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
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.
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
South wall facing palmer field
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.
Mott
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.
School of Kinesiology, beautiful rehab
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
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.
New crosswalks and plazas
Zaragon 2 site clearing
New Law School building. Note the brand new Ford School of public policy to the right that opened 2 years ago.
Masonry matches the old of the neighboring law quad.
Michigan Stadium, east approach
Michigan Stadium, east elevation
Upper loggia level
Main loggia level
New Suites
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
North Quad.
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.
I can imagine ivy climbing up that back wall.
