of multi-industry experience, most recently as Global Marketing Director at Ranir LLC. He will be responsible for marketing and sales operations for BlueWillow’s over-the-counter brands, including the launch of NanoBio® Protect, the only alcohol-free, long-lasting nasal antiseptic.

found that rare combination with Miller Johnson and we look forward to continuing our commitment to education in Michigan as part of their team.” “Miller Johnson has been radiating out of West Michigan for 60 years. Bob Wolford’s position as external managing member was established in part to strengthen our focus on acquisitions such as this that fit within our strategic plan and fuel growth through key client relationships in markets where we have been active for decades,” Craig Lubben, Miller Johnson internal managing member, said in the release. Albertson and Lusk will remain with the firm in the same roles they fill now, which include high-level strategic counsel with select clients and “supporting the vision and direction of the combined firm moving forward,” a spokeswoman said in an email.

PEOPLE

KPMG names new Michigan leader BY NICK MANES

EDUCATION

The firm said it expects to add more staffing and service lines in the Detroit office in business, employment and litigation counsel practice areas. Lusk Albertson ManagSutton ing Partner Kevin Sutton will lead the Detroit office as office managing member. “After a decade of successfully representing education clients all over Michigan, we are thrilled to partner with Miller Johnson to provide our clients with even greater support going forward,” Sutton said in a news release. “In making this move, we wanted to find a group that not only had incredible legal talent, but even better people. We’ve

The Michigan operations of KPMG LLP will have a new leader beginning Oct. 1. The tax, audit and advisory firm announced in a news release Wednesday that company veteran Kevin Voigt, 52, will take over as managing partner for the Detroit and Grand Rapids offices. Voigt will replace Betsy Meter, who has served as managing partner in the state since February 2018. Meter, 60, is retiring from the company Dec. 31. In his new position, Voigt will oversee more than 400 KPMG employees and guide the overall strategic direction and growth of the offices, accord-

ing to the release. Voigt, who joined KPMG in 1995 and became a partner in 2008, is also the national service line leader for KPMG’s tax economic and valuation services Voigt practice. “I am excited to lead a talented and dedicated group of professionals who have the skills and expertise to help clients solve a broad range of challenges such as business and digital transformations, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, operational improve-

ments and numerous other issues,” Voigt said in the release. Voigt, a Birmingham resident, is based out of KPMG’s downtown Detroit office. He is a CPA and is accredited in valuation from the American Institute of CPAs. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Michigan State University. Meter is a 38-year veteran of KPMG and serves as its U.S. accounting change leader. She has been active on several boards around Southeast Michigan, including the Detroit Economic Club, Detroit Regional Chamber, Automotive Hall of Fame, Downtown Detroit Partnership and Oakland Family Services.

with a contract to produce dispenser pumps for its new hand sanitizers. Websites: trimascorp.com, ineos.com

ing consultant. Websites: researchamericainc.com, nmisolutions.com

DEALS&DETAILS  NEW CONTRACTS  Near Perfect Media, Bloomfield Hills, a public relations firm, has been named the agency of record for Atlas Wholesale Food Co., Detroit, a food wholesaler; Plymouth Technology, Rochester Hills, a chemical manufacturer; and United Way of Greater Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, a social services organization. Websites: nearperfectmedia.com, atlaswholesalefood.com, ptiwater.com, unitedwaytoledo.org  Altair, Troy, a technology company, has a multiyear technical partnership agreement with Ducati Corse, the racing division of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer. Ducati will expand its use of Altair’s computer-aided engineering software for product development. Websites: altair.com, ducati.com/ww/en/racing/ ducati-corse  Bloomfield Hills-based product manufacturer TriMas Corp.’s Rieke LLC, developer and manufacturer of closures and dispensing systems, Auburn, Ind., has partnered with Ineos Hygienics, a consumer health care business, London, United Kingdom, to help provide products to minimize the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Ineos recently awarded Rieke

 MOVES

 Perceptron Inc., Plymouth, provider of 3D automated in-line measurement solutions and coordinate measuring machines, has been selected by a tier one automotive supplier to measure the battery frame, compartment and lid for an upcoming new electric vehicle launch. Website: perceptron.com

 Fire Systems of Michigan LLC, a fire protection service, is moving this month from 26109 Grand River Ave, Redford Township, to a 10,000-squarefoot new construction office-warehouse site at 25550 Seeley Road, Suite 200, Novi. Phone: (248) 397-6550 Website: FireSystemsofMichigan.com

 MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

 NEW SERVICES

 CMS Energy, Jackson, an energy company, purchased a 51 percent stake in Aviator Wind, a 525-megawatt wind energy project in Texas that will support efforts by Facebook and McDonald’s to achieve their clean energy goals. The project will start operations by fall 2020 in Coke County, about 250 miles southwest of Dallas. Aviator Wind will be operated by CMS Enterprises, a subsidiary of CMS Energy that develops, owns and operates utility-scale renewable energy facilities, including wind and solar. Website: cmsenergy.com

 Nexsys Technologies, Detroit, provider of tech solutions for mortgage origination and closing, has partnered with insurance company Lemonade, New York, N.Y., an insurance company, to simplify the homeowners insurance verification process, using Clear HOI, to digitize communication between mortgage lenders and homeowners insurance companies. Websites: nexsystech.com, lemonade.com

 Research America Inc., Clarkston, a market research company, acquired the Natural Marketing Institute, Montgomery County, Pa., a market-

 Zomedica Pharmaceuticals Corp., Ann Arbor, a veterinary health company, implemented remote installations of Truforma, a diagnostic device, for testing with its clinical College of Veterinary Medicine partners at Auburn, Mississippi State and Purdue Universities. Website: zomedica.com

HEALTH CARE

Physician who died of COVID-19 went out ‘his way,’ wife says CMO had worked at Garden City Hospital for more than 30 years

maxillofacial surgery program at Ascension Macomb Hospital. COVID-19 health care worker deaths are not tracked by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services or the Michigan State Medical Society, spokespeople told Crain’s. Nationally, at least 922 health care workers have likely died from COVID-19, according to reporting from Kaiser Health News and The Guardian. A report by the University of Pennsylvania medical school said more than half of the health care worker deaths due to COVID-19 have been physicians. There is no vaccine or therapy for people who contract COVID-19. However, doctors use a variety of treatment protocols for patients, including use of steroids such as remdesivir, suppleCRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS mental oxygen, vitamin and mineral supplements, and azithromycin. “When he first got sick, he took hydroxychloroquine, some steroids, vitamin C, Zithromax,” Lisa said. “I took the same medicine and I felt better immediately. But he had it four to five days before me. It was too late for him. He had such high fevers, 103.8 was his max. My max was 101. He was much worse.” On her thoughts about the pandemic, Lisa said she is amazed that some people call it a hoax and don’t take precautions like wearing a mask to minimize its spread and protect others. “It is so real. And it obviously can be deadly. Everyone does need to take it very seriously wear their masks, do hand sanitization and social distance. Do all that and take as many precautions as you can,” Lisa said. “It’s so hard to believe that COVID took him. He had a battle seven years ago, a health scare, and he beat pancreatic cancer. So, he was strong and beat that. And this pandemic takes him.”

BY JAY GREENE

August 31, 2020

Contact: jgreene@crain.com; (313) 446-0325; @jaybgreene

Dr. Harold “Rex” Ruettinger with wife Lisa at a recent New Year’s Eve party. | LISA RUETTINGER

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September 2, 2019 | crainsdetroit.com

Why not?

40 40

Dandridge Floyd, 37

UNDER

Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations and Labor Relations, Oakland Schools

hroughout Dandridge Floyd’s careers — whether as a social worker, attorney or assistant superintendent of Oakland Schools — making change has always been a center point. When United Way pitched a framework to Oakland Schools for a countywide breakfast program to address poor nutrition as a way to improve academic achievement, Floyd — who experienced food insecurity growing up — knew firsthand the powerful impact it could have. To secure the needed funds, Floyd led a team that earned support from all 28 local districts to finance the program — despite the fact that a majority of them would see no benefit. “The local districts were phenomenal,” Floyd said. “The biggest surprise was how quickly it happened. Education is a democratic system and democracy can be very slow, but this happened in six to seven months. That showed how committed people were to making sure the students of Oakland County have everything they need to be successful.” In a county where over 7,000 children suffer from hunger, and only two in five eligible students access a school breakfast, Floyd said a common misperception is that “Oakland County is rich.” “That makes this program all the more important, because if that is the bias or the thought process people have about Oakland County, then these kids would have never gotten help.” In a groundbreaking public/nonprofit partnership between the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, Oakland Schools and United Way, Oakland County is Better with Breakfast was born. “I’m impacting lives now,” Floyd said. “I know the effect food insecurity had on me and my peers growing up, and this was an opportunity to make a change that I wish an adult could have made for me.” — Laura Cassar

October 30, 2017 | crainsdetroit.com

UBS to open downtown Detroit office By Annalise Frank

October 30, 2017 | crainsdetroit.com

• UBS plans to open wealth management office in Detroit in mid-2018 • Office to include 6,000-squarefoot space30,nonprofits and civic October 2017 | crainsdetroit.com

UBS to open downtown Detroit office By Annalise Frank

groups • UBS plans to open wealthcan use free of charge • Bedrock-owned buildings office in Detroit “I’m impacting lives now. management I know undergoing renovations in mid-2018

UBS to open downtown Detroit office

6,000-squarethe effect food insecurity• Office had onto includeUBS plans to open an office in downfoot space nonprofits and civic Detroit in mid-2018, the company Annalise Frank growing groups meByand my peers up, andcan usetown free of charge announced Monday. • Bedrock-ownedUBS buildings Group AG’s U.S. and Canadian UBSan plans to open wealth this•was opportunity toundergoing make a renovations wealth management business, New Jermanagement office in Detroit sey-based Wealth Management change I wish an adult UBScould plans to open an office UBS in downin that mid-2018 Americas, to lease 13,000 square UBS will lease 13,000 feet from Bedrock LLC starting around mid-2018 in two buildings: the Grintown Detroit in mid-2018, theplans company • Office to include 6,000-squarefeet on the connected sixth floors of nell Building (center left) at 1515 Woodward Ave. and the Sanders Building (center right) at 1529 have made for me.” announced Monday. foot space nonprofits and civic buildings at 1515 Wood- Woodward Ave. Group AG’sneighboring U.S. and Canadian groups can use free UBS of charge ward Ave. and Fourteen metro Detroit employees don’t really have adequate resources wealth management business, New 1529 Jer- Woodward Ave. • Bedrock-owned buildings The twoManagement buildings built around 1900 are will move to the downtown office to or adequate office space to host dosey-based UBS Wealth undergoing renovations by Detroit-based will lease LLC 13,000 feet from Bedrock LLC starting around mid-2018 buildings: Grin- meetings or things nor events the or board start, but the office has the capacity toin two Americas, plans toowned lease 13,000 square UBSBedrock nell Building (center at 1515 Woodward andnew the Sanders Buildingalong (centerthose right) at 1529 Bush said. and are undergoing said left) lines,” hold another six toAve. eight staff memon inthe connected sixth floors of renovations, Reprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business. © 2019 Crain Communications Inc. All RightsUBS reserved. plans to open anfeet office downAve. for bers, Bush said. It will act as an extension John Bush, 60, WoodMichiganWoodward market head UBS’s investment in the new ofneighboring buildings at 1515 Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD1134 town Detroit in mid-2018, the company UBS Wealth ManagementFourteen Americas.metro of fice will resources be “significant,” he said, as its the other wealth management offices. don’t really have adequate Detroit employees announced Monday. ward Ave. and 1529 Woodward Ave. “The real impetus open atonew The twoCanadian buildings built around 1900 arefor us “uniqueness Bush is based Birmingham office space to hostcomes do- at a price.” He said willto move the downtown office out to ofortheadequate UBS Group AG’s U.S. and office inBedrock Detroit is to support what’s owned by Detroit-based LLC he could or not yet provide an estimate but travels to to the will meetings norothers eventsand or board things start, but the goofficeoffice, has the capacity wealth management business, New Jering renovations, on in the city, ” saidhold Bush, a Detroit and are undergoing said on the be spending in thealong Detroit branch. those lines,” Bush said.cost of the build-out, as some another six to eight new stafftime memsey-based UBS Wealth Management nativemarket who grew City. “We John Bush, 60, Michigan headup forin Garden have yet The location have a less UBS’s investment in the new of- to be finalized. said. will act asDetroit an extension fromBush Bedrock LLCItstarting around mid-2018 in twowill buildings: the Grin- contracts Americas, plans to lease 13,000 square UBS will lease 13,000 feetbers, UBS Wealth Management Americas. really felt like we wantedofto have a physfice will be “significant,” hecompany said, as its the other wealth management offices. The plans to start its buildtraditional, more “urban” feelright) than 1515 Woodward Ave. and the Sanders Building (center atthe 1529 feet on the connected sixth floors of nell Building (center left) at “The real impetus for us to open new ical presence to reinforce “uniqueness comes at saidnext year, depending Bush is based outothers, of the he Birmingham outa price.” processHe early said. New York-based architecAve. adowntown neighboring buildings office at 1515 Wood- toWoodward in Detroit is our support go-particular vision what’s for this areatravels and toture he will could not yet an estimate office, but the firm others and will Cale on when renovations on the buildings Verderame design the provide ward Ave. and 1529 ing Woodward don’t really have adequate resources Fourteen metro Detroit employees on in theAve. city,”tosaid Bush, a Detroit reinforce our on Barton the cost of the build-out, as some be spending time inspace; the Detroit branch. are complete. Southfield-based Malow The two buildings builtnative around 1900 areup in adequate office space to have host dowill moveCity. to tothe officelocation to or will who grew Garden “Wedowntown commitment contracts finalized. The Detroit have aon less based in Switzerland, employs Co. has signed as general contractor.yet to beUBS, owned by Detroit-based Bedrock nor events or board or things start, thea physoffice has the capacity really felt likeLLC we wanted tobut The company plans to startacross its buildtraditional, moreto“urban” than the outmeetings the city. ” have 60,000 54 countries. About 34 UBS feel plans to rent about half of the and are undergoing renovations, along those lines,” Bush said. early next year, depending hold six to eight new he staff memical presencesaid downtown toWealth reinforce others, said. New office York-based architecUBS another — 6,000 square out feetprocess — at no cost percent of them work in the AmeriJohn Bush, 60, Michiganour market head UBS’s investment the renovations new of- on the buildings bers, said. It will act an extension vision for for thisMparticular oninorganizations, when tureasfirm VerderametoCale will design theother a n aBush g e marea e n tand cas, according to a news release. UBS nonprofits and UBS Wealth Management will beMalow “significant,” he said, as its of the other also wealth management offices. ficeBarton to Americas. reinforce our Americas are be complete. space; Southfield-based Bush said. The space will called UBS Wealth Management Americas em“The real impetus for commitment us to open a new “uniqueness comes at a price.” He said is based thehas Birmingham to has Bush based signed on as Woodward general contractor. metro De- out ofCo. ploys 280employs in Michigan, 225 of whom Gallery. Its UBS, design and in artSwitzerland, office in Detroit is to support what’s go- office, but travels to theUBS heabout couldhalf not an estimate others and the city. ” 60,000 across 54 countries. 34 Detroit. plans towill rent will out of yet the provide troit offices in are basedAbout in metro aim to showcase Detroit’s history ing on in the city,” said Bush, on the cost the build-out, asthem somework in the Amerispending Detroit branch. UBS a Detroit Wealth B be percent office — 6,000 square at noofcost irm i n g h a time m , in the The wealth management business andfeet a— hub-and-spoke layout ofwill renative who grew up in Garden contracts have yet tocas, be finalized. M a n a gCity. e m“We e n t Troy, The Detroit locationtowill have a and less other according to a news release. UBS nonprofits organizations, Farmington recorded operating income of $2.13 flect the city’s road system. really felt like we wanted to have a physAmericas also Hills, The plans to startManagement its buildtraditional, more “urban” Wealth Americas em- quarter of 2017 — a Bushfeel said.than The the space will becompany called Plymouth in the third “Some of theUBS organizations that op- billion ical presence downtown reinforce has tometro De- others, he said. New York-based outdesign process early year,280 depending architecploys in Michigan, 225 of whom Woodward Gallery. Its and art next John Bush erate and Dearborn. and provide services in the city 7 percent increase over last year. our vision for this particular area and troit offices in ture firm Verderame Cale when renovations the buildings the onDetroit’s in metro Detroit. will will aimdesign to showcase history areonbased to reinforce our B i r m i n g h a m , space; Southfield-based complete. Malow arelayout The wealth management business andBarton a hub-and-spoke will reReprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business. © 2019 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. commitment to Troy, Farmington Co. has signed on as general UBS, basedis prohibited. in Switzerland, employs income recorded operating contractor. flectFurther the city’s road without system. duplication permission Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD936of $2.13 Hills, Plymouth the city.” billion in About the third “Somehalf of the organizations that op60,000 across 54 countries. 34quarter of 2017 — a UBS plans to rent out about of the John Bush and Dearborn. UBS Wealth 7 percent and provide city work percentinofthe them in theincrease Ameri-over last year. office — 6,000 squareerate feet — at no cost services Management to nonprofits and other organizations, cas, according to a news release. UBS Reprinted with permission from Crain’s Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. Americas also Wealth Management Americas emBush said. The space will be Detroit calledBusiness. UBS © 2019 Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD936 has metro DeWoodward Gallery. Its design and art ploys 280 in Michigan, 225 of whom troit offices in will aim to showcase Detroit’s history are based in metro Detroit. Birmingham, The wealth management business and a hub-and-spoke layout will reCRAINSDETROIT.COM I MARCH 9, 2020 I Troy, Farmington recorded operating income of $2.13 flect the city’s road system. Hills, Plymouth THE CONVERSATION “Some of the organizations that op- billion in the third quarter of 2017 — a John Bush erate and provide services in the city 7 percent increase over last year. and Dearborn.

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Albert Berriz talks workforce housing, Ann Arbor and Cuba

Reprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business. © 2019 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. | BY KIRK PINHO Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD936

MCKINLEY INC.: Ann Arbor-based real estate company McKinley Inc. saw the writing on the wall for its retail portfolio a few years ago and cut bait, turning its focus primarily to its large crop of tens of thousands of workforce housing units across the country. One of the people at the helm of that decision was Albert Berriz, CEO and managing member, who came to America as a young boy fleeing Cuba and now steers a large company with a portfolio valued at more than $4 billion.

AUGUST 31, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 17 trajectory was to where you are today in terms of the head of McKinley. I left (Cuba) compliments of Fidel Castro in early 1959 because of the Cuban Revolution. We had to flee. It was survival to leave the country at the time and my parents relocated to Miami. We were fortunate for that. We’re fortunate to have left alive, fortunate to have resettled in what is without question the greatest country on the planet. I was not born here. I was born in Havana and I emigrated as a Cuban refugee just before I was 4 years old with my parents.

`What consumes your day outside of the office? My wife and I walk. We like to boat, so those are the two things. In our summers we live at Saugatuck, and it’s a great place to live. We’d live there year-round, but it’s a little too cold in the winter.

`Can you give thumbnail sketch of coming here and what your

September 2, 2019 | crainsdetroit.com

Albert Berriz, CEO and managing member, McKinley Inc.

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October 30, 2017 | crainsdetroit.com

UBS to open downtown Detroit office By Annalise Frank

October 30, 2017 | crainsdetroit.com

• UBS plans to open wealth management office in Detroit in mid-2018 • Office to include 6,000-squarefoot space30,nonprofits and civic October 2017 | crainsdetroit.com

UBS to open downtown Detroit office By Annalise Frank

groups • UBS plans to open wealthcan use free of charge • Bedrock-owned buildings

office in Detroit “I’m impacting lives now. management I know undergoing renovations in mid-2018 6,000-squarethe effect food insecurity• Office had onto includeUBS plans to open an office in downfoot space nonprofits and civic Detroit in mid-2018, the company Annalise Frank growing groups meByand my peers up, andcan usetown free of charge announced Monday. • Bedrock-ownedUBS buildings Group AG’s U.S. and Canadian UBSan plans to open wealth this•was opportunity toundergoing make a renovations wealth management business, New Jermanagement office in Detroit sey-based Wealth Management change I wish an adult UBScould plans to open an office UBS in downin that mid-2018 Americas, to lease 13,000 square town Detroit in mid-2018, theplans company • Office to include 6,000-squarefeet on the connected sixth floors of have made for me.” announced Monday. foot space nonprofits and civic

UBS to open downtown Detroit office Bedrock LLC

a way that we never expect to sell them. We expect to invest in them so they last for long term, and we just couldn’t see that on retail. We saw a significant degradation of our rent rolls. We had buildings that were, let’s say, 70 percent to 80 percent investment-grade credit tenant composition and then we saw that we saw that quickly degrade. We just didn’t see a place where we could really have an asset class retail that would last for the long run. And then office in many ways, the same way. The way people are shopping and the way people are occupying offices today, the risk profile is very different than it was, let’s say, when we were making those investments 20 and 30 years ago, so for us, it was the right move. It’s paid off because, had we held many of the assets today, they would be significantly compromised. I think they would be worth a lot less. We started those sales about six years ago, and we sold a lot of that early on, so we sold them still at a time they were being valued significantly more than they would be worth today, in our opinion. And we sold some big buildings. I mean, these weren’t small buildings. We sold a 1 millionsquare-foot shopping center, for example, in Norfolk, Va., which is one of the largest power centers in the state of Virginia. So these weren’t small assets. So they were important for us to move them out at the right time, and for people that thought that was there was a good upside for them, so we actually sold them at good prices, and certainly we couldn’t have sold them at those prices today.

UBS will lease 13,000 feet from Bedrock LLC starting around mid-2018 in two buildings: the Grinnell Building (center left) at 1515 Woodward Ave. and the Sanders Building (center right) at 1529

buildings at 1515 Wood- Woodward Ave. Group AG’sneighboring U.S. and Canadian groups can use free UBS of charge ward Ave. and Fourteen metro Detroit employees don’t really have adequate resources wealth management business, New 1529 Jer- Woodward Ave. • Bedrock-owned buildings The twoManagement buildings built around 1900 are will move to the downtown office to or adequate office space to host dosey-based UBS Wealth undergoing renovations by Detroit-based will lease LLC 13,000 feet from Bedrock LLC starting around mid-2018 buildings: Grin- meetings or things nor events the or board start, but the office has the capacity toin two Americas, plans toowned lease 13,000 square UBSBedrock nell Building (center at 1515 Woodward andnew the Sanders Buildingalong (centerthose right) at 1529 Bush said. and are undergoing said left) lines,” hold another six toAve. eight staff memon inthe connected sixth floors of renovations, Reprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business. © 2019 Crain Communications Inc. All RightsUBS reserved. plans to open anfeet office downAve. for bers, Bush said. It will act as an extension John Bush, 60, WoodMichiganWoodward market head UBS’s investment in the new ofneighboring buildings at 1515 Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD1134 town Detroit in mid-2018, the company UBS Wealth ManagementFourteen Americas.metro of fice will resources be “significant,” he said, as its the other wealth management offices. don’t really have adequate Detroit employees announced Monday. ward Ave. and 1529 Woodward Ave. “The real impetus open atonew The twoCanadian buildings built around 1900 arefor us “uniqueness Bush is based theadequate Birmingham office space to hostcomes do- at a price.” He said willto move the downtown office out to ofor UBS Group AG’s U.S. and office inBedrock Detroit is to support what’s owned by Detroit-based LLC he could or not yet provide an estimate but travels to to the will meetings norothers eventsand or board things start, but the goofficeoffice, has the capacity wealth management business, New Jering renovations, on in the city, ” saidhold Bush, a Detroit and are undergoing said on the be spending in thealong Detroit branch. those lines,” Bush said.cost of the build-out, as some another six to eight new stafftime memsey-based UBS Wealth Management nativemarket who grew City. “We John Bush, 60, Michigan headup forin Garden have yet The location have atheless UBS’s investment in the new of- to be finalized. said. will act asDetroit an extension fromBush Bedrock LLCItstarting around mid-2018 in twowill buildings: Grin- contracts Americas, plans to lease 13,000 square UBS will lease 13,000 feetbers, UBS Wealth Management Americas. really felt like we wantedofto have a physfice will be “significant,” hecompany said, as its the other wealth management offices. The plans to start its buildtraditional, more “urban” feelright) than 1515 Woodward Ave. and the Sanders Building (center atthe 1529 feet on the connected sixth floors of nell Building (center left) at “The real impetus for us to open adowntown new ical presence to reinforce “uniqueness comes at saidnext year, depending Bush is based outothers, of the he Birmingham outa price.” processHe early said. New York-based architecneighboring buildings at 1515 Wood- Woodward Ave. office in Detroit is our to support go-particular vision what’s for this areatravels and toture he will could not yet an estimate office, but the firm others and will Cale on when renovations on the buildings Verderame design the provide ward Ave. and 1529 ing Woodward don’t really have adequate resources Fourteen metro Detroit employees on in theAve. city,”tosaid Bush, a Detroit reinforce our on Barton the cost of the build-out, as some be spending time inspace; the Detroit branch. are complete. Southfield-based Malow The two buildings builtnative around 1900 areup in adequate office space to have host dowill moveCity. to tothe officelocation to or will who grew Garden “Wedowntown commitment contracts finalized. The Detroit have aon less based in Switzerland, employs Co. has signed as general contractor.yet to beUBS, owned by Detroit-based Bedrock nor events or board or things start, thea physoffice has the capacity really felt likeLLC we wanted tobut The company plans to startacross its buildtraditional, moreto“urban” than the outmeetings the city. ” have 60,000 54 countries. About 34 UBS feel plans to rent about half of the and are undergoing renovations, along those lines,” Bush said. early next year, depending hold six to eight new he staff memical presencesaid downtown toWealth reinforce others, said. New office York-based architecUBS another — 6,000 square out feetprocess — at no cost percent of them work in the AmeriJohn Bush, 60, Michiganour market head UBS’s investment the renovations new of- on the buildings bers, said. It will act an extension vision for for thisMparticular oninorganizations, when tureasfirm VerderametoCale will design theother a n aBush g e marea e n tand cas, according to a news release. UBS nonprofits and UBS Wealth Management will beMalow “significant,” he said, as its of the other also wealth management offices. ficeBarton to Americas. reinforce our Americas are be complete. space; Southfield-based Bush said. The space will called UBS Wealth Management Americas em“The real impetus for commitment us to open a new “uniqueness comes at a price.” He said is based thehas Birmingham to has Bush based signed on as Woodward general contractor. metro De- out ofCo. ploys 280employs in Michigan, 225 of whom Gallery. Its UBS, design and in artSwitzerland, office in Detroit is to support what’s go- office, but travels to theUBS heabout couldhalf not an estimate others and the city. ” 60,000 across 54 countries. 34 Detroit. plans towill rent will out of yet the provide troit offices in are basedAbout in metro aim to showcase Detroit’s history ing on in the city,” said Bush, on the cost the build-out, asthem somework in the Amerispending Detroit branch. UBS a Detroit Wealth B be percent office — 6,000 square at noofcost irm i n g h a time m , in the The wealth management business andfeet a— hub-and-spoke layout ofwill renative who grew up in Garden contracts have yet tocas, be finalized. M a n a gCity. e m“We e n t Troy, The Detroit locationtowill have a and less other according to a news release. UBS nonprofits organizations, Farmington recorded operating income of $2.13 flect the city’s road system. really felt like we wanted to have a physAmericas also Hills, The plans to startManagement its buildtraditional, more “urban” Wealth Americas em- quarter of 2017 — a Bushfeel said.than The the space will becompany called Plymouth in the third “Some of theUBS organizations that op- billion ical presence downtown reinforce has tometro De- others, he said. New York-based outdesign process early year,280 depending architecploys in Michigan, 225 of whom Woodward Gallery. Its and art next John Bush erate and Dearborn. and provide services in the city 7 percent increase over last year. our vision for this particular area and troit offices in ture firm Verderame Cale when renovations the buildings the onDetroit’s in metro Detroit. willwill aimdesign to showcase history areonbased to reinforce our B i r m i n g h a m , space; Southfield-based complete. Malow arelayout The wealth management business andBarton a hub-and-spoke will reReprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business. © 2019 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. commitment to Troy, Farmington Co. has signed on as general UBS, basedis prohibited. in Switzerland, employs income recorded operating contractor. flectFurther the city’s road without system. duplication permission Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD936of $2.13 Hills, Plymouth the city.” billion in About the third “Somehalf of the organizations that op60,000 across 54 countries. 34quarter of 2017 — a UBS plans to rent out about of the John Bush and Dearborn. UBS Wealth 7 percent and provide city work percentinofthe them in theincrease Ameri-over last year. office — 6,000 squareerate feet — at no cost services Management to nonprofits and other organizations, cas, according to a news release. UBS Reprinted with permission from Crain’s Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. Americas also Wealth Management Americas emBush said. The space will be Detroit calledBusiness. UBS © 2019 Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD936 has metro DeWoodward Gallery. Its design and art ploys 280 in Michigan, 225 of whom troit offices in will aim to showcase Detroit’s history are based in metro Detroit. Birmingham, The wealth management business and a hub-and-spoke layout will reCRAINSDETROIT.COM I MARCH 9, 2020 I Bedrock LLC

`I don’t think it’s overblown to use the word “crisis” for Ann Arbor’s affordable housing situation. Give us your perspective on how the city should go about addressing it. I think it’s a supply issue. The reality is that Ann Arbor has not really welcomed solutions from the private sector and has only sought solutions from the public housing side or the community nonprofit side. And both of those groups, while I think they’re very well intentioned, don’t have the capital and the expertise to resolve the problem at the scale it’s needed. To put it in perspective, you know, the Washtenaw County study that came out had a need of about 3,000 units. And if you look at the cost per unit today, and let’s say $250,000 or $300,000 per unit to build a brand new unit today, you know, it’s an $800 million to a $1 billion problem, so I don’t think that’s a problem that gets resolved on the public side or on the community nonprofit side. You know, they have to go to places to seek capital and there just isn’t enough capital, nor do they have enough resources or expertise to resolve the problems. So the city I think, by and large, has attempted to do this in those ways because they really haven’t welcomed the private side. And there is a lot of expertise and there’s a lot of capital that could do this, from the private side perspective. It just hasn’t been the way that Ann Arbor operates, so you see what has happened in Ann Arbor year over year, decade over decade is there’s a lot of conversations about affordable housing, but there’s no solutions. `You were talking a little bit earlier about how McKinley got out of retail and office. What led to that decision and how has that reflected or shaped your business strategy? It was a risk profile that we were just not comfortable with. We are a generational business and so we look at our assets in

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`Crain’s Detroit Business: Can you talk a little bit about how the McKinley portfolio began and where it’s at today? Berriz: McKinley started in 1968 in Ann Arbor, and it was founded by (former U.S.) Ambassador Ron Weiser. It started in the student housing business and eventually transitioned into more traditional multifamily housing, and in addition to that, office and retail, as well. Today, we’re primarily a workforce housing multifamily operator. We have essentially disposed of our retail and office assets in an effort to really focus on multifamily and also focus on an asset class that I think is more in line with our current goal, which is to have a generational multifamily real estate enterprise and a pool of assets that really are long term in nature.

` Explain workforce housing versus affordable housing. We’re not in luxury housing. Our residents are working. They’re going to wake up tomorrow morning and go to work. Our average rents are, for example, in Washtenaw County, about $1,100 to $1,200 or in Orange County, or Seminole County, Florida, $1,400 or $1,500. So these are affordable rents. And the difference between us and affordable housing is our buildings are not subsidized. They’re all market rate, and they’re all privately owned. The owners are not receiving any form of subsidy, nor are the residents. However, if you wanted to sort of assess residents and low-income housing tax credit deals compared to ours, they’re probably not too dissimilar, the median incomes. The McKinley residents in, let’s say, Washtenaw County, when you look at the numbers are probably not going to be too much different than what you would see in a traditional LIHTC deal. But again, our buildings, the primary differences, our buildings are market rate and they’re not subsidized any way.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JACOB LEWKOW FOR CRAIN’S

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George said. Ruettinger said she believes her husband was sufficiently protected at Garden City with personal protective equipment. “We had everything, N-95 masks, scrubs. ... I don’t think there was anything more we could have done,” she said. However, she said she wonders what might have happened if he had agreed to go to the hospital for treatment and for intubation to help his lungs. “I saw my husband go out his way. He was a very stoic man, very firm in his belief. He said he never wanted to be intubated. I respected that. But if intubated, maybe it would have made a difference,” Lisa said. Another thought she has is why he suddenly changed his mind about going to the hospital that last morning. “When he said he was ready, I believe he knew he was at the end of his life. He didn’t want to die in front of me,” she said. While it is not known how many health care workers have died in Michigan after treating patients and contracting COVID-19, at least three physicians, including Ruettinger, have died in metro Detroit, according to news reports. MedPage Today listed the coronavirus-linked deaths of two nurses, a phlebotomist and one family medicine doctor. The Michigan Academy of Family Physicians listed one doctor, Angelo Pastalis of Detroit. Wayne State confirmed the death of Chris Firlit, a 37-year-old senior resident in the oral

PHOTOGRAPH BY JACOB LEWKOW FOR CRAIN’S

her husband’s primary care practice to another doctor. “I (as a nurse) can’t own it. I found an absolutely wonderful doctor. He is very aware and conscientious of keeping my husband’s legacy intact, which was extremely important to me,” Lisa said. Internist Redwan Asbahi, M.D., who helped Lisa with the office after Rex passed away, took over the practice in early July, said Lisa, who continues to work there with two physician assistants. “(Rex) had the practice for 31 years with me and was very active in the local community. He loved his patients and they meant the world to us,” she said. Ruettinger was a 1976 graduate of Warren High School. “I was 15 and he was 18. My family joined his family’s church and we met on a church campout one summer,” Lisa said. The two decided to pursue medical fields in college. He attended Wayne State University and Oakland University. Lisa graduated first, from Macomb Community College, and began working as a nurse, helping Rex earn his medical degree in 1985 from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. In an email to staff, Garden City Hospital CEO Saju George expressed thanks and condolences to the Ruettinger family. “Dr. Ruettinger has been a part of our Garden City family for more than 30 years. His compassion and dedication has touched many of us, as well as countless patients and their families,”

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Lisa Ruettinger remembers a lot about her late husband, physician Harold “Rex” Ruettinger, chief medical officer at Garden City Hospital, who died of COVID-19 on May 26. “As a husband and father, he was the best. He was my soul mate for 45 years. He loved his children (Megan and Aaron) with a passion. He loved his wife,” she said. “We loved to travel. He would do anything and everything for all of us. He had great patience, and he was just a very generous, giving man.” The internist with a primary care practice in Dearborn Heights was born in Detroit, completed residency training at Garden City and practiced at the osteopathic hospital for more than 30 years. Ruettinger, 62, was treating more than 26 patients with COVID-19 at Garden City, where his wife believes he contracted the disease during the first week of April. “We both got COVID. Mine was mild. I was sick for three weeks, which was good because I could take care of him. He became very ill,” said Lisa, 59, a registered nurse, who cared for him 24/7 for eight weeks. “He didn’t want to go to the hospital. He had a prior request before he got COVID. He never wanted to be intubated and did not want to go into the hospital. I respected his request.” Although Rex had a slight improvement from weeks four to six, when he was able to go into the office three times with heavy protective equipment, the coronavirus hit Ruettinger’s lungs hard. He had trouble breathing and was often winded after a few steps. “We had home oxygen and the last five days he was on a noninvasive ventilator,” she said. “For five days he was getting progressively worse. I was begging him to go to the hospital. He said he wasn’t ready yet. “He was on the way to the hospital when he died,” she said, her voice trailing off. That last day, Lisa said, he finally asked for the ambulance. The plan was to go to Ascension Providence Hospital in Novi, but when the ambulance arrived, she said the emergency medical technicians thought it best to go to Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc, which was closer to the Ruettingers’ home in Fenton. “The morning he died, he told me to go take care of our dogs and come back down. Wash me up, change my clothes. I’m ready. Call the ambulance. I’m ready to go to the hospital,” Lisa said. “I was excited because I thought they were going to help him.” Ten minutes into the ambulance ride, Ruettinger died. She said the ambulance pulled over to the side of the road and he stopped breathing. “My whole life is turned upside down. I just finished having to move,” Lisa said, from the large family house in Fenton to a small condo in West Bloomfield. “The last three months has just been a whirlwind of changes in my life since he passed away.” Lisa said state law required she sell

COURSE

From Page 3

The South Course is hallowed ground for the PGA but had lost its luster to governing bodies and members in the past few years. It has hosted 17 professional golf championships, including six U.S. Opens, two U.S. Senior Opens, two U.S. amateurs and the 2004 Ryder Cup. Its most recent major was the PGA Championship in 2008, and it hosted the U.S. Amateur in 2016. “I’m hopeful that, once we’re finished, if any of the governing bodies come out to take a look, that they’ll be favorably impressed,” Hanse said. “Hopefully, we can find a way to get them back here.” Founded in 1916, the club’s South Course was designed by renowned architect Donald Ross before a revamp by Robert Trent Jones made it difficult enough to handle the next generation of players, including 1951 U.S. Open champion Ben Hogan. “It is significantly more Donald Ross than Robert Trent Jones,” Hanse said of the renovation. Nowadays, players like Bryson DeChambeau are bombing the ball 350plus yards, making the game a lot different than half a century or even a decade ago. During a news conference in July, DeChambeau offered a prescient apology to Donald Ross, who also designed the Detroit Golf Club, on his way to muscling out a victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Before dealing with the distance conundrum in modern pro golf, Hanse had to consider the members, who are financing the renovation and who hit the ball much shorter than the pros. Members pay a $75,000 one-time initiation fee and $900 per month for golf; food and beverage not included, a club spokesman confirmed to

Crain’s. Members are paying for the renovation project via a new assessment. Brady said conditions on the South Course have scared away potential members because it became more tough than fun. Drainage issues meant little roll, overgrown trees necessitated straight and narrow drives, and carry bunkers abounded on the course — all to the frustration of shorter hitters. “Now, if someone can get the ball out there 100 yards, they will be able to play the course on angles, whereas before it was kind of straight, kind of narrow, and there was always bun-

kers right in front of the greens.” Nearly 140 trees have been uprooted in the redesign and dozens of bunkers have been removed, leaving fairways more achievable and greens attackable. The views looking back at the iconic clubhouse have also been restored. It is a different course from the back tees, however. While bunkers have been removed, there will be twice as much sand now because the traps have been enlarged and placed on a variety of angles 320 or more yards off the tee, where pros take aim. A couple hundred yards have been added to the course, too, which will

play around 7,500 yards, Hanse said. “Technology has altered the way the highest level of golfers have played the golf course,” Hanse said. That means in today’s game, distance is no longer the best weapon for architects and grounds crews. It’s all about rough length and firmness of the turf. That’s where the pricey temperature control system on the greens, called PrecisionAire, comes into play. PrecisionAire works like an air conditioner/heater under each green that can be adjusted to control firmness of the turf. The system can make greens roll like glass even after rain-

SCHLISSEL

From Page 3

Last spring, when we went remote in March in the very early days of the pandemic, with tremendous unknowns and great increases in the numbers of cases, we emptied the dorms, but the students stayed in town. The second reason, particularly for our dorms, is not all of our students have good, safe places to go and to live. We have students that we’d be sending home to situations where they’d have very difficult times doing remote learning. Whether courses are remote or in person, many, many of our students live off campus, and they’re in Ann Arbor anyway. They have rental leases that are often signed eight to 10 months in advance, long before the pandemic. Most young people would rather live with their friends in Ann Arbor than with mom and dad studying in the basement. The students are here regardless of how much of the classes are in-person.

The University of Michigan set up 13 canopies across its Ann Arbor campus for students to use while weather permits as the school tries to keep building density low amid the coronavirus pandemic. | ERIC BRONSON, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

` What’s being done to protect students and faculty? Right now, we’re using Michigan Medicine, which is smack dab in the middle of campus, and that’s another reason why we’re more comfortable bringing students back than some others. We have the capacity right now to do anywhere from 3,000 to 3,500 surveillance tests (sampling the population) during the week on campus. We’re currently working on the saliva tests. We have it up and running here on campus. I am pretty confident of

being able to screen — asymptomatic screening — between 3,000 and 4,500 people per day. I am hoping within weeks. The (saliva) test just got their approval at the other places where they were developed. We need to get them approved. We need to get one of the Emergency Use Authorizations from the FDA and that’ll allow us to scale up surveillance. To put this in perspective, the state of Michigan is averaging about 25,000 tests per day in our state for 10 million people. I’ve got a campus when it’s full that has 46,000 students, tens of

18 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 31, 2020

thousands of faculty and staff, and tens of thousands of nurses and doctors. If we were to test everybody a couple of times a week, we’d be way beyond the testing done in our entire state. We screened all incoming students living in our dormitories during the two weeks before they came to campus, and we had all the students that tested positive stay home for 10 days to diminish the number of students from around the country and around the area that brought the virus to campus with them.

` What’s being invested in the screening regimen and campus safety measures? Each of those tests cost well over $100. It’s easily going to run into the tens of millions of dollars of expenses that would not have occurred anyway in a normal semester, but we don’t know the bottom line yet. ` The university had been projecting as much as $1 billion in lost revenue. What’s the updated forecast?

ing, for instance. The ability to manipulate course conditions with such precision gives the grounds crew control over how hard the course plays — a key factor in landing a bigtime golf event. Brady said investment in temperature control systems and new irrigation will also eventually lead to cost savings for the club. The pandemic has caused some headaches for construction crews, who were forced to stop working in mid-March due to orders from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, but work is back on schedule, said Phil Cuffare, director of agronomy at the country club

Anyw day Oakl

We’re still close to that order of magnitude. Greater than half of the University of Michigan budget is the health system. In our hospital right now, we have between five and 15 COVID patients. … Before, we got up to 250 patients at a time, and we shut down our outpatient clinics. The losses from those changes were tremendous. That’s where most of these deficits are coming from at the university. We’re still in the many, many hundreds of millions of dollars in lost health care revenues resulting in big deficits because we have fixed costs, and the costs on campus haven’t changed, and we’re spending more than we would normally. We made refunds for room and board, (and we had) losses from changes in enrollment in graduate programs, changes in summer programs, sports camps, and heading into fall our athletics program is uncertain.

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` How is the university filling these budget holes? We’re doing essentially no hiring, so attrition is occurring, and we’re not replacing people. There were no raises this year other than those contracted for as part of union contracts. There’s no domestic or foreign travel. There’s no nonessential spending. We’re not hiring consultants. We stopped our construction projects. We did as much belt-tightening as one could possibly do, and then in emergency reserve, we have a line of credit (of $900 million) that we could tap into if the financial circumstance forced us to. ` How has the pandemic impacted the university’s endowment?

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PROPANE

From Page 3

“We think that Kalkaska location will be able to serve not just the whole northern half of the (Lower Peninsula), but we think we’ll be able to touch on going over the (Mackinac) bridge and getting some of the Upper Peninsula,” he said. Michigan is the country’s largest consumer of propane for residential use and trades places from year-toyear with California for most overall consumption across all sectors, including commercial and agricultural. In 2018, Michigan’s residential use of propane for heating and cooking accounted for 453 million gallons of the 567 million total gallons consumed in the state, according to an annual study conducted by the consulting firm ICF International Inc. By October 2021, Silver Wolf Midstream will have pipeline capacity increased to 1 million gallons per day during the winter months, he said.

Changing supply lines Anywhere from 50 to 100 workers each day have been out on the South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club. | KURT NAGL/ CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

for 20 years. He said anywhere from 50 to 100 workers are out on the course each day. Brady said he has not seen the pandemic impact membership numbers. He said 575 Class A members is a comfortable number for the club but there are another 40 or so in the pipeline. Revenue has taken a hit, however. “We’re down this year,” he said, declining to offer numbers. “Less cart We have a large endowment ($12.4 billion, as of October). We don’t quite know what it is now because of the pandemic. Its value obviously goes up and down. We guessed that at the worst of the financial crisis, which we’re recovering from it seems, we have been down as much as 20 percent, but that’s an estimate … it’s gradually coming back up again.  Has the university changed its endowment spending rate? No. … The way we manage the endowment is very conservative. We pay out 4.5 percent of a 28-quarter rolling average of the endowment’s value, so that’s a seven-year average. The reason we do that is at any given time, the endowment can be up or the endowment can be down, but we need the money. We pay people using this money. Last year, we took out $380 million from the endowment. This year, we’ll be taking out over $400 million from the endowment to pay for scholarships, medical research, professors’ salaries, things of that nature, and that can’t fluctuate wildly. Each year, we end up taking more money out of the endowment because on average, the endowment grows. ... We don’t want to sacrifice the longterm strength of the university and its value to future generations of students because of this short-term, very difficult year.  Has the university received any unrestricted gifts to ease financial blows from the pandemic? There have been some. One of the things

revenue for sure because we didn’t allow carts (in the beginning of the year). Now that’s picking up a little bit. Food and beverage is down, just like anywhere.” Riding around the dusty grounds of the South Course in a John Deere golf cart, Cuffare echoed the aspirations shared earlier in the day by club officials. “This is the biggest operation that I’ve worked under,” he said. “We are definitely ready to host Oakland Hills’ next major.” Contact: knagl@crain.com; (313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl we are focusing on right now is working with our major donors, explaining to them what the unique needs are of the university in the setting of the pandemic. For example, testing. The expense of testing or changing some of the structures of our building to make them safer, or the cost of COVID-19 research. I don’t have numbers for that, but we’re actively fundraising. We’re fortunate that our donors, despite the economic challenges of the pandemic, continue to be generous.  What’s happening with the UM Detroit Center for Innovation development? It’s a long-term project. It’s part of our university’s engagement with the city of Detroit. We still believe that cities like Detroit have strong, positive futures and will attract students who are different than the students we attract in Ann Arbor. There are urban problems that can be worked on from a research perspective, living and collaborating with businesses and government and communities in the city. That project continues. It’s very likely to slow down the schedule of when we might cut a ribbon, but all of the major players are still committed. We meet on a semiregular basis.  Has it received further funding commitments? Stephen (Ross) is doing the fundraising as opposed to the university doing the fundraising for this. Contact: knagl@crain.com; (313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl

The Upper Peninsula’s propane supply is a closely studied issue since a propane shortage in the winter of 2014 prompted then-Gov. Rick Snyder to declare a state of emergency to temporarily ease transportation regulations for propane suppliers. In the sparsely populated U.P., propane is often the only alternative to burning wood for heating entire homes. There’s just one propane refinery, in Rapid River in the central U.P., that removes propane gas from natural gas liquids on Enbridge Energy’s controversial Line 5 pipeline, which then flows south to its underwater crossing at the Straits of Mackinac and onward across the Lower Peninsula before crossing the St. Clair River into Canada. Refined propane gas then returns to Michigan through a pipeline cross the St. Clair River. The National Propane Gas Association estimates half of Michigan’s propane comes via Enbridge’s Line 5, with the vast majority heating homes in rural parts of the southern Lower Peninsula. A U.P. energy task force empaneled by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has studied alternatives to relying on Line 5 to supply natural gas liquids to the propane fractionating plant in Rapid River. Most viable options involve building additional rail infrastructure or transporting more propane to the U.P. by tanker truck through Wisconsin or across the Mackinac Bridge. Rootare said his company’s pipeline could help supply retailers in the eastern U.P. “Through that connection in the northern half of the state, we believe we can service a pretty strong demand into the Upper Peninsula,” Rootare said. “So that Kalkaska location is going to be very critical.” From terminals in Kalkaska and mid-Michigan, Rootare said, the propane is “still going to be trucked to another location, but it’s going to be reducing the distance these trucks have to go.” The repurposed pipeline has the potential to change the way propane gas is distributed to the retail level in much of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, said Jeff Petrash, vice president and general counsel for the National Propane Gas Associa-

Propane in Michigan

Pipeline conversion The Michigan Express Pipeline, a natural gas Kalkaska liquids pipeline that runs plant from Kalkaska to Sarnia, Ontario is being converted into a propane pipeline to run the opposite direction from Marysville to Kalkaska.

Michigan is the No. 1 consumer of propane gas for residential use in the nation. From year-to-year, it trades places with California as the top consumer of propane across all sectors. Here’s how propane was consumed by sector in 2018: Residential: 453 million gallons Commercial: 48 million Agriculture: 23 million Industrial (non-forklift): 5 million BBQ cylinders: 13 million

Marysville plant CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS GRAPHIC

tion. “It will offer retailers choices that they don’t have right now,” Petrash told Crain’s. “It’s exciting to see somebody who’s going to repurpose an infrastructure to serve propane markets in America’s biggest propane market.” It’s not common to change the direction of a petroleum pipeline for a different product and purpose. But it’s happened in other parts of the country as energy companies adapt to changing market demands, Petrash said. “I’ve heard it referred to that we’ve replumbed the energy infrastructure in America,” he said. Rootare said it will be a year before additional terminals in mid-Michigan can be built and brought online. But when they do, it will cut down on traffic from 30,000-gallon tanker trucks on I-69, the common route for most trucks headed to the terminal in Marysville, Rootare said. Like other trucking and logistics industries, propane suppliers have to balance limitations on driver hours, said Derek Dalling, executive director of the Michigan Propane Gas Association. “These additional access points, shorter drives, and potentially shorter wait times to access the propane storage means drivers will be less likely to risk going over the hours of service limitations,” Dalling said in an email.

A relationship-driven transaction Rootare is a Michigan native and graduated of Eastern Michigan University who was most recently vice president of business

“THERE ARE JUST NOT THAT MANY PIPELINES OPPORTUNITIES TO INVEST IN — THEY DON’T COME ALONG VERY OFTEN. ONE OF THE THINGS AT BOUSTEAD THAT WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN IS GIVING INVESTORS AN OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN THINGS THEY NORMALLY WOULD NOT SEE.” — Keith Moore, CEO, Boustead Securities

Internal combustion engines: 25 million Total: 567 million gallons SOURCE: ICF INTERNATIONAL INC.

development at E2 Energy Services LLC, a Dallas-based midstream and energy services portfolio company of Tailwater Capital LLC. He was previously director for midstream business development for DTE Midstream, a subsidiary of DTE Energy. It’s through Rootare’s ties to EMU that the Michigan Express Pipeline project is getting financed. The CEO of Boustead Securities, Keith Moore, and the investment banking firm’s head of China and equity markets, Dan McClory, are EMU graduates who had the same professor-mentor, Laurence Smith, as Rootare did. They’ve known each other for decades through the connection with Smith. Moore said when Rootare approached him and McClory about raising capital for the pipeline project, he took it to the firm’s head of energy, power and infrastructure, Seth Horn. “(Seth) usually says no to almost everything we show him,” Moore said of Horn. “So when Niel came to us and said ‘Hey, you know, I’ve got this pipeline opportunity that’s germinating and what do you guys think? Could we raise some money around it?’ ... And this was one of the few times Seth said ‘yes’ and not only said ‘yes,’ but really got behind.” One of the driving reasons behind Boustead Securities’ investment in the project is petroleum pipelines rarely come up for sale, Moore said. “There are just not that many pipelines opportunities to invest in — they don’t come along very often,” Moore said. “One of the things at Boustead that we take a lot of pride in is giving investors an opportunity to invest in things they normally would not see.” Just half of the firm’s $47 million investment in Silver Wolf Midstream will go toward purchase of the pipeline, with the rest used for retrofitting the pipeline for reversing the flow of gas, building propane terminals and working capital, Moore said. The long-term relationship between the three EMU graduates made Boustead’s high net worth investors “comfortable because we knew who he was and what he was going to do,” Moore said. “I always say that deals and transactions come and go, but relationships endure,” McClory said. Contact: clivengood@crain.com; (313) 446-1654; @ChadLivengood

AUGUST 31, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 19

LOSSES

From Page 1

How long the fund could carry the zoo is unknown, she said. “The future is uncertain and there are too many variables in play. “Without large crowds, rides, tours, special events and more, we are unable to generate enough funds at the gate. We hope that we’ll be able to increase capacity limits soon, and financially recover within the next couple years.” The reopening of many arts and cultural organizations in the region this summer following pandemic-induced closures in March were viewed as positive signs. And a number of visitors are coming back. But the organizations continue to lose money as they operate under the state-imposed constraints all businesses face. Under Executive Order 110, theaters and performance venues remain closed. Museums, which fall under the same guidelines as retail businesses, are subject to a rough cap of 25 percent of the capacity, per Executive Order 161 signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on July 29. Organizations with less than 50,000 square feet of space can host just 25 percent of the occupancy established for their site by the state or local fire marshal. Those with larger locations are limited to four people for every 1,000 square feet. It’s a moving target on how much money it’s cost the organizations so far, but the losses are deep, based on budget cuts. The Charles H. Wright Museum has cut its budget from $7 million in 2020 to $3.2 million for fiscal 2021, which began July 1, said Edward Foxworth III , director of external affairs. The sounds of excited children in the atrium could often be heard before the pandemic. Between field trips and others, the museum drew 350-500 people, on average, each day. Now it’s much quieter, with an average of 50 visitors per day, Foxworth said. The museum furloughed about 15 of its 55 employees with the earlier closure and the ongoing loss of weddings and family reunions. “One of the bright spots for us at the end of our past fiscal year 2020: We ended up in the black, due to a number of grants, PPE loans and so forth,” Foxworth said. “We don’t project to have major events and activities because of the number of restrictions placed on the number of people that can come in. We know our rev projections will be extremely low as a result.” To generate revenue, the Wright has a number of efforts in the works. It launched a $250,000 online campaign on July 1, which had raised $162,000 as of last week. It’s also preparing to open an online museum store, planning an art auction of works from local artists and other pieces left from its gala last year and offering Black businesses the opportunity to post an advertisement or video on its website for a small fee, in recognition of Black Business Month. “That’s one of the new flexible things we’re trying to do to stay in tune with the … need we see in the general community,” Foxworth said. On Sept. 27, the museum will open “Voting Matters,” a blockbuster exhibit on the struggle for voting rights for African Americans, from reconstruction to present day. It will also serve as a voter registration site.

And the Tuskegee Air Museum is set to move into space on the museum’s first floor, with an opening hopefully around the time the new exhibit opens, Foxworth said. The DIA’s visitor numbers have been about 20 percent of its usual attendance since it reopened on July 10, Christine Kloostra, executive director, marketing and communications, said in an email. It’s limiting the number of visitors per half hour to 100 to control traffic in the museum and allow appropriate social distancing, she said. That’s consistently brought a average of about 2,300 visitors each week since the museum reopened. The museum made admission temporarily free for everyone when it reopened, including those from outside of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties where residents support the museum through the millage. It will return to paid admission for those living outside of the three counties after Labor Day, Kloostra said. “We don’t have a dollar amount to tie to the financial impact, but there is certainly some lost revenue from offering free admission to everyone temporarily, as well as the reduced capacity,” she said. The Henry Ford is seeing about 15,000 visitors per week, compared to 51,000 per week last year, President and CEO Patricia Mooradian said in an emailed statement. The weekly reduction is due to capacity constraints, the continued closures of some of its venues and elimination of large events. It’s continuing to operate at 25 percent capacity in order to follow state guidelines for the safety and well-being of staff and guests, she said. But since reopening July 2, The Henry Ford has made gradual changes in its operations. “The Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes” exhibit has sold out every weekend since its July 16 opening, Mooradian said. The exhibition features more than 300 original artifacts, including Marvel’s earliest comic book, iconic props and costumes from film favorites, rare, hand-drawn images of iconic heroes by the artists who first designed them and more. Given its popularity, “we were able to return Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation back to its normal, seven-day operation,” she said. Greenfield Village continues to be open Thursday-Sunday only due to the high operating costs. The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Giant Screen Experience and Benson Ford Research Center remain closed as the nonprofit continues to evaluate safe reopening protocols. Several rides, restaurants and retail operations are open; however, many remain closed, which impacts its opportunity to earn revenue, Mooradian said. “While we are covering our incremental reopening costs, we are still operating at a loss due to the reduced venue capacities and experiences in addition to the inability to host large events,” she said. Last month, The Henry Ford launched a campaign to raise $10 million or more to fill a budget shortfall left by the four-month closure of its attractions. Nearly two-thirds of the $77 million annual budget with which it started the year hinged on earned revenue from admission tickets, food and retail purchases, event rentals and memberships. The museum was operating on just a couple of months of cash on hand as of June. Last week , Brent Ott, vice

20 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 31, 2020

PENOBSCOT

From Page 1

The zoo allows guests to remove masks in designated open space, such as this grassy field. | DUSTIN WALSH/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Jen Julet shared this photo from a recent trip to the Detroit Zoo. The Detroit Zoo is asking visitors to post on their Facebook page photos with masks, calling it their Zooper Hero of the Day. | DETROIT ZOO VIA FACEBOOK

Buddy’s Pizza was the only sit-down restaurant open during the zoo’s reopening in June. | DUSTIN WALSH/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

president of business services and CFO, said it now has an appropriate amount of cash on hand to operate short term but continues to work with its board’s finance committee to evaluate options for debt. “If there were no limits to capacities, attendance would definitely be stronger, especially with the Marvel exhibit,” Mooradian said. The state mandates are only one part of the equation for arts and cultural groups to recapture visitors and earned revenue. Visitors also have to feel comfortable showing up beyond their current numbers. CultureSource is funding periodic surveys done by WolfBrown to understand public sentiment on visiting arts and cultural organizations. The most recent study in July surveyed 7,531 arts and culture attendees in Michigan. Just 15 percent said they will resume attendance as soon as restrictions are lifted, down from 16 percent in May when the first survey was done. Just under a third, or 29 percent, said they would not resume atten-

dance until they receive vaccination or immunity, the same number who said they trust other visitors and audience members to follow health and safety rules. In terms of donations, 96 percent said they’d donate as much or more as they did before the pandemic to the organizations they support, and 88 percent said they will spend as much or more than they did preCOVID-19 on tickets, admissions and memberships. The study concluded many respondents are still not ready to return to in-person events and report that they are not comfortable going to most cultural facilities even with social distancing. But the study noted that it did see a group of respondents return to museums last month. Of those surveyed, 59 percent said they trust organizations to determine when it is safe for visitors and audiences to return. Contact: swelch@crain.com; (313) 446-1694; @SherriWelch

Triple Properties, in its response, denies that it breached its lease agreement and says that Strategic Staffing Solutions “was at all times fully aware that the building was not a ‘new build’ and reaped the benefit of that fact by negotiating a square foot rental rate of approximately $10 per square foot below market rental rates in the city of Detroit.” It also says that “there have been significant improvements in and to the building, and the overall condition of the building, since Triple Properties took ownership.” Crain’s Detroit Business requested an interview with Steve Apostolopoulos, managing member of Triple Properties, for this story. He requested emailed questions. Crain’s declined. For the time being, the city’s ultimatum seems to be working. Jessica Parker, the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department chief enforcement officer, said the city has been “engaging the owner” and that Triple has been working on some of the repairs, including fixing elevators, cleaning and removing debris from unoccupied floors and “locking down” vacant spaces. Some of the blight violations earlier this year were for things like not having a certificate of compliance, interior debris, and unsafe and unsanitary conditions. “As of recent, he is trying to come into compliance and working with inspectors ... We have a property owner that is not ignoring us,” Parker said. “They are calling us and contacting us. They are walking us through. We want to do it the easy way, not the hard way, but if you’re going to ignore us, we’ll do it the hard way.” According to data provided by the city, the Penobscot Building has received the third-highest number of blight tickets since January 2019, behind only the properties at 4461 Jefferson Ave. owned by Detroit Marine Terminals Inc. west of the Ambassador Bridge (496 tickets; the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority and Ambassador Port Co. were also ticketed); and 5851 Jefferson Ave. (336 tickets), the former Revere Copper and Brass Inc. property owned by Revere Dock LLC and operated by Detroit Bulk Storage. The city went on an inspection blitz following the Nov. 26 Revere Dock collapse, examining all 152 properties along the Detroit River, Crain’s reported in February.

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‘Some parallels’ Triple Properties, which is run by the Apostolopoulos family, paid just $5 million cash for the nearly 1 millionsquare-foot building in 2012, at the height of Dan Gilbert’s building buying spree. At about $5 per square foot, the Toronto family came in at the very bottom of the market, snagging a distressed asset that needed a lot of work. At the time, Andreas Apostolopoulos, who was then president and CEO of Triple Properties, told Crain’s that his company was “going to put some money into the building and try to attract more tenants.” “If I can come in and buy that building for $4 a square foot, then lease it for $10 a square foot or more, that’s just good business,” he said. But with no known debt on the property, Triple Properties can sit on the building for as long as it wants, put in virtually no effort to renovate it, and eventually cash out in a city that’s wildly different than it was eight years ago. It rings familiar to Mayor Deirdre Waterman, whose city sued the company

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have been trapped in the dysfunctional elevators. This poses a significant safety concern for S3 employees,” the complaint says, also alleging that some parts of the building have things like “exposed ceilings, uncovered electrical wires and vermin droppings.” The case is ongoing in circuit court. Triple Properties denies the allegations in its response in court. An email was sent to its attorneys in the case, the Kemp Klein Law Firm in Troy. Strategic Staffing Solutions is represented by Foley & Lardner LLP in Detroit. Strategic Staffing moved into the Penobscot more than 20 years ago. It had 48,000 square feet on floors 25, 26 and 29, according to CoStar Group Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based real estate information service, paying an estimated $18 to $21 per square foot per year. At the Fisher Building, rent is $20 per square foot, according to CoStar. In addition to losing Strategic Staffing Solutions, the Penobscot Building also lost another tenant, the State Appellate Defender Office, which is moving into the New Center One building in the New Center area into about 20,000 square feet. Both Strategic Staffing Solutions and the State Appellate Defender Office declined comment for this story.

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The Penobscot Building (left) was for nearly 50 years the tallest building in Detroit | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

in 2017 when it owned the Pontiac Silverdome for building and safety code violations. Shortly after the complaint

was filed, the city and Triple Properties reached an agreement that ultimately led to the Silverdome’s demolition. “There are elements of that that do have some parallels, it seems like,” Waterman said.

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The Penobscot has received the third-most blight tickets of any building in the city since 2019. | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

The 127-acre site, which Triple Properties paid just $583,000 for in 2009, was sold for between $17 million and $20 million, sources have told Crain’s. The company sold it for between 2,816 percent and 3,331 percent more than what it paid for it. A 3.5 million-square-foot Amazon.com Inc. distribution center is under construction on the site, which for years had been blighted. “We had been in anticipatory negotiations with Triple Properties about what their plans were for such a valuable piece of property that was so visible and had such an important history for Pontiac,” Waterman said. “During that time, we knew they were making certain outreach to find a plan, but in the meantime we had to encourage them — a nice way of saying it — throughout that process to make sure they were keeping up that property in a manner befitting of that neighborhood.”

Broken elevators, ‘vermin droppings’ Strategic Staffing Solutions sent a notice it was scrapping its lease and announced in October that it was fleeing the Penobscot to move into another Detroit landmark, the Fisher Building in the city’s New Center area. That announcement came five months before the lawsuit was filed in March. In it, Strategic Staffing Solutions details a bevy of complaints about the Penobscot Building’s upkeep. Among them: Broken air conditioning and heating forced the company to have its workers sometimes work from home during summer and winter months, and broken elevators often forced its employees to “climb dozens of floors to reach their offices on the 25th, 26th and 29th floors.” “In many instances, S3 employees

Covered storefronts in a now-unused retail area of the Penobscot Building. | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

The Penobscot Building has a storied history in Detroit, opening in 1929 and for nearly 50 years holding the title of the tallest building in the city, according to Historic Detroit, which tracks Detroit buildings and architecture. But the last 15 years haven’t been kind to it. In 2005, it was bought by Northern Group, run by Alex Dembitzer. It was among a portfolio of iconic Detroit buildings — including the First National Building, Cadillac Tower, Alden Towers and Lafayette Towers — the company bought and subsequently lost control of as it wracked up liens and other unpaid bills. It ultimately was repossessed by its lender, Capmark Financial Group, and auctioned off following a long foreclosure process, Crain’s reported at the time. It drew the interest of a dozen potential buyers at the time, with Triple Properties ultimately coming away with the building. At the time, there was optimism, said Lynnette Boyle, principal of Detroit-based Beanstalk Real Estate Solutions. “We have waited to see what the current owner is going to do with that building for years,” Boyle said. “Many people were really excited when he purchased it because he was going to renovate it. There is a lot of disappointment with the lack of action, but we remain hopeful that if the current owner can find the right investment opportunity with other developers, he still wants to do something with that building.” Although Gilbert and other landlords have spent the last decade or so pumping tens of millions into renovating Detroit’s stockpile of 20th century midrises and skyscrapers, little has been done with the Penobscot until recently when the city threatened legal action. “It can’t go down. We can’t let the Penobscot fail. It’s too much of a landmark,” Boyle said. Perhaps the most public work at the skyscraper came five years ago. In 2015, the Detroit Free Press reported that the iconic orb atop the skyscraper had burned out and Green Light Detroit fixed it — for free. Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

AUGUST 31, 2020 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 21

THE CONVERSATION

Developer, school board member Sonya Mays on learning to adjust DEVELOP DETROIT: Sonya Mays has her hands full. Not only is she a member of the Detroit Public Schools Community District board of education, she is also an active real estate developer in town as president and CEO of Develop Detroit, having just kicked off construction on a long-in-the-works project in the Sugar Hill Arts District neighborhood. That $36.3 million project is slated to bring 68 apartments, including some units for formerly homeless veterans, to the corner of John R and Garfield. A University of Michigan graduate, Mays also spent time as | BY KIRK PINHO senior adviser to Detroit’s former emergency manager, Kevyn Orr. ` Let’s start by chatting about the Sugar Hill project and where it is now, and where it started. We anticipated being in the ground in late 2018, early 2019. The project ran into a number of challenges, some that are just very characteristic of doing development work in Detroit. This project coincided with a pretty steep escalation in construction costs more broadly in the city. So it took us awhile to work through the impact of that. But eventually we got to a point where we had a deal that worked and was ready to go, and then COVID hit. That set us back another handful of months. This has just been a truly amazing group of people involved in this transaction, from the city to our financial partners to the development team, just a whole host of people who really bought into the vision that the city wanted to see for this site and the design we brought forward, and staying committed to this through about every conceivable challenge that a project can go through, plus a pandemic. ` You’ve been active in the North End and some other neighborhoods. Can you give us a snapshot of what else you have going on? Our core work continues. But make no mistake, there have been a lot of adjustments that are COVID/pandemic related. In the North End, it’s pretty wide ranging. We have renovated homes there. We built homes there. We built townhouses. We own a couple rental apartment buildings in the North End as well. I really have to say that there’s always this baseline complexity there, but trying to kind of work through a crisis like this is utterly fascinating. We’ve had to make adjustments on everything from, “How do we keep selling houses when I can’t go out to the real estate listings” and then the pendulum swings, rates

and just do those things as safely as possible, and protect as many people as possible, particularly vulnerable people. So for the city, this is a question of whether we can get back some measure of the trajectory that we were on. By the end of this current fiscal year, I feel pretty good about it, but if we go into the fall and have to have another complete shutdown, then I get really, really nervous about the city’s economic stability. That being said, they have an excellent team over there and I don’t know that the mayor gets the recognition he deserves. We as a city fare pretty well with former hospital executives in those seats.

dropped so all of a sudden there’s a single-family ownership market that is pretty robust compared to last summer. Our multifamily work is super interesting because we have a number of essential workers and other people who are economically more vulnerable, so we are trying to kind of see through the role of the landlord on the social side. How do we react to people who are struggling with rent and food, but then balance that with our financial obligations because we also have a mortgage lender on some of these transactions? ` Given your former title of senior adviser to Detroit’s former emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, I’m curious about your outlook on the city’s finances, particularly given the casino revenue hit. I think the world looked a lot more dark in April, May and early June than it does now. I know it’s got to be a relief that the casinos are reopened. I think the mayor and City Council and financial leadership of the city did a really good job of preparing for a rainy day. This is something that I’ve pounded the table about at DPSCD. I think it could have been a lot worse if they weren’t sort of prepared to absorb some portion of the casino revenue. I’m just watching to see how consistently Detroit, and business, and Metro Detroit, adjust to the realities of COVID. My personal thesis is that this is going to be with us for an extended period of time. I love that everyone is chasing a vaccine, but I understand that in the history of diseases or viruses, we’ve only completely eradicated just one thing, and that’s smallpox, so I’m skeptical that this is going to go away. I think we’re just going to have to figure out how to adjust, do things that matter for business, for society, for communities,

Sonya Mays, president and CEO, Develop Detroit

` What should we understand about how DPSCD is approaching this? There are no easy answers. The district leadership is working through all the issues that are created by trying to educate, both in person and virtual. There’s a meaningful portion of our student population in DPSCD that is just going to fare better with in-person instruction. So it’s trying to find the balance between giving our students what they need to succeed, while still protecting them, protecting their families and protecting the teachers and staff. That’s what we are trying to achieve, and using science to get there, and the learnings and best practices from other places. There’s some activities that, as a community, are essential. We decided that our grocery store workers are essential, health care workers, transportation. And most people, whether they have kids or not, view education as an essential function. I think we just have to figure out how to deliver that in the best possible way.

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Michigan businesses back COVID-19 ad campaign featuring ‘Rona’ MEET RONA, THAT MALEVOLENT 2020 villain we already hated. Rona is a fictional character developed by the Detroit-based creative firm BLVD for a new statewide advertising campaign that aims to convince young adults to change their behaviors to curb spread of the coronavirus. A coalition of mostly Michigan businesses, hospitals and corporate foundations is bankrolling the $5 million ad campaign in social media, radio, billboards, digital video and television over the next four months. “This is going to have to be a persistence game — it can’t be a oneshot deal,” said Gerry Anderson, the executive chairman of DTE Energy. Funders of the campaign include the DTE Energy Foundation, Gener-

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Detroit-based creative firm BLVD has created a fictional character named Rona to portray the hidden threat of the novel coronavirus within groups of socializing young people. | RONA4REAL.COM

al Motors, Lear, Meijer, the United Auto Workers, Consumers Energy Foundation, Quicken Loans Com-

22 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | AUGUST 31, 2020

munity Fund, Wolverine Worldwide, Dow, TCF Bank, Beaumont Health, Henry Ford Health System,

Steelcase, Spectrum Health, Herman Miller, Barton Malow and Oakland University. Since June, public health experts have been most alarmed by the rising number of cases among young adults under age 30. Anderson and a steering committee of businesses hired BLVD and Ann Arbor-based marketing and brand communication firm REGROUP to develop a strategy that would connect with millennials. Rona was conceived as an advertising character who could be depicted as the invisible public health threat, said Lisa Richardson, senior vice president of REGROUP. “We wanted to make Rona the common enemy,” Richardson said. “We’ve giving (people) something new to hate.”

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— END E N O T T A EVERLY O T Y P P A

THE D’S NEXT DECADE: ADVANCING EQUITY Don’t miss these five big days with 50+ online speakers, plus breakout rooms with invigorating conversation topics. You will also have the opportunity to tour five neighborhoods while social distancing and dine in Detroit’s best restaurants. Also, enjoy a fun outdoor market with vendors, music and food trucks.

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Homecoming Real Estate Forum

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Socially Distant Dinners at Detroit’s Best Restaurants Organized by conversation topic: Mobility, Art/Design, Real Estate, Entrepreneurs, MSU Alumni, WSU Alumni, U of M Alumni, Education, Sustainability, DPS Alumni

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 • 11 AM - 5 PM Enjoy a Detroit Fall Open Market in Cadillac Square and Campus Martius Featuring food trucks, music and 20 small business vendors

Early Bird Pricing for locals expires Sept. 7. $99 package includes tours and Thursday dining.

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