Ann Arbor Construction updates
 

Since I'm done with school and have not yet started my job, I'm bored decided to walk around and take some pictures. Below are mostly U of M construction sites, but there's a few others from around town thrown in.

I will photograph the more major projects such as Ashley Terrace, Public Policy, Children's Hospital, and Michigan Stadium later.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac01.jpg
Zaragon Place layed the smack down on a beautiful courtyard apartment building. The architecture was unique, unfortunately it wasn't in a historical area. It will be replaced with a generic 10 story ye "let's try to look olde" pricier apartment building.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac02.jpg
Another angle

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1023/...5e80f64e_b.jpg
Before demolition

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac03.jpg
Stair tower on the new business school. I'll let you be the judge. I'm starting to warm up to it although I admit I miss the building it replaced a bit.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac04.jpg
I now understand why some call this the lego building.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac05.jpg
From Hill and Tappan Streets.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac06.jpg
Front entrance near Dominick's

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/32/62...28765b26_b.jpg
Old B-School (orange building) as viewed from Michigan Stadium

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac07.jpg
Restoration work on Martha Cook Residence

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac08.jpg
A photo U of M would probably put in admissions packets.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac09.jpg
Natural History Museum. In my five years here at U of M, I have still not seen the dinosaurs.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac11.jpg
The new Hill Dining Hall. This area is where the majority of the dorms are, particularly for freshman and sophomores.

I'm pissed they tore down ALL THE TREES.

Prior to the new dining hall. Notice the continuous sidewalk shaded by mature trees. Now it's obstructed and all concrete
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/46/12...2672e8eb_b.jpg

The U has decided to consolidate its dining services into one building. At first, it sounded like a good idea, but many students agree that it crushes dorm culture where you'd go down to the cafeteria and spend time eating with friends in your building. The larger structure would make the experience a bit more intimidating and difficult to meet new people when you are among thousands. Who really knows, but I will forever miss Couzens Hall. Best experience of my life.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac12.jpg
Some new stuff on top of the powerplant

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac13.jpg
The now complete Cardiovascular Center

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac14.jpg
Side of the building

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac15.jpg
The other side.

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aa2/aac16.jpg
New Biomedical Building with it's wave wall and stack of pringles.

Many more updates coming soon!

That red is ugly as hell. The design is okay, but the red is terrible. I know that we always put down generic buildings, but damn, this is not what people mean when they ask for originality...

The renderings show it as a neutral red granite. I guess that $100 mil donation only went so far. If they would have used the stone, it would have been much better.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1023/...5e80f64e_b.jpg

^ I think I hung out in this building one night many years ago

Great update Hayward, btw do you think you could get photos of Upland Green.

Thanks for sharing these photos.

At least the business school is not a post-modern take on collegiate gothic! Other than the color, I like it.

I really need to walk the campus and see what has changed since I graduated; it appears that there is quite a bit that is new. Of course the old economics building was still standing when I was a freshman at UoM.

Construction is always good.

More shitty architecture from the University of Michigan.

You haven't seen the worst

It's been awhile, but all I have are these construction cam updates
Source of images and renderings: http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/projects.html

CS Mott Children's Hospital

http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...%20Montage.jpg

http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...0from%20sw.jpg

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/mottcam1.jpg






North Quad Residence Hall (Mixed use facility)

http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...mages/Main.jpg

Large Images:
http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...ad/design.html

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/nqcam1.jpg

Michigan Stadium:
http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...-Elevation.jpg

Larger Images:
http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...um/design.html

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/stadcam1.jpg

http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/stadcam2.jpg

I understand the argument about keeping a certain character that Ann Arbor has, but I don't understand how it really plays in the city's transition in densifying and growing into the future that it has to be anti-highrise in order to keep that character. I don't think that should be the case because urban design can be done in a way that really creates a unique and likeable sense of place. If any place should understand that, it is the education-driven marketplace of Ann Arbor.

I agree.

I think the character argument really only becomes a major issue when you are replacing older structures that contributed firmly to the neighborhood fabric with ones that refuse to be a part of it.

Well intentioned decades ago, they demolished older building stock for parking or "suburban styled" establishments because they thought it would encourage more downtown activity. Fortunately we didn't lose much, but we know that these ideas are in the past and are starting to replace lots and less the desirable structures.

So yeah. you want to replace a parking lot with a 14 story building and people start complaining. I think a lot of people in this city want different things, and Ann Arbor is nice enough to give everyone a voice. But I think it's getting in the way of a functional development plan.

Ann Arbor seems to have a lot going on compared to many other Michigan cities.

Here are a few of my pictures of a three of the construction projects:

411 Lofts Student Housing (Division and Huron)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/...51a8e5088c.jpg
(Photos from my flickr account.)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/...1cb47cdc78.jpg

North Quad:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/...e542e221b0.jpg
One interesting feature is the facade from the old Carnegie Library:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/...8abbb38672.jpg

C.S. Mott Children and Women's Hospital Replacement Project:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3188/...305b2b6391.jpg
(larger versions of these images on my flickr account)

Is the demand for student housing rising enough for not only North Quad and 411 Lofts but also that 26 story student housing tower on at Church and S. University?

Also don't forget the higher end mega student housing project going up on North Campus. That development is getting huge.

Yeah, I think the demand is there. The out of state students seem to be getting richer. Our rent is nothing compared to what you might pay if you were coming from say... UCLA. So dropping $1100-1300/month on rent is nothing. Especially as you move Northwest of campus, rents begin to increase.

This new development should solve the problems of U of M's dorms overcrowding.......... for now. Maybe they can take all the beds out of the study lounges.

Thanks for all the updates, guys.

What's great about Ann Arbor is that one can be completely carless and live on campus as a student while still engaging the lively city around him. I emphasis "engaging the city" because of course most college campuses have a large carless population, but very few of them (outside of big cities) offer such a dynamic, non-campus urban environment for them to interact with.

Please keep posting pics when you can. You definitely have an audience.

^ Glad you are enjoying them!

Kellogg Eye Center Expansion (not really up to my design expectations, but I it's really about what goes on inside. They truly work miracles like you wouldn't believe.
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/$/aacon21.jpg

4Eleven Lofts from a different perspective atop Tally Hall Parking Structure
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/$/aacon8.jpg

Completely redone baseball stadium. It really fits well in the athletic campus
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/$/aacon16.jpg

Zaragon Place @ The University of Michigan
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/$/zaragon.jpg

Looking way better than those crappy elevations we got from the city website.
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/$/aacon20.jpg

North Quad from Tally Hall Parking. You can see CS Mott Hospital Construction behind the left smokestack in the distance.
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/$/aacon10.jpg

Just noticed the interesting view you get coming into AA on M-14 when the valley opens up in front of you. Lots of steel skeletons on the skyline.



And another new building to rise after one of my unfaves is demoed. The downtown library will be torn down and rebuilt.

http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2...own_ann_a.html

While we are at it, I want a more appealing federal building and post office. And I haven't heard much news on constructing a new police and courts building.

I come in that way nearly every day for school, and it's a cool view. Unfortunately (and fortunately, depending on how you look at it) I have classes on North campus...I don't have to deal with the stress of downtown. Although I love downtown, my job makes me a (ugg) commuter. Thankfully the Green Park and Ride and the "free" buses allow me to (somewhat) offset the congestion.

Here are a few updates on projects posted previously:

411 Lofts:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/...abec22a652.jpg
I took this photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/decojim/2864560678/

North Quad:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/...1b958875e9.jpg
I took this photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/decojim...n/photostream/

Expansion of Michigan Stadium:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/...f6f92f61_o.jpg
I took this photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/decojim...n/photostream/

I was on a roof on a building on North Campus, and the view had a ton of cranes in it.

That can't be a good commute, although I know people who drive back and forth between Lansing and AA.

A2 is booming!!!!

Looking at 411 over Liberty and Washington. You can see a bit of North Quad going up to the right.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/...e34afe90_b.jpg

It looks like a hospital skyline.

I crash down there a couple of days per week to offset the driving, but I work for the State and I don't want to give up the job. It's too bad MSU's planning program sucks; that would have made things quite a bit easier on me.

If anyone drives up around North Campus, would they mind getting photos of Upland Green and the new student housing development? Upland Green opened this week, and there is a Panera now on the ground floor.

Excuse me, we happen to love our plateau skyline of 8-12 story buildings of dated architecture.

No, that would be Madison.

:haha:

Really, I don't have much more to add.

The 13 story hotel proposal on the site of Leopolds has been scrapped (as weird as it sounds, I'm actually very happy it is) and the developer is being sued by TCF. Actually multiple developers...

http://www.mlive.com/businessreview/...er_nonpay.html


To be honest, I'm getting tired of the 12+ story proposals that seemingly come out of nowhere on a monthly basis, only to last about 1 year in discussion and then disappear. Some of them pop up on the net as renderings and elevations for projects that have never been announced, based on assumptions that current owners will be willing to sell their property.....whatever.

A couple overexposed shots of North Quad. I also need to clean my lens

Looking South from my apartment building.
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/$/constructionaa01.jpg

Looking the other direction at Kellogg Eye Center
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/$/constructionaa03.jpg

North Quad Near Rackham Hall
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/$/constructionaa02.jpg

Nice, particularly in the first shot which actually makes Ann Arbor look like a city.

...or Troy (look at Top of Troy on the far right ;)).

Absolutely not, it lacks the National City logo. YOU of all persons should know this ColDay

^And a Ruth's Chris. How can you forget the RUTH'S CHRIS!

Sounds like 601 Forrest may be scaled back from 25 to 16 stories, cutting the number of units in half. I don't know whether to celebrate or be disappointed.

But definitely in good news, the old TCF bank building near cottage in has been purchased, and the Zaragon Developers want to build a highrise there.

I think it is good news; we don't want too much housing capacity if the economy takes a long time to recover. As you may remember from the discussion thread about that project, I was against the massive scale of that project (University Towers is bad enough). 16 stories is still a respectable size for a city like Ann Arbor. The Ann Arbor city council was supposed to vote on a resolution to approve the original version of the project today.

I was expecting to get a fill in from arbor update, but there was nothing.

The only reason really I had a hint of dissapointment was when I was standing on the corner of William and East U the other day look north east. You have this incredible panorama of density. Most of the buildings around you are 4-5 stories. Then you have the 10 story Zaragon Pl, U Towers looming behind, and what would've been one of Ann Arbor's tallest in the background of it all. Really, it would have been an impressive urban scene for a town of only 115,000 residents, and this busy area isn't even close to downtown.

I'm actually kind of hoping that dumpy bungalow house, now entirely out of context, will get demoed for a nice corner commercial building. Imagine something like the 5 story Amsterdammer Apts on South U rising there.....actually the red brick building behind it is owned by the same rental company, and constructed by the same architect, so I wouldn't be all that surprised.

Ann Arbor Unveils Plan for new underground parking + a new street near library

http://www.mlive.com/annarbornews/ne..._plan_for.html

It's still missing a Boji Complex

Thank God.

I've posted a few construction photos in my 4th/Cornwell and State Districts thread in My City Photos

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=161164

Do you happen to have a map showing the boundaries of the Fourth Ward?

I do not have a map, and I'm somewhat unsure of the Western boundary. I used to think it was 5th, but apparently it's division. I guess that makes sense since division separates downtown from the State/Liberty area. Apartment listings and my friends who live beyond division claim to be in the Kerrytown area, unless the 4th ward actually contains Kerrytown The southern border is obviously Huron since the University is on the other side. The eastern border is a bit staggered, but the historic district goes all the way to Glen, but steps back in along Catherine and up to Ingalls. and then moves along Kingsley, down State to High Street, which connects up with Division. The clump of structures dominated by the nursing school in the Northeast corner including the houses in the court is called Cornwell Place, and that area is not included in the historic district, which might explain all the ample parking up here. But some houses still remain. There used to be this incredible Spanish-Mediterranean style building not far from me, but it was demoed for parking. Only a couple of these interesting apartment buildings remain here in AA, my own being one of them

https://www.aadl.org/gallery/buildings/hhaa069.gif.html

Although as I stare at water beginning to come out from beneath the baseboard, this place needs a little TLC

Another new building to rise!


APPROVED

Construction Start Date: Spring 2009
Completion: 2012
Cost $102 million financed (as always) by private money and gifts.

To be demolished: Surface Parking lot. (Spaces recovered in:addition to Monroe Garage)

To be demolished: Historic contract, violating aluminum panels will be removed from five story section

http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...StreetView.jpg

http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...StreetView.jpg

Rendering showing how existing buildings will be modified to conform with historic contracts. The aluminum panels were considered a violation, but were never removed after installation.
http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...dElevation.jpg


LOCATION
http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/lawquadnew.jpg

More: http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/pro...aw/design.html

Most impressive.

BTW, do you happen to have any photos of the stadium renovation?

Amazing. If only UM could get North Campus straightened out into something that doesn't so closely resemble suburban hell, I'd be happy. But I guess this is part of the reason why Law students pay 30k a semester and A and UP students "only" pay 10k.

I hope they can get the stone to match.

Finally those ugly aluminum panels on the side of the Law library addition will get replaced! The "after" rendition looks 100 times better. BTW I lived in the South Quad dorm my first two years at UM (ugly building pictured in the upper left of the aerial view).

LMich, since my exams are done, I'll take a drive on over to the stadium and get some shots. EDIT NVM I haven't drive my car in weeks and the battery is dead. Maybe tomorrow, I'll walk there or after I jump start by car.


You know what really excites me about this project? The fact that there will be people working to build this. This project and the nuclear physics lab at MSU give me hope for Michigan.


BTW, subterranean North campus will get worked out soon. Check out the master plans if you haven't seen them yet. Being a student at TCAUP, I share your pain. I wish the Art and Architecture Building would be replaced. I work in the TCAUP Media Center also, so I have to put up with 8 straight hours several times a week without seeing daylight.

I'm at TCAUP, too, which means I'm sure I've seen you around. I'm first year MUP, how bout you? Damn that stats final I just turned in...damn it all to hell!

But now it's time to celebrate that it's over...even if it is a Monday!

What does the Arts & Architecture Building look like? It couldn't possibly any worse than the Urban & Regional Planning Building at MSU, the irony of the location and design of which is not lost on the students in that program.