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animatedmartian

Jun 30, 2014 1:37 PM

That march of (possible) development spreading north and west of Downtown Ann Arbor.

Quote:

2 Ann Arbor properties listed for sale as redevelopment opportunity for condos

http://imgick.mlive.com/home/mlive-m...363-mmmain.jpg

The owners of two neighboring properties just north of downtown Ann Arbor are looking to capitalize on the growing demand for urban living.

Beal Properties is marketing the sites at 221 Felch St. and 214 W. Kingsley St. for sale as a redevelopment opportunity for apartments or condominiums.

The price tag for the properties: $3.9 million.

http://media.mlive.com/ann-arbor-bus...7367-large.jpg

“The reason it might be attractive to sell at this time is you’re seeing more of these near downtown or in downtown condo developments,” said Stewart Beal. “My father (Fred Beal) and uncle (George Beal) are of the age where it makes sense to start talking about retirement … one option would be to sell this property.”

Stewart Beal said the properties were listed for sale in 2009, but interest waned as the real estate market crashed. He said his family is not interested in developing the site, but would prefer to sell.

The decision to market the properties for sale again comes shortly after three Ann Arbor developers proposed a 22-unit condo project across Kingsley Street from the Beal Properties. Peter Allen, Mark Berg and Tom Fitzsimmons want to build 121 Kingsley West on the corner of Kingsley and North Ashley — a property once slated for a 46-unit condo project called Kingsley Lane.

....

Working with Ann Arbor architect Brad Moore, the Beals have outlined potential redevelopment options for the site:

Combine the parcels, demolish the existing buildings at 221 Felch St., rezone the property to O Office and construct a new office building of up to 66,000 square feet
Combine the parcels, demolish the existing buildings at 221 Felch St., rezone the property to R4D Multifamily and construct a residential building of up to 96,000 square feet for as many as 51 condos or 75 apartments.

Stewart Beal said the building at 214 W. Kingsley St. could remain, but the purchase of that property is necessary to meet the minimum lot size requirement of 83,000 square feet under the R4D zoning.

....

animatedmartian

Jul 3, 2014 3:07 PM

Quote:

Next redevelopment site in downtown Ann Arbor? City hires broker to market Library Lot

http://imgick.mlive.com/home/mlive-m...350-mmmain.jpg

Ann Arbor officials are getting ready to officially market the city-owned Library Lot as a potential redevelopment site.

City Administrator Steve Powers has selected CBRE, a real estate firm with offices in Southfield, to assist the city with the marketing and sale of the property.

Powers said CBRE will help the city achieve the highest attainable return consistent with the vision for the property articulated by the City Council.

The council is interested in a mixed-use development, one that could include commercial and residential uses, as well as public open space.

....

http://media.mlive.com/annarbornews_...6817d10306.jpg

If there was ever another good spot for Ann Arbor to put a decent high rise, this would be a good spot to put it.

animatedmartian

Jul 26, 2014 1:15 AM

Ann Arbor has an odd case of NIMBYism. Residents want lesser density but also want less (or none) sprawl. It seems like straight up a demand for population control.

Quote:

Neighbors fight plan for 500 residences proposed north of Ann Arbor

http://imgick.mlive.com/home/mlive-m...700f698c88.JPG

David Caddell is worried a proposal for almost 500 new residences in on the northeast side of Ann Arbor will create traffic bottlenecks in his neighborhood.

Sheila Jensen fears the character of the area where she lives on Lakehurst Court will be changed forever. And Ron Durbin says the project, which includes a mix of three-story townhouses and attached two-story carriage homes, is just too dense.

They are among dozens of northeast Ann Arbor residents who have banded together to oppose plans for the project at Nixon and Dhu Varren roads announced earlier this month. Their goal: Get Toll Brothers to reduce the density of the proposed community or convince Ann Arbor City Council to deny Toll Brothers’ annexation request as they consider the impact of this type of development.

...

Residents have several concerns about the project.

Density

The city’s master plan recommends residential uses for the vacant sites, at a density of between seven to 10 dwelling units per acre. At 491 units, Toll Brothers’ project would result in a density of about 4.5 units per acre, less than what's master planned for the site.

A mixture of housing types is encouraged for the site, including single-family detached homes, attached townhouses and multiple family, the master plan says.

Many neighbors would like the three-story buildings removed from the Toll Brothers plan.

“I think we all realized that at some point in time that property was going to be developed,” Durbin said. “I don’t think we’re going to stop development. …My concern is the density of these units. I really object to three-story buildings.”

Joseph added: “This really is an issue of density and I think we should stay very, very focused on that in terms of services and schools, sewers, trash pickup, traffic, drainage — all of these things are density issues, ultimately.”

....

Traffic

Some residents in northeast Ann Arbor worry Toll Brothers’ community — along with a 294-unit apartment project proposed across Nixon Road — will worsen traffic backups where Nixon Road meets Green and Dhu Varren roads. The intersection is an unconventional four-way stop where the road jogs, with no traffic light.

The city has talked about realigning Dhu Varren so it lines up with Green Road and/or possibly constructing a roundabout to improve traffic flow.

Rampson said the apartment project has been on hold while the city evaluates options for the intersection. She said both Toll Brothers and the developer of the apartments, Bleznak Real Estate Investment Group, have indicated they would contribute to fixing the intersection.

...

Environmental impact

The properties Toll Brothers plans to develop have extensive environmental features, including wetlands and a woodland preservation area.

Toll Brothers’ plans call to build around several wetlands on the property.

According to the plans: “Both the layout of the proposed development as well as the storm water management system will be designed in harmony with the numerous wetlands and high quality woodlands located throughout the property. In particular, significant tree stands being preserved along the western property line provide both a buffer to adjacent uses, as well as natural passive recreation open space area.”

But some residents still worry development will have a negative impact on the wetlands, wildlife and trees on the site.

“When a developer does replace a wetland, it’s never as good as what Mother Nature created,” said Lisa Dusseau, who lives on the north side of Ann Arbor.

More housing planned

Jensen said she’s concerned about more than just the Toll Brothers project; in all, more than 1,000 residences are planned in northeast Ann Arbor as the region’s housing market improves and developers target vacant land to build new projects or complete unfinished ones.

Along with the Toll Brothers development and the Bleznak apartments, other projects proposed or approved in the area include: 141 single-family homes and 63 apartments or condos at 2701-2801 Pontiac Trail, north of Skydale Drive; and 19 homes at 2000 Traver Road, just northeast of Barton Drive.

Briere said a number of infrastructure issues need to be addressed as development continues in northeast Ann Arbor.

“The roads are in bad condition, I’m concerned about the stormwater, I’m concerned about wastewater, I’m concerned about traffic,” she said.

https://33.media.tumblr.com/6e155167...8zjo2_1280.jpg

https://31.media.tumblr.com/91877bba...8zjo1_1280.jpg

https://31.media.tumblr.com/41fa8c81...8zjo3_1280.jpg

Rizzo

Jul 26, 2014 3:02 PM

Those townhomes look nice.

animatedmartian

Jul 26, 2014 6:37 PM

They might not get built if the NIMBY neighbors have their way.

LMich

Jul 28, 2014 8:54 AM

I'm confused. From what little research I've done, this land at Nixon at Dhu Varren - if I have the right parcel - is just across Nixon in adjacent Ann Arbor Township. What say would the Ann Arbor City Council have in this? Or is this just them venting at Ann Arbor? Because it sounds like me they should be taking this up with the Ann Arbor Township Board of Trustees.

animatedmartian

Jul 29, 2014 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMich (Post 6671823)

Ann Arbor has plans to annex the land before it is developed.

LMich

Jul 29, 2014 8:19 AM

Well, that's what I get for originally not reading the whole thing. lol

Anyway, I can kind of see the current residents' points, at least on the traffic issue. I've always been surprised how quickly Ann Arbor gets windy and sprawly right outside the core/inner-city, and without the road capacity and connections to really handle the traffic in the residential neighborhoods. It was planned and built differently than the likes of Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids, which are pretty heavily/regularly gridded outside their cores.

animatedmartian

Jul 29, 2014 7:33 PM

My guess is that since the city wasn't as founded on manufacturing like the other mentioned cities, it wasn't really expected to see high growth. That "smalltown charm" is definitely because it was built like one that would've been in the middle of a rural area. Even a lot of Michigan cities that are smaller in population seem more gridded and planned out than Ann Arbor.

The freeways don't help either. If you notice, A2 doesn't have a spur or loop that goes into Downtown Ann Arbor like in most other cities in Michigan. M-14 looks like it could have almost kept going down Main and then turn right at Huron and connect to 94 from there, but it doesn't. Ann Arbor just seems like an odd-ball city.

Rizzo

Jul 30, 2014 1:47 AM

For the better though. A spur downtown would have been destructive. Heck, I94 BR or Huron/washtenaw is undesirable, which is why it was left for institutional buildings, service stations and frat houses. M-14 cannot be upgraded so it will remain as is for a very long time unless it is ever removed and relocated.

Ann Arbor was always a farming town, and interestingly never intended to be a university town until the original 40 acres were acquired.

LMich

Jul 30, 2014 8:23 AM

That's the one thing I'm glad never happened to Ann Arbor. I can't even imagine how much of the inner-city would have been taken out had a freeway been rammed through. We only have one freeway driven through Lansing that actually didn't do as much damage as quite a few other inner-city highways. But, like you said, Hayward, even the business routes can be destructive. In fact, it's the business routes and surface state highways (BR 96, BR 69/MI-43 and MI-99) which made downtown Lansing into an island by destroying and fraying the edges of the district.

Yes, the cities I mentioned and Ann Arbor is definitely their purpose. We're talking industrial centers versus a college town that never expected to get as big as it did.

LMich

Aug 5, 2014 12:47 PM

Didn't enjoy seeing this in the paper this morning. Just a few miles northwest of this site, a developer is in the really early stages of trying to put up a massive development of low-density homes along Whitmore Lake Road in Northfield Township:

Quote:

http://imgick.mlive.com/home/mlive-m...69175c4e11.jpg

Company targets 460 acres north of Ann Arbor for residential development

By Lizzy Alfs | MLive.com

August 5, 2014

A Birmingham-based real estate firm has targeted 460 acres of land in Northfield Township for a residential development.

Biltmore Development is exploring the possibility of assembling nine properties and building housing along Whitmore Lake Road just west of US-23 and north of Joy Road. Biltmore has an option to purchase the properties from the seven different owners.

But because the Northfield Township master plan designates the land as agriculture, Biltmore is asking for a master plan map amendment to zone the land for medium density residential. Northfield Township’s current master plan was adopted in 2012.

Biltmore’s plans are in very preliminary stages, and the company has not determined the type of housing or how many units would be constructed on the site. A medium density residential zoning would allow Biltmore to develop housing on quarter-acre lot sizes.

The first step, said Biltmore’s David Stollman, is to see whether Northfield Township officials want the land developed for housing.

...

The nine properties Biltmore wants to develop consist of vacant land and very low density single-family residential. There are extensive wetland systems on the site. The current agricultural zoning allows for single-family dwellings on five-acre parcels.

...

Northfield needs to tell them to take a hike. This is pure, unapologetic sprawl. It's not even on the right side of the freeway (i.e. where the planned commuter rail service will eventually come through). The very last thing suburban Ann Arbor needs is anything that helps is sprawl up towards the sprawl of Livingston County, and quarter-acre lots, no less. This is crazy. US-23 is already a nightmare enough as it is.

animatedmartian

Aug 6, 2014 10:08 PM

Unfortunately as the economy picks up, the sprawl machine will pick up as well. Washtenaw is going to become the next Oakland County but with triple the inadequate roads. :yuck:

animatedmartian

Sep 4, 2014 6:22 PM

http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-ar...ing_rents.html

Rents in Ann Arbor are skyrocketing. Quite a few landlords reporting apartments with 100% occupancy. Others are also reporting 10% rate increases over the last year. There's no sign of demand letting off as Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County is expected to grow in employment during the next few years.

Rizzo

Sep 5, 2014 2:36 AM

I'm paying less for a gut rehab condo rental in chicago than my worn out vintage apartment in Ann Arbor. I paid about $1000 / month for a small 1BR near kerrytown in 2009. It's typical in college towns to be expensive and also a reason why new college grads don't blink an eye when they see rents as they move off to the big city

LMich

Sep 15, 2014 1:18 PM

Quote:

http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.d...W=600&Border=0
Romain Blanquart | The Detroit Free Press

Ann Arbor experiencing a boom in high-end apartments and condos

By JC Reindl | Detroit Free Press

September 14, 2014

An unprecedented building boom of apartment high-rises and condos has made construction cranes a lingering fixture of the Ann Arbor skyline.

No fewer than six cranes hovered over downtown last week as private developers raced to erect more luxury student and post-collegiate housing within walking distance to University of Michigan classrooms.

The half-dozen residential projects that are under construction or slated to begin are the latest round in a boom that has been under way for at least three years and is permanently altering the city’s housing situation.

Many of the current and earlier developments specifically cater to U-M students, offering additional near-campus living options aside from blocks of grubby old houses. Other projects have targeted high-earning professionals and empty-nesters and are filling up faster than local observers anticipated.

Fueling the boom has been an eagerness among lenders to finance high-end student housing projects, the willingness of parents to pay upwards of $1,400 a month for a child’s college bedroom, and what appears to be pent-up demand in general for amenity-filled Ann Arbor apartments.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014091...ty-of-Michigan

subterranean

Sep 15, 2014 1:59 PM

Gangbusters. Can't help but feel a little bit cheated up here in the capital city, but glad to see so much positive Michigan development news lately. Now if they could just get a handle on the affordability issues.

animatedmartian

Nov 3, 2014 6:37 PM

25-unit condo building proposed in downtown Ann Arbor
By Lizzy Alfs. November 03, 2014.

Longtime Ann Arbor developer Tom Fitzsimmons has plans for another low-rise condo building downtown.

Fitzsimmons, of Huron Contracting LLC, submitted plans to Ann Arbor’s Design Review Board to construct a four-story, 25-unit condominium building at 408-412 N. First St., between West Kingsley Street and Miller Avenue.

There are two existing structures on the site: a residence at 412 N. First and Huron Contracting’s offices at 408 N. First.

Fitzsimmons said he has an option to purchase the site at 412 N. First St. from registered owner Karl Lopata. The property has a 2014 assessed value of $135,700.

“We see a strong demand for downtown condos, and we’re attempting to fill that demand,” Fitzsimmons said. “If we have the ability to bring a project online once a year and be able to deliver 15 to 20 condos, we see that we’ll be able to increase supply and meet that demand.”

Fitzsimmons is in the midst of building two low-rise condominium projects in the downtown area: an 18-unit project at 414 N. Main and 401 N. Fourth that is nearing completion, and a 22-unit project at 121 Kingsley that Fitzsimmons expects will get underway this fall.

The majority of the site at 408-412 N. First St. is located in the Allen Creek flood plain or flood way. It’s in the city’s D2 zoning, which has a maximum allowable building height of 60 feet.

Four stories of residential units would be constructed atop lower level parking with 37 spaces. Five additional parking spaces would be located nearby in an easement held with the property owner to the south. Parking is hidden from view from public streets by metal screening and landscaping, the plans say.

....

https://38.media.tumblr.com/2f66a932...8zjo1_1280.png

https://33.media.tumblr.com/3bf2526b...8zjo1_1280.png

https://33.media.tumblr.com/0dff885c...8zjo1_1280.png

https://38.media.tumblr.com/371c69dd...8zjo1_1280.png

https://38.media.tumblr.com/c4d17852...8zjo1_1280.png

https://38.media.tumblr.com/6e988d71...8zjo1_1280.png

animatedmartian

Jan 6, 2015 2:09 PM

Hopefully this doesn't become a trend.

Quote:

New height limits approved for future development site in downtown Ann Arbor
By Ryan Stanton. January 06, 2015.

https://38.media.tumblr.com/71a3f4c9...8zjo1_1280.jpg

The Ann Arbor City Council voted unanimously Monday night to set new height limits for future development on a prime piece of downtown real estate.

The property at 425 S. Main St., at the southeast corner of Main and William streets, is being downzoned from D1 to D2, allowing less density.

The property's 180-foot height limit is being replaced with new restrictions that would allow a future building to rise as high as 120 feet at the north end of the site, but the remaining southern portion now has a 60-foot limit.

The unanimous agreement on that compromise, which came out of many months of discussion, was reached only after an unsuccessful attempt Monday night by Council Member Jack Eaton, D-4th Ward, to impose even stricter limits.

....

https://33.media.tumblr.com/655621fc...8zjo1_1280.jpg

The city began looking more closely at the zoning along the edges of downtown two years ago when the controversial 413 E. Huron high-rise was proposed.

The 14-story apartment tower at the northeast corner of Division and Huron streets, which some argue is out of scale with the adjacent neighborhood, was approved because it fit the zoning, according to a majority of council members.

The city launched a review of the downtown zoning in 2013 in hopes of avoiding another controversy like 413 E. Huron. One of the recommendations that came out of that public process was downzoning the 425 S. Main property.

"We've been looking at this a long time obviously," Lumm said, noting the city doesn't want to "repeat the mistakes of 413 E. Huron."

....

Rizzo

Jan 12, 2015 7:10 PM

The height limits will ultimately make things look worse. You'll have these oppressive canyons of fat and squat buildings rather than slender tall ones that allow light to permeate to streets, add character to the skyline and facilitate better preservation of existing structures since density would be more concentrated.

I know besides typical zoning setbacks Ann arbor probably enforces some design guidelines in regard to terracing and stepping higher floor levels that could add some interest. But creating height ceilings doesn't stop Ann arbor from continuing to grow and replace existing buildings with what will become a plateau of boxy midrises

subterranean

Jan 12, 2015 8:45 PM

I understand that a tall building can look awkward next to a house, but in the long wrong taller buildings will probably save more of the character of traditional neighborhoods if they aren't taking up more acreage. That is, if their main concern is development affecting the small town character of the neighborhoods.

Rizzo

Feb 15, 2015 1:25 AM

A couple updates on the UMAEC page.

1. Biological Sciences Building.
This would replace North Hall, or the old ROTC building which is probably one of the oldest buildings on campus. Despite its age, I never felt the building was all that attractive so I think this is a substantially better replacement:

http://www.umaec.umich.edu/wp-conten...11-13-Rev1.jpg

More Renderings Available here:
http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/...ence-building/

2. David Dennison Building
The elevators that made me late for Calculus in freshman year. Not my fault. This bunker is getting a makeover with some glassed in atrium spaces
http://www.umaec.umich.edu/wp-conten...0_dennison.jpg

http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/...ng-renovation/

Also, Check out the webcams of the munger graduate residence which is a large neogothic structure
http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/...es/web-camera/

sentinel

Feb 16, 2015 4:49 AM

^Ahhh, sometimes I miss my alma mater. Sometimes. Go Blue!

(Thanks Hayward).

animatedmartian

Feb 24, 2015 2:40 PM

Quote:

7-story apartment building planned on site where Happy's Pizza burned down
By Ryan Stanton. February 24, 2015.

Now more than a year after a fire destroyed Happy's Pizza at the southwest corner of Main and Madison streets, an Ann Arbor developer has submitted plans to the city for a new mixed-use development on the site.

"The Madison on Main" is the name of the apartment building being proposed at 600 S. Main St. by Dan Ketelaar, president of Urban Group Development.

The plans show a 37,764-square-foot building that would include six stories plus a single penthouse unit on top.

In all, there would be 28 to 32 luxury rental units rising above a ground-floor retail space, which is envisioned as a deli or cafe with outdoor seating.

The units would range in size from 600 square feet to more than 1,800 square feet, including a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, some with a study.

The project would take shape immediately north of Ketelaar's 618 South Main apartment building, which is under construction.

What remained of Happy's Pizza was demolished last year, and the site is now being used as a staging area for construction on 618 South Main.

The design for The Madison on Main is said to be inspired by the types of buildings found in cities such as Seville, Spain; Vienna, Austria; and Chicago, Illinois.

The design team includes Saroki Architecture, InSite Design Studio, Washtenaw Engineering, Robert Darvas Associates and Zimmerman/Volk Associates.

...

Lots of detailed renderings in the article. Here's a few.

https://40.media.tumblr.com/03c9493f...8zjo1_1280.jpg

https://41.media.tumblr.com/14a17108...8zjo2_1280.jpg

https://41.media.tumblr.com/2c05c4b9...8zjo3_1280.jpg

The most recently couple of images on Streetview of this block give a good sense of how much density is being added to this area.

2012
https://36.media.tumblr.com/627f90be...8zjo1_1280.png

2013
https://40.media.tumblr.com/89caf5c1...8zjo2_1280.png

the urban politician

Feb 24, 2015 6:07 PM

^ Wait, by that last pic I take it that it's already under construction?

JonathanGRR

Feb 24, 2015 7:42 PM

I think they were just using that lot for staging for the building next door.

animatedmartian

Feb 25, 2015 1:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician (Post 6927107)

^ Wait, by that last pic I take it that it's already under construction?

The building next door in the rendering (618 South Main) is already under construction and the lot the proposed building is on (600 South Main) is currently used as the staging area. From a picture of 618 South Main in January, it's relatively close to being finished and the lot for 600 South Main will likely be ready to use by the time it gets approval.

https://36.media.tumblr.com/b95fd33c...48zjo1_540.jpg
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/...inate_cit.html

the urban politician

Feb 25, 2015 1:39 AM

^ Ahh, I got it. Based on the renderings, these projects are going to dramatically change the feel of the area.

I probably haven't set foot in Ann Arbor in about 8 years. How different should I expect it to feel if I visit again? I hear about a lot of development for sure, but I can't tell how much it has transformed the city (you can't really tell these things until you see it in person, I guess).

animatedmartian

Feb 25, 2015 3:37 AM

Yea, I haven't been in Ann Arbor myself for about a year or so, and even then it was just through the college. Overall, I'd say the downtown area feels pretty dense, but really compact. Walk a few blocks in any direction from downtown and it still more or less feels like a small town or suburban area, though obviously with ever increasing traffic.

Edit: And actually, I just though about this a few days later, but Ann Arbor doesn't really have many urban townhomes. At least not in the city center. Everything seems to be a several story high rise or single-family home. There's very little in-between density.

Rizzo

Mar 25, 2015 3:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician (Post 6927107)

^ Wait, by that last pic I take it that it's already under construction?

It's really far along actually. I have a crappy photo I took in December. I'll try and find it.

Looks like the U of M architecture school is expanding

http://www.umaec.umich.edu/wp-conten...2/Picture1.jpg

There's more images here, but they are pdfs
http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/...roject/design/

Rizzo

Mar 25, 2015 3:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by animatedmartian (Post 6927843)

Ashley Mews. It's in a transition zone between SFRs and downtown. There's others around the area too. At least traditional urban rowhomes never existed in Ann arbor because it was a small farming town with very limited industry and therefore very little dense worker housing, though there may have been some in old lower downtown much of that is gone nowadays.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/6/1079...e3adc09b_b.jpg

sentinel

Mar 25, 2015 5:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayward (Post 6963718)

Wow, go Blue indeed. It's about time - the piecemeal, mini renovations they've been doing for so long may be dated by now, but I haven't visited there in a while, so who knows...

animatedmartian

Mar 30, 2015 11:27 PM

The downtown Marriott hotel is officially topped off.

https://40.media.tumblr.com/a092d372...8zjo1_1280.jpg
http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-ar...arbor_hot.html

animatedmartian

Apr 25, 2015 7:13 PM

Photos by Ryan Stanton of MLive.

413 Huron St. aka Foundry Lofts

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psah3bdvfl.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psugmuya7t.jpg

Marriott Downtown Hotel

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pst2qowzkd.jpg

ArborBLU

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psovsmyind.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psgwrvq3wu.jpg

animatedmartian

May 24, 2015 2:21 PM

Quote:

Google's move reveals challenges for downtown Ann Arbor
By Nathan Bomey, Detroit Free Press

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps2xhl2o3o.jpg

Google's decision to build a new corporate campus in northern Ann Arbor is another sign of the city's economic momentum, but it also exposes a lurking crisis for the growth prospects of downtown.

Construction cranes dot Ann Arbor's bustling urban core, erecting several new high-rise luxury apartment complexes geared primarily at wealthy students and young professionals.

What you won't see across the shifting skyline is new office construction. Tech companies are aching to locate downtown, but real estate developers say it doesn't make financial sense to build new offices to house them.

So as downtown Ann Arbor's thriving tech companies grow, they won't just be tempted to leave. They'll be forced to leave.

"If we had more space would we able to have more companies downtown? I think the answer is yes," said Paul Krutko, CEO of economic development group Ann Arbor SPARK. "Right now it's a restrictor."

It's already happening. Google ran out of space at the McKinley Towne Centre complex at the corner of Liberty and Division in the heart of Ann Arbor's technology corridor, where it was previously leasing 85,000 square feet.

With more than 400 employees at its Ann Arbor sales division and smaller Birmingham office, Google's decision to leave downtown was inevitable. Google signed a deal with First Martin to lease an existing office on the city's north side and construct an adjacent new facility, all totaling about 140,000 square feet to accommodate its growth.

By comparison, at the end of 2014 downtown Ann Arbor had a total of 61,399 square feet of office space available, according to Swisher Commercial's annual real estate survey.

That reflects a stunningly low vacancy rate of 3.62%, compared to southeast Michigan's overall office vacancy rate of 25.1%, according to National Association of Realtors.

....

The question many people are asking is, 'At what point will a new building be built to meet the demand for downtown office space?'" Swisher reported.

It's not far off. McKinley, for example, owns the air rights to develop the McKinley Towne Centre complex skyward.

Within a few years, it will probably make financial sense to build up.

Average commercial office space rent is about $20 to $25 per square foot in downtown Ann Arbor right now. Berriz said it needs to reach about $40 to $45 to justify new development.

"The rents have grown a lot in the last 10 years," he said. "I don't think it's there today to build the kinds of buildings some of these companies would like to have. But I also think that places down by the airport, places down by Briarwood Mall -- if you look at all parts of Ann Arbor, they're all full. So what's happening is it's all going to push back to the downtown. And sooner or later, downtown development for office will be justifiable."

The first stage of downtown Ann Arbor's development boom was high-rise student luxury apartments, with sparkling new towers charging high rates for plush amenities.

But Berriz said he believes that phase is coming to an end.

"Candidly that market is over-saturated in my opinion," he said. "We do a lot of distressed real estate across the country and that's an asset class that in many locations is overbuilt and in trouble. I think there's a limit to the number of students that can pay $1,400 for one bed. There was a surge. I think that surge is over."

The vexing challenge now is making the numbers work for new downtown office developments.

....

http://www.freep.com/story/money/bus...rket/27713089/

animatedmartian

Jul 8, 2015 4:01 PM

Quote:

Market study makes case for 150-room hotel on Ann Arbor's Library Lot
By Ryan Stanton. July 6, 2015.

For years it's been a common belief among some Ann Arbor community and business leaders that downtown could use another hotel, and one with enough meeting space to accommodate large professional conferences.

Hotel options in the downtown right now include the 208-room Dahlmann Campus Inn on Huron Street and the 66-room Bell Tower Hotel on Thayer Street, among other options such as the Embassy Hotel and the Inn at the Michigan Union.

Ann Arbor developer First Martin Corp. also is building a 110-room Residence Inn that's set to open later this year on Ashley Street.

But there's still demand for even more hospitality accommodations in the downtown, according to a market study by PKF Consulting USA.
The study points out demand in the local hotel market, as analyzed by PKF, grew at an average annual rate of 4.6 percent between 2009 and 2013.

"Demand has exhibited robust growth since 2010, suggesting the area's participation in the general economic recovery," the report concludes, making the case for a new 150-room hotel on the city-owned Library Lot in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor.

PKF's study was completed this past year under the direction of real estate consultant CBRE as part of the city's Library Lot request-for-proposals process.

CBRE is helping the city market and sell the 0.8-acre property on Fifth Avenue above the Library Lane underground parking garage.

Three of the five private development proposals city officials are considering for the site include a new downtown hotel, with anywhere from 135 to 179 rooms, and possibly enough meeting space to host a 500-person banquet.

.....

animatedmartian

Jul 8, 2015 4:18 PM

Quote:

Developers unveil plans for boutique hotel on vacant Glen Avenue site
By Ryan Stanton. July 8, 2015.

Developers behind a proposed nine-story, mixed-use hotel and retail development in Ann Arbor offered the city's Planning Commission a first look at their initial concept Tuesday night.

Known as The Glen, the upscale boutique hotel envisioned by Craig Singer and Fred Goldberg, working together as the Catherine Ann Development Company, could bring new life to a long-vacant site on the west side of Glen Avenue between Catherine and Ann streets at the edge of the Old Fourth Ward Historic District.

The property, once slated for a nine-story apartment development that never happened, sits across from the University of Michigan's medical campus.

Singer said they purchased the property about 18 months ago and have been considering potential uses. It's their hope the hotel could open by late 2016 or early 2017 with approval from the city.

Described as a roughly 152,000-square-foot, mixed-use project, The Glen would include 194 hotel rooms, including 34 suites, as well as sizable banquet and meeting room spaces, including a main ballroom accommodating 550 or more people.

....

The hotel's architects are Neumann/Smith of Southfield and J. Bradley Moore and Associates of Ann Arbor.

The Planning Commission held a special work session Tuesday night to hear initial ideas from the development team.

The conceptual plans are still being refined and the designs are subject to change based on community input, but initial drawings show a building featuring a combination of brick, glass and stone serving as a transition between the historic district to the west and various contemporary university buildings to the east.

....

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psa7ubiy9t.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps5symmbpc.jpg

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/.../the_glen.html

uaarkson

Jul 9, 2015 11:15 PM

Nice! Ann Arbor is really heating up now. Does anyone here know how many developable plots remain in the downtown core?

Rizzo

Jul 10, 2015 4:22 AM

Exciting stuff. I think all of the proposals for the library lot are attractive. And Glen-Ann Place...wow. Last time we heard anything on this was a decade ago.

The NIMBYs had a fit then. This plan looks almost taller and that's better IMO.

The past decade has been a boom for Ann Arbor and the University. Never has the city built so much medium to high density residential, and never before has the university spent this many billions of dollars on construction

animatedmartian

Jul 24, 2015 2:22 AM

Quote:

Hundreds of new apartments in downtown Ann Arbor getting ready to welcome tenants
By Ryan Stanton. July 23, 2015. MLive.

In the race to bring new luxury apartments to market in downtown Ann Arbor, and fill them with tenants by this fall, not all will be champions.

While three new rental housing developments are getting ready to welcome residents in August and September, the Foundry Lofts high-rise at 413 E. Huron St. is months behind schedule, has struggled with leasing, and now has canceled fall leases.

Billed as luxury student housing, the 14-story building was expected to begin welcoming tenants in late August in time for the start of the University of Michigan's fall semester, but those who signed leases for the fall are being forced to make other accommodations now, and the developer is citing construction delays as the reason.

The leasing website now indicates finished apartments will be available starting in January 2016 in time for U-M's spring semester.

A representative for the Cardinal Group, the management firm handling leasing for Foundry Lofts, said about 25 percent of the units are pre-leased.

....

Counting the Foundry Lofts and ArborBLU student apartment high-rises, as well as 618 South Main and the Munger Graduate Residences, nearly 1,600 new beds are being added to the rental housing market in downtown Ann Arbor.

That follows a wave of housing development, including other apartment high-rises built in recent years that have increased the downtown population.

By the Downtown Development Authority's count, more than 1,400 new bedrooms were constructed downtown between 2010 and 2014.

Based on occupancy reports, the DDA estimates the downtown population is now about 5,500, up from 4,067 in the 2010 census.

In addition to luxury apartments, dozens of high-end condos are being built in the downtown and selling faster than developers can build them.

Foundry Lofts - Delayed opening to January 2016
http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pscegom8iy.jpg

ArborBLU - Move-in ready by August 25th
http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psak53jywj.jpg

618 South Main - Move-in ready August 1st
http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psoucosxjm.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pskb39zl7p.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psdqx64xu2.jpg

Munger Graduate Residences at the University of Michigan - Opening August 1st
http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps9vnavp08.jpg

Bonus peek inside the U-M new dorms. They look pretty fancy.

• Video Link

Rizzo

Jul 27, 2015 6:07 PM

Rather impressive for totally modular built construction. Munger graduate residences were built in a factory, and then delivered on site. The rooms were dropped into place like puzzle pieces and the structure of the building was assembled like legos. The finished product totally looks custom...especially with all that ornate masonry. Nicely done, we've come a long way in construction technology

animatedmartian

Jul 31, 2015 3:32 AM

Quote:

5-story condo building proposed next to fish sculpture park on Kingsley
By Ryan Stanton. July 29, 2015. MLive.

The two-unit building is planned just to the east of the city's fish sculpture park at the corner of First and Kingsley, hence the project's name: Kingsley Parkside. It also would back up to a 25-unit condo development planned at 410 First St.

Ann Arbor-based James & Werner LLC is behind the Kingsley Parkside project, which still needs to go through the city's approval process.

The new building, replacing a single-family home on the 3,168-square-foot lot, would include two units each with three bedrooms and two enclosed parking spaces.

Savarino Properties is handling marketing and sales for the units, describing them as having an urban loft feel but with a traditional townhouse footprint.

A 2,601-square-foot unit is listed at $1.145 million, and a 2,926-square-foot unit is listed at $1.195 million.

The building is expected to rise 49 feet tall, which is shorter than the 60 feet permitted under the D2 zoning.

....

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psslwye4n7.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psuncd3o0w.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psecfdgu5w.jpg

Currently:

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psfyd9n9gl.jpg

animatedmartian

Aug 7, 2015 12:41 AM

Quote:

Scaled-back version of Madison on Main headed to City Council for approval
By Ryan Stanton. Mlive. August 6, 2015.

Ann Arbor developer Dan Ketelaar has reduced the scope of his proposed Madison on Main luxury apartment development on the edge of the Old West Side.

As presented to the city's Planning Commission Wednesday night, it's now 60 feet tall, five stories and 26 units.

It was proposed earlier this year as a 78-foot-tall, seven-story, 33-unit apartment building at the southwest corner of Main and Madison streets, the vacant corner lot where Happy's Pizza burned down in a fire in January 2014.

The Planning Commission voted 7-0 in favor of the scale-back version of the project, forwarding it to the City Council for final approval.

Now measuring 32,616 square feet, the Madison on Main is estimated to cost $6 million to construct.

The new apartment building would rise immediately next to the six-story, 164-unit apartment building known as 618 South Main, another one of Ketelaar's projects that's being finished right now and already about 75 percent leased.

Ketelaar, president of Urban Group Development in Ann Arbor, believes the Madison on Main will complement 618 South Main and serve as an attractive entrance to the Old West Side neighborhood, with apartments rising above a ground-floor retail space that's shown in drawings as the "Madison Cafe."

...

Scaled-back design

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psifynfgs5.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psgkpydwek.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psa9ldm65d.jpg

Original design

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psvxaifqgp.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps38nftrn2.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps6waoxcmp.jpg

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/...f_madison.html

animatedmartian

Aug 31, 2015 10:07 PM

Ann Arbor city council down to two proposals for the Library Lot. After community input and some more meetings with the developers by October, the developers will be able to finalize their designs, financing, and uses for the building (most likely residential and hotel by the looks of it).

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psw0meggkp.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pswpfbnflh.jpg

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/...als_under.html

the urban politician

Sep 1, 2015 12:29 PM

^ I'm favoring the top one, although I'm not sure if that's because it's a more quality rendering

animatedmartian

Sep 19, 2015 4:01 PM

Wowzers. Mighty fine improvement over the initial design.

Quote:

Ann Arbor is reviewing plans for 9-story hotel called The Glen
By Matt Durr. MLive. September 9, 2015.

The site plans for a nine-story mixed use hotel and retail development on Glen Avenue between Catherine and Ann are under review by the City of Ann Arbor Historic District Commission.

Known as The Glen, a review of the plans by the city raised no major concerns about the project and said it would be a welcomed addition to the neighborhood. The plans are expected to be discussed by the HDC at its Oct. 8 meeting.

The 194-room hotel would include a number of suites and extended stay rooms for guests, along with meeting spaces for conferences and receptions, according to documents submitted to the city. The extended stay rooms would be a key part of the development because of its proximity to the University of Michigan Hospital.

Four stories of underground parking would also be built as part of the plans. The mixed-use site would be approximately 152,000-square-feet.

...

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psbirgxdql.png

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pshzktglxz.png

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pskv8zrtv0.png

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psp76egbmg.png

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psiiyhb2xp.png

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psr4e8xw6b.png

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psdyfyx07w.png

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psdh1f5xzh.png

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psukdbicfb.png

uaarkson

Sep 26, 2015 12:55 PM

Looks great, if a little dated. Functionally it's awesome. I hope the large window feature at the top is a part of some public space.

animatedmartian

Oct 26, 2015 5:33 PM

Quote:

6-story apartment building proposed for South Main Street in Ann Arbor
By Matt Durr. MLive. October 26, 2015.

Design plans for a mixed-use development housing project in Ann Arbor are being reviewed as a St. Louis-based developer proposes a six-story high rise on South Main Street.

Collegiate Development Group has submitted plans to Ann Arbor Design Review Board for a project that would include micro-studio, studio and townhouses along with three-, four- and five-bedroom apartments.

The project would span over a trio of parcels at 615, 633 and 637 S. Main, which are occupied by businesses in the South Main Market, a hookah lounge and The Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts.

A 5,000-square-foot commercial retail space would be built as part of the ground floor of the project.

Architect Brad Moore of J Bradley Moore & Associates said the retail space could be occupied by one or a couple of the tenants in the current shopping areas if a deal can be worked out with the developer.

The ground floor will also feature townhouses with slightly elevated porches and a entrances that open right off of Main Street. Commons areas and community rooms will also be located on the ground floor and overlook Main Street.

....

Known as "The Residences at 615 S Main," the property would include 199 parking spaces and total 86,162 square feet. A courtyard and pool would be in the center of the complex.

City records show the three properties that would be combined to form the housing project have not been sold.

....

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pshjn1werq.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psudpiodl7.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pssvctv58y.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pspothm2y2.jpg

Quite a number of businesses occupy the current properties so I'd imagine this would have an uphill battle ahead.

animatedmartian

Oct 26, 2015 5:42 PM

Quote:

Plans submitted for 12-story student high-rise in downtown Ann Arbor
By Matt Durr. MLive. October 25, 2015.

Two years after a highly controversial 14-story high-rise was approved on East Huron in downtown Ann Arbor, the city will soon be discussing a similar project on the same block.

Core Spaces, an Illinois-based real estate firm specializing in residential, hospitality and student housing projects, bought slightly more than a half-acre of land from developer Dennis Dahlmann and is seeking to build a 12-story student housing building on the site.

Two years after a highly controversial 14-story high-rise was approved on East Huron in downtown Ann Arbor, the city will soon be discussing a similar project on the same block.

Core Spaces, an Illinois-based real estate firm specializing in residential, hospitality and student housing projects, bought slightly more than a half-acre of land from developer Dennis Dahlmann and is seeking to build a 12-story student housing building on the site.

The project would be on the same block as the still-under-construction Foundry Lofts, which won City Council approval in a contentious 6-5 vote in 2013.

Plans for the property have been submitted to the Ann Arbor Design Review Board for site plan approval by City Council that call for 129 units to be built on the property directly next to The Dahlmann Campus Inn.

The building would be located on the properties of 513 and 603 E. Huron between the hotel and the Sloan Plaza.

....

The project is likely to spur similar discussions to when Foundry Lofts made its plans known to the city. Concerns about proximity to residential areas, how it fit visually in the neighborhood and traffic congestion led to a narrow 6-5 council vote in favor of the project.

At the time of the approval, many residents expressed outrage over the decision to move forward with project.

AJ Capital Partners, the Chicago-based hospitality firm that bought The Dahlmann Campus Inn last month, has already announced plans to renovate the hotel, meaning that stretch of East Huron could see major construction continue over the course of the next few years.

Work on Foundry Lofts began in October 2013 and remains unfinished. Earlier this year, the management group for the project announced it was canceling fall leases for the student-housing project as the building was not ready.

The Foundry Lofts website is now advertising the apartments will be ready in August 2016.

Core Spaces is one of the two finalists for the city-owned library lot project. The company proposed a 17-story mixed-use building with retail, hotel, residential and office spaces included.

....

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pstaxf2bqi.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps30wwevnl.jpg

Current space:
http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps4k9ivhcm.jpg

http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-ar...d_for_12-.html

animatedmartian

Oct 26, 2015 5:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by animatedmartian (Post 7148995)

Ann Arbor city council down to two proposals for the Library Lot. After community input and some more meetings with the developers by October, the developers will be able to finalize their designs, financing, and uses for the building (most likely residential and hotel by the looks of it).

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pswpfbnflh.jpg

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/...als_under.html

Updated rendering:

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psslwkoes9.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...psfdmepdk9.jpg

There's also considerations for the building massing.

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pszhnylm9h.jpg

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...pstgsi3lz8.jpg

Quote:

Project architect John Myefski of Myefski Architects presented the team's concept, emphasizing they welcomed all feedback.
"Positive, negative — we'll take it all, so that we know going forward what we might do to the design to actually twist it, turn it, and bend it to kind of make it really work for this community," said Myefski, a University of Michigan graduate.

"We're all focused here today on a plaza, and that's important," Myefski said. "But I think what we're kind of missing is there's a real opportunity to connect Liberty Plaza to this plaza, and everything else in between."

....

Myefski presented three different site and building configurations labeled Option A, Option B and Option C, with a mix of public and semi-private green spaces.

Option A is the current massing proposal, and Option B and Option C are alternatives under consideration.

As described in the original proposal from Core Spaces, the southwest corner of the building would be set back to accommodate a 3,500-square-foot corner plaza, with a 4,000-square-foot patio and public area on the second floor extending toward Fifth Avenue, plus a 2,500-square-foot courtyard deck looking out over Library Lane with a pool for the hotel and private amenity space for residents.

Myefski said Core Spaces already changed the design from the original proposal and the ground-level plaza space is larger now.

...

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/...entations.html

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