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That is too bad about your friend's possessions. I hope she had renter's insurance. |
She did fortunately.
You know I was reading up more on the old pinball petes house and I guess it was on the market for a pretty high price. No wonder it was vacant so long. I always thought it was such a missed opportunity, and things got worse I guess. At this point, no one is sure yet whether they will demolish it or just secure the building back up. That would make it an even worse eyesore on the block. I read on annarbor.com that nearby owners believe there were people living inside, gaining access from the roof of their buildings. With the exception of several units in U-Towers, it looks like the new teahouse next door escaped damage. |
Flickr user Tom has posted some updates of the interior of North Quad (academic spaces) They are the first available photos showing the interior.
Well....definitely lacking in the type of finishes you'd expect to see for the amount of effort in the design of the exterior. Drywall and drop ceilings I see....glad it's not my office. I guess I was expecting to be blown away when you see what they did with the Business School. http://www.flickr.com/photos/4583488...7622842424260/ |
Not much in the way of natural light in there, either. It sort of feels like a cave from what I gather from those photos. Then again, when you're trying to emulate a historic style, that's most likely what you'll get.
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Downtown Ann Arbor apartment project Zaragon Place 2 wins approval at Planning Commission
Posted: Jun 16, 2010 at 6:01 AM [Jun 16, 2010] Chicago-based developer Richard Perlman left Ann Arbor's city hall Tuesday night without the same frustration other developers have experienced recently. In only an hour's time, Perlman's 14-story apartment project received unanimous approval from the Ann Arbor Planning Commission during a praise-filled meeting. http://www.annarbor.com/assets_c/201...x420-43755.jpg http://www.annarbor.com/news/downtow...ng-commission/ |
601 Forest student high-rise developer aims for fall construction start
The developer of 601 Forest - a planned 14-story student high-rise at the corner of South University and South Forest - is adding parking and shedding some square footage. The next step, city officials say, appears to be filing for building permits that will start the construction process. http://www.annarbor.com/assets_c/201...x362-44648.jpg http://www.annarbor.com/business-rev...ruction-start/ |
University of Michigan Board of Regents approves $56 million residence hall renovation
Another University of Michigan residence hall is due for a major facelift. The U-M Board of Regents approved a $56 million makeover of the Alice C. Lloyd Hall at its monthly meeting Thursday. The project is part of the Residential Life Initiative, a program approved by the board in 2004 to modernize and improve residence halls. http://www.annarbor.com/news/univers...ll-renovation/ |
If you like pizza, the Zaragon Place 2 is ideal, Cottage Inn (pizza) is right next door! As those in the article about it suggested, it is a good location, near other large buildings and a block from all the retail on Liberty street. If I were to move back to Ann Arbor, I would consider living there.
On the other hand, the 601 Forest and the older University Towers are out-of-scale with the rest of the low-rise structures along South University. |
I am though happy 601 scaled back the proposal to the above. The original towers were INCREDIBLY out of scale.
As for Lloyd, this is great news! This means all the hill buildings will have undergone extensive renovations and restorations. Certainly Markley could use a renovation someday, but rumor has it that building may disappear forever. Something tells me few will miss its architecture. |
KRESGE BUILDINGS TO BE DEMOLISHED
A demolition I can announce with great joy. The ugliest buildings on the Medical campus are coming down. I had the unfortunate experience of having my freshman dorm window facing these ugly structures Here's a webcam image. It should self update in this thread. Since I've made this post, half the complex was demolished http://141.214.81.222/axis-cgi/jpg/i...=1277505837886 Source. U of M plant extension Currently the masterplan shows diagonal sidewalks that will connect the hill area more appropriately to the heart of the medical campus. It appears two buildings will be sited on triangular shaped lots in the near future. |
I always liked going by that building on the bus.
Actually, out of all of the buildings pictured in this thread that's one of my favorites. :rolleyes: |
The one in the back wasn't all that bad. But the two lower buildings on Ann were awful. You could replace the windows on what's left, and put a bunch of grass out front, I'd be happy with just that.
However, we are talking about a very prominent corner here. The new building should be innovative and powerful. |
Interesting to see these construction updates, the last time I visited Ann Arbor ( few weeks ago) it was just awful.
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I drove by the planned site of the Zaragon Place 2 today and it looks like the excavators have been at work for a few days.
Hayward, its too bad you did not also include a static shot of the Kresge Building at the beginning of demolition along with the webcame hotlink - the building is now gone. |
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Institute for Social Research Addition.
A new addition that will be sited on South Division. The addition matches the existing building seamlessly No buildings exist on site. Nothing will be demolished http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/...rspective1.jpg Source: University of Michigan Plant Extension http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/...880/index.html |
BTW, I have plenty of update photos to share on my recent trip to A2.
Here's just a mention of what's happened: Zaragon 2: Excavation only. All former site elements have been cleared North Quad: Complete and Open Mott Children's Hospital: Exterior complete, drive up entry still needs paving Couzens Hall: Exterior restoration complete, new windows, work progressing on interior Michigan Stadium: Complete and Open CVS: Old Exterior facade braced, interior replaced with new steel Tally Hall: White-box renovations completed last year. Two businesses now occupying this space....LAB and @burger New Law Quad Building: Windows installed, west elevation entirely clad in matching stone and details. Other elevations up to about the second floor so far City Hall Addition: New building nearing completion Thompson Street Parking Structure Addition: Complete and partially open CC Little Transit Center: Complete and Open Destroyed Pinball Petes: Demolished and cleared. Site has interested buyers 601 Forest: All buildings still standing. Regularly occupied buildings are occupied. Regularly vacant buildings are vacant. In other words, no action as of yet. Kresge buildings: Park now exists. Still fenced off. Grass has been put down. You know what? It actually looks really nice. I don't know, maybe a park is okay permanently? thoughts? All and all. Ann Arbor's looking really great these days. It's certainly lost a couple old time favorites like Shaman Drum, but the new stuff is a vast improvement. Some good new mom and pop coffee shops and restaurants, and a couple new non-sports apparel clothing stores. That's a really good sign. I didn't see any vacancies. So, I think the city has successfully cleared the recession without any scars. |
Ann Arbor development has never garnered all that much discussion here, but oh well, here's the photos I've taken.
New Thompson Street Garage http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa01.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa02.jpg New meets old. One of additions was railings. The old ramp had knee rails, so if someone pushed you, you would easily fall over the edge. Most people just simply stayed away from the edge. http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa03.jpg Couzens Hall with new windows and masonry repair. I can't remember the last time I've seen the limestone accent bands shine that bright or the brick that deep of a red. No idea what the interior renovations look like http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa04.jpg South wall facing palmer field http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa12.jpg New Park where the Kresge complex once was. The campus development plan shows buildings taking this spot in just a few years. Wouldn't be surprised if this park was used for staging and maturing of trees for other parts of campus in the meantime. http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa05.jpg Mott http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa06.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa07.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa08.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa09.jpg School of public health...or with all those funky wave columns and accents, the entrance to Seaworld possibly. I've never been fond of this building. It just looks really strange, especially that archway over the road with the way they ran the bricks. And those fiberglas cornices are beginning to bow and bubble on all sides of the building. Check out the flashing peeling away above that entry. It's like it's made of paper. http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa10.jpg School of Kinesiology, beautiful rehab http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa11.jpg Mosher-Jordan renovation and new central dining facility. That's been open and the place is gorgeous inside. I now understand why so many universities are demolishing their 1950's-1970's dorms. They are cell blocks, and that's not conducive to a comfortable live-learn type of environment. Today's new dorms feature high end amenities, gourmet food courts, and spa-like washrooms. To keep up with the $4000-6000/month student lofts nearby, the University must build high end, and that's exactly what they are doing. Behind me was the also recently restored/renovated Stockwell Hall http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa13.jpg New transit center. Hey, I was hoping for el trains or maybe a subway system when I returned, but you never know in the future. http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa14.jpg New crosswalks and plazas http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa15.jpg Zaragon 2 site clearing http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa16.jpg New Law School building. Note the brand new Ford School of public policy to the right that opened 2 years ago. http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa17.jpg Masonry matches the old of the neighboring law quad. http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa18.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa23.jpg Michigan Stadium, east approach http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/...c170e426_b.jpg Michigan Stadium, east elevation http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa19.jpg Upper loggia level http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa20.jpg Main loggia level http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa21.jpg New Suites http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa22.jpg http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1057/...ef371875_b.jpg New CVS. Facadectomy of an old building. Looks they didn't tear down the house/store thing. Kind of glad. Adds character. But the arched facade building was in bad shape. At least it will look the same (or better) and have modern office and retail space behind it http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa24.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa25.jpg North Quad. http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa26.jpg Back in 2004, I sat bored in a room inside a building that once stood on this site. I was right by a window that would have sat just above the present day entrance to this new structure. It was my sister's graduation and the film school was having a mini ceremony of their own. While I listened to speakers go on for about an hour, I began peeling the paint off this rotted out window sill. By the end, I had 1/4 of the sill stripped if flaking paint. I got an ugly stare from my mom, considering I had just damaged an already damaged piece of architecture (that was my immature excuse back then). I guess it didn't matter. The building was destroyed 1 year later. The Frieze building was good in many ways and terrible other times. Its exterior had rich classical elements, but the interior was a warren and for the most part, the building not very well taken care of. The university knew its days were numbered. http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa27.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa28.jpg I can imagine ivy climbing up that back wall. http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa29.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa30.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa31.jpg http://www.umich.edu/~ifmuth/aafall2010/aa32.jpg |
Those suites at the Big House look like something straight out of Star Wars, I'm talking like Star Destroyers or Darth Vader's helmet. Strangely, it seems to fit with the stadium, though. Very intimidating.
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Great update, Hayward!
The University does "old" really well. It doesn't look imitation cheap like you see in faux historic development in so many other places |
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