Ann Arbor Construction updates

[DetroitMan]

I agree with the above statements that this should be a signature tower and not some boxy file cabinet looking building. Fortunately, the commissioners feel the same according to an article in today's Ann Arbor News.

2 big proposals to reshape Ann Arbor’s central area get first review

A 24-story skyscraper planned on Main Street should be exceptionally designed to stand out as an iconic building, Ann Arbor planning commissioners suggest.

“This better be a gorgeous building,” said Lisa Disch, City Council’s liaison to the Planning Commission.

Disch and other commissioners gave the development team behind the project at 125 S. Main St. initial feedback during a special work session Tuesday night, Sept. 12, expressing some excitement while acknowledging its potential to reshape the skyline. Community members are tired of buildings they think are not thoughtfully designed, Disch said, suggesting at 24 stories what may replace the five-story, former Chase Bank building at Main and Washington streets in the heart of downtown ought to make a statement. Commissioner Sarah Mills pointed out it would dwarf the adjacent First National Bank Building, which at 10 stories has been the tallest building in that part of downtown since the 1920s. With distinctive architectural features, it stands out on Main Street and is seasonally decorated with holiday lights.While there are no detailed renderings for the 24-story tower yet — only massing diagrams — Steven Kalabat, a representative for the development group, told commissioners it’s going to be beautifully designed and hopefully iconic.

“It’ll look amazing,” said Kalabat, who is working with New York City-based SHoP Architects Inc. on the design.

Tuesday’s meeting was a first review before the development team formally submits plans for approval.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...st-review.html

[Rizzo]

^ Oh wow that’s a relief to hear that right off the bat. At least construction thus far has used good materials, but the boxy masses of residential buildings the last few years feels west loop Chicago and not the small town feel of Ann Arbor. Granted you can match density with height, but it’s not the cheapest option.

[DetroitMan]

‘Bigger is better.’ Downtown zoning changes headed to Ann Arbor council

As officials aim for more housing and greater density, the next change to the regulations may be getting rid of floor-area limits and letting developers automatically build up to height limits without needing to unlock bonus floor-area premiums.

With that, the city would be saying to developers, “Bigger is better, we want density, and we’re going to make it much easier for you to do that,” City Planner Alexis DiLeo said. The city’s Planning Commission voted 7-0 Tuesday night, Sept. 19, to endorse a set of staff-recommended changes that would move the downtown zoning in that direction.

They now await City Council approval. The changes don’t revise height limits that generally range from 60 to 180 feet in D1 and D2 zones, but they would no longer make developers tap into premiums and provide certain features in order to build up to those heights.

Developers still could get a 30% height increase for sustainable and affordable housing and go above the height limits — an incentive offered for development anywhere in the city, officials said. However, that’s technically classified as an exception to height, not a premium.

Ben Carlisle, a consultant with Carlisle Wortman Associates, gave commissioners an overview of the proposed changes Tuesday, saying existing downtown premiums put in place in recent years are not advancing city goals and are potentially stifling development. Carlisle and colleague Megan Masson-Minock also explained the changes in a memo. The changes would make it easier for developers to reach maximum heights, since they would no longer need to navigate the city’s premium process, the consultants said. They predict it would result in an increase in development proposals with more residential units than what the city has seen in the last couple years, going back to facilitating a rate of construction similar to what the city saw from 2014 to 2021.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...r-council.html

[DetroitMan]

Central Campus project now costs $631M at University of Michigan

An upcoming infusion of student lodging at University of Michigan will cost an extra $141 million than previously estimated, and its completion is delayed by a half-year.

A $490-million student housing project on Central Campus will now cost $631 million, according to a Sept. 21 resolution approved by the university’s Board of Regents.

The project received a $30 million up front to complete “critical early work” on the project, which pushed its completion timeline to summer 2026 , university officials said. That work included drainage infrastructure work that delayed the start of construction, Ann Arbor city officials said.Sewer drainage issues on the construction site located at the former Elbel Field required update work, said city spokesman Robert Kellar.

“The aforementioned have been completed and have enabled the project to maintain its expedited timeline,” according to the university resolution.

The project expected to add 1,300 beds by fall 2025, as well as 1,000 more by fall 2026. Both phases will now be completed in summer 2026, officials confirmed.

These two additions are the first phase of the housing project, which expects its second phase to add about 2,200 more by an undetermined future date. Drainage issues in that part of Ann Arbor previously pushed the timeline of the new Michigan Marching Band Facility, Kellar said. That was scheduled to be done prior to the 2023 Wolverines football season, but stormwater drainage work made that deadline not feasible, university spokesman Rick Fitzgerald previously told MLive/The Ann Arbor News. The site of the former Elbel Field, as well as the marching band project site at the former Fingerle Lumber, are a part of Ann Arbor with older infrastructure, Kellar said. That needed to be addressed prior to construction, he added.

“When you add a large number of units, that’s going to increase the sanitary flow through aging infrastructure,” Kellar said. “That has to be accounted for and improvements have to be made. If we’ve learned anything over the last 25 years, it’s that our infrastructure wasn’t built with some of this stuff in mind, obviously.”

The project is the university’s attempt to improve affordability for students, said Regent Jordan Acker at the Sept. 21 meeting.

“While we obviously can’t do everything in order to make it more affordable, the number one thing that we can do is build more housing,” Acker said. “We should continue to do that as a board and an institution.”

The residence hall, or “student precinct” according to New York-based architectural firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects, will also feature 900 seats for a dining hall, according to designs.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...-michigan.html

[deja vu]

Good grief, that's a lot of money. I get that it is a Robert Stern design. So right there, your labor and materials will be higher than average. And I get that Ann Arbor is a more expensive market to build in, compared to many other places in Michigan and the Midwest. I also get that the aging infrastructure is a big expense to update.

But still, $631 million, divided by 4,500 units (assuming all phases for this price tag). That equals $140,000 per unit to build? That's insane to me. Especially when the primary objective is to create more affordable housing.

[deja vu]

Photos from the Hobbs + Black team, of Vic Village South, which is topped out (13 floors) -








Source: LinkedIn | Hobbs + Black Architects

And here's a few more, from Damico Contracting / Eisen Group STL, which provided & installed the metal wall panels -






Source: LinkedIn | Eisen Group STL

[DetroitMan]

Awesome photos as usual! I'm really looking forward to seeing what downtown Ann Arbor will look like at the end of the decade. Sports Illustrated is apparently looking to build a hotel and conference center downtown. I think this will work with all of the UM Alum that come to town for games.

Sports Illustrated Resorts eyeing Ann Arbor for hotel and conference center

Ann Arbor is in talks with Sports Illustrated Resorts about developing a sports-themed, high-rise hotel and conference center downtown.

The site at the center of those talks is the city-owned Kline Lot, a large public parking lot along Ashley Street behind a row of Main Street businesses, City Administrator Milton Dohoney confirmed in an interview Thursday, Sept. 28.

“At this point, we’re in discussions,” Dohoney said, adding there is no deal yet and the resort company is still doing its due diligence and gathering information. In a statement published by SI.com, Chris Schroeder, CEO of Sports Illustrated Resorts, said he was in serious discussions with Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan to “evaluate a potential opportunity” in the hometown of the Wolverines.

“Ann Arbor has become a great destination for locals, visitors and conference attendees that increase hotel stays and improve economic vitality to retailers and restaurants,” he said. “Sports Illustrated Resorts would be an added attraction that would help drive more visitation, plus we would be focused on including a significant conference facility that would allow Ann Arbor to compete with other cities that have more conference capabilities.”

The company is commissioning an analysis with Destination Ann Arbor to collect additional data on the economic impacts and plans to provide more details once that’s done.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...ce-center.html

[DetroitMan]

As Briarwood Mall turns 50, redevelopment plans await Ann Arbor’s OK
briarwoodmall1 by Brandon Dolley, on Flickr

The development team plans to tear down the vacant Sears building — one of the mall’s four anchor spaces — and replace it with new two-story commercial spaces, including a grocery store and another large retail space, plus 354 apartments in a four-story building covering part of the mall’s vast parking lot.

There would be a half-acre outdoor plaza and 360 car parking spaces for the commercial portion of the project, and 406 car parking spaces for the apartments, including a four-level garage with 301 spaces embedded in the apartment building. Those plans are now headed to City Council for final approval after planning commissioners voted 6-0 to give the project their blessing, including rezoning over eight acres of parking on the northeastern portion of the mall site closest to the intersection of State Street and Eisenhower Parkway.
briarwoodmall2 by Brandon Dolley, on Flickr
“This is great to see,” Commissioner Lisa Sauve said, calling it progress.

Simon Property Group, while its the largest owner at Briarwood, doesn’t own the entire mall site, Phipps noted, pointing out Macy’s, JCPenny and Von Maur all own their own sections. Simon is teaming up with Hines, another real estate group, on the housing aspect, which is proposed to be an all-electric building except for an emergency backup generator. However, the developer is still working through issues with DTE Energy on trying to make that happen.

The existing Sears building is over 166,000 square feet. The new grocery store would be about 58,000 square feet, while the larger retail space — described in a city memo as a sporting goods store — would be about 100,000 square feet. The housing portion totals nearly 389,000 square feet.
briarwoodmall3 by Brandon Dolley, on Flickr
There would be an increase in green space, along with pedestrian and biking improvements, including new sidewalks and crosswalks to adjacent properties and a bike path on Briarwood Circle, Phipps said, showing a series of drawings. The development plans also include about 56 bicycle parking spaces for the commercial portion and an enclosed bicycle storage area with room for 36 bikes on the residential garage.

The development team also has been working with TheRide to come up with a plan for bus service, Phipps said.

Phipps said he can’t yet announce the grocer, but it’s something “new to the market” and “they pride themselves in generating their produce locally and they’re big on farm-to-table so that will be a nice addition,” he said.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...arbors-ok.html

[DetroitMan]

‘Milestone’ $631M housing project breaks ground at University of Michigan

University of Michigan officials broke have broken ground on the $631-million Central Campus housing project that officials have called “once in a generation.”

Hundreds of university and government officials gathered on Friday, Oct. 13, with shovels and hard hats at the construction site of the in-progress residence hall off Hoover and Hill streets. The former Elbel Field was located there, as the new Michigan Marching Band facility is in progress across the street.The multi-phase project is “a milestone in the university’s history,” said UM President Santa Ono, with Regent Chair Sarah Hubbard adding the project addresses growing demand for student housing on campus.

“The new Central Campus Housing Project represents a fantastic opportunity for more students to live on campus, something that has been an issue for years, and this is really important,” she said. “Every student that wants to live on central campus will be able to do so.” The first phase of the housing project expects to add 2,300 beds by summer 2026, officials said. A second phase expects to add 2,200 more by an undetermined future date, while Regent Ron Weiser said there are plans to potentially add about 2,000 more beds nearby on top of that.Weiser, a local real estate investor and founder of the McKinley Companies property management company, said the student beds should drive down housing demand, and thus prices, in the private market.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...-michigan.html

[DetroitMan]

Ann Arbor presents plan for high-density rezoning on Plymouth Road

Could the string of strip malls and other low-rise buildings along Plymouth Road someday be replaced with high-density housing and mixed-use development?

That may take many years, but that’s Ann Arbor’s vision with new downtown-style zoning proposed for the corridor.

City planners laid out the proposal during a public meeting at the Traverwood Branch Library on Thursday, Oct. 12.The city intends to apply TC1 zoning to three large sections along Plymouth Road, as the city already has done on State Street, Eisenhower Parkway, Maple Road and West Stadium Boulevard and also intends to do on Washtenaw Avenue. Several dozen residents attended Thursday’s meeting and offered mixed feedback. Some supporters argue Ann Arbor has a need for more housing and mixed-use development and they’re for it, while some residents are concerned about the prospect of taller buildings and the impact on their neighborhoods. TC1 zoning eliminates floor-area limits and allows buildings up to 300 feet tall, though if properties are close to residential neighbors, different limits come into play.

For instance, the maximum height is 55 feet if within 80 feet of a residential zone, 75 feet if within 300 feet, 120 feet if within 1,000 feet and 300 feet if more than 1,000 feet away.

Developers can get exceptions to the limits and go 30% bigger if they meet sustainability and affordable housing requirements, which is an option throughout the city.

Where some neighbors said Thursday night they’d be concerned about having even five-story buildings near their properties, City Planner Alexis DiLeo noted the current commercial zoning already allows buildings that tall.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...outh-road.html

[DetroitMan]

Plans for more affordable housing in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti get state funding boost

Efforts to bring more affordable housing to Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are getting a big boost.

The Michigan Economic Development Corp. has announced nearly $100 million in grants for projects across the state through the Revitalization and Placemaking Program.

That includes over $8 million for projects in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti under a grant application submitted by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission in partnership with others. It’s a significant amount, said Housing Commission Executive Director Jennifer Hall, though since it’s less than the $10 million they requested, they still have to figure out how the money is going to be divvied up.

The full amounts they requested were:

• $5 million for a six-story, 63-unit affordable housing development planned by the Housing Commission and Avalon Housing at 121 Catherine St. in downtown Ann Arbor.
• $1 million for a Fourth Avenue streetscape improvement project by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority in conjunction with the Housing Commission’s plans to create affordable housing along the street.
• $3.9 million for a mixed-use development planned by the J29:7 Planning and Development Corp. at 136 N. Washington St. in Ypsilanti, including five floors with 60 affordable housing units above two retail spaces.
• $100,000 for a workforce development project by J29:7 at 124 Pearl St. in Ypsilanti.

“These investments will help create vibrant places that attract and retain talent, add new housing options, enable business creation and attraction, and provide resources for Michiganders and our communities,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement.

The money coming to Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti is huge and it’s a true regional collaboration to prioritize affordable housing near transit, said Derric Scott, CEO of the J29:7 Planning and Development Corp. in Ypsilanti.

The six-story development J29:7 has planned on Washington Street would take shape on a parking lot across from where TheRide plans to build a new Ypsilanti Transit Center. There would be 60 housing units, all affordable to people of varying incomes starting at 50% of the area median, Scott said.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...ing-boost.html

[DetroitMan]

Developer invites Ann Arbor residents to learn more about 12-story high-rise plan

A private developer is taking another step forward on plans to significantly change the landscape in a neighborhood just outside downtown.

After presenting an initial concept to the city’s Planning Commission in September for a new apartment building ranging from seven to 12 stories, St. Louis-based student housing developer Subtext is now inviting the public to learn more about its high-rise proposal at a meeting taking place over Zoom at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26. The citizen participation meeting, which includes opportunities for residents to ask questions and give input, is a required step before the project advances through the city’s approval process.

The 228 Packard St. project calls for replacing nearly an entire block of houses and apartments with a new building containing roughly 450 apartments and more than 1,500 beds catering to University of Michigan students.

The block is bound by Packard Street, Madison Street, Fourth Avenue and Fifth Avenue. Massing diagrams presented in September show the project in relation to UM’s separate plans to redevelop other nearby properties to create new campus housing and a new marching band practice field, which the high-rise would overlook.

Take a closer look at the plans.

The developer is seeking a rezoning of the land for a planned unit development or PUD, which requires City Council approval after going through Planning Commission.

The building would include a wide range of apartment sizes from studios to five-bedroom units.

Subtext has two other Ann Arbor student housing buildings in its national portfolio, including The Yard on Main Street and Six11 on East University Avenue. Both opened in 2018.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...rise-plan.html

[DetroitMan]

10 ways University of Michigan's campus could transform in 25 years

From pedestrian walkways connecting campuses to an arts district, the university’s Campus Plan 2050 proposes several projects, addressing issues of land use, development, mobility, sustainability, arts, humanities and diversity.

While some of the ideas are abstract, others are literally concrete in nature such as proposed housing on Central Campus. Including that, here are 10 brick-and-mortar proposals that could transform the campus and the City of Ann Arbor over the next 25 years.
Central Campus housing project

The ground has already broke on the Central Campus residence complex off Hoover and Hill streets. When all of the $631 million project’s phases are completed, there will be 6,300 additional beds for students, said Regent Ron Weiser on Oct. 13. The first phase of the housing project expects to add 2,300 beds by summer 2026, officials said. A second phase expects to add 2,200 more by an undetermined future date, while Weiser said there are plans to potentially add about 2,000 more beds nearby on top of that.


Madison Transit Center

When the new housing complex is done, thousands of students will need to catch a bus. The Madison Transit Center aims to fill that need.

The university currently has two hubs for bus transit: North University Avenue on Central Campus and Bonisteel Avenue on North Campus. This would be the third.

Early diagrams show the hub will be located at the intersection of East Madison, Packard and South Division streets. There would also be a parking lot nearby.

In addition to new housing currently in progress, the hub would service students living at South and West quads, as well as Munger Graduate Residences.

Automated Transit System

An automated transit system, similar to Chicago’s L Line, is a possible transit idea on the Ann Arbor campus.

Of the three ideas on how to mold public transportation between Central and North Campus, the transit system is a focus of the university’s plan due to its “inclusivity, year-round travel convenience and potential to reduce vehicle trips by moving more people faster and over greater distances,” according to the proposal.

The proposed route would go as south as the athletic campus, go around Central Campus to Palmer Field, snake around the Medical Campus and go to North Campus.

The university is also considering optimizing its bus routes with either a rapid transit system or using the Fuller Street corridor.

Huron River Valley Pedestrian and Bike Connections

Amtrak crashes into two pedestrians last year have prompted Ann Arbor residents and officials to call for a Nichols Arboretum to Gallup Park underpass. A university proposal calls for that and more.

The bike and pedestrian paths would aim to connect Central and North campuses, as well as provide paths by the Huron River, diagrams show. The pedestrian underpass would sit between the B2B trail and the Arboretum.

There is also a potential bike connection from the medical campus, crossing the river, railroad tracks and passing Mitchell Field before reaching Fuller Road.

Dedicated bike lanes

The university seeks to promote “active transportation,” or getting around campus by bike or foot. One of the possible ways to do that is through dedicated bike lanes on campus.

The potential plans include building infrastructure to bike through campus between transit hubs. This helps support “micromobility” and sustainability goals, officials said.

Another example of “active transportation” are ideas to add more bike racks and stations around the athletic and medical campuses, as well as a new pedestrian bridge connecting the medical and North campuses.


North Campus ideas

There are a few details available on multiple North Campus projects that come together to utilize the open space found around the area.

One is a hotel and conference center that would be located by the North Campus Research Complex, 2800 Plymouth Road.

Another is dedicated housing for university workers. Some regents do not believe housing for workers is a university priority, though it is a consideration under this proposal.

A third North Campus proposal is the creation of Innovation District and Arts Network. This would involve integrating art into North Campus landscapes, creating social and learning environments, developing facilities that connect art and innovation opportunities and provide outdoor locations for arts programming and events.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...-25-years.html

[DetroitMan]

High-density rezoning for over 100 acres advances to Ann Arbor council

The city’s Planning Commission voted 7-0 Wednesday night, Nov. 1, to recommend council approval of a city-initiated proposal to apply TC1 zoning to three areas along the corridor, while making some tweaks to include several more properties. “Overall, I look forward to welcoming hopefully more residents with new development here, may they be renters or owners because both are part of our community,” Commissioner Lisa Sauve said before the vote. A mixed-use zoning designation, TC1 allows buildings up to 300 feet tall in some cases and is intended to encourage high-density, downtown-style development along transit corridors with a mix of uses, including housing and commercial businesses. If the city’s vision comes to fruition, it could mean more mid-rise and high-rise developments replacing strip malls and parking lots.

But in over two years now since the city created the zoning category in July 2021, Ann Arbor has yet to see any TC1 developments happen.

In hopes of making it easier for developers, the city has proactively rezoned hundreds of acres of property along various corridors to TC1, starting with over 200 acres by Briarwood Mall in April 2022, followed by over 200 acres on the city’s west side in November 2022. While there’s talk of one possible affordable housing development now along West Stadium Boulevard, still nothing has been built or officially proposed yet.

“We have seen that rezoning might slow the pace of new development,” City Planner Alexis DiLeo told commissioners before Wednesday’s vote. “There has been no new or infill development in any existing TC1 district to date.”

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...r-council.html

[DetroitMan]

Big rezoning plan for Washtenaw Avenue topic of Ann Arbor meeting

[QUOTE]Ann Arbor’s planning department is inviting the public to come learn about a big rezoning proposal for two areas along Washtenaw Avenue.

The city’s TC1 zoning, which allows high-density, downtown-style development outside of downtown along major transit corridors, has been applied along portions of State Street, Eisenhower Parkway, Maple Road and West Stadium Boulevard, and a plan to apply it to Plymouth Road is now advancing. Next up are 63 properties along Washtenaw Avenue, which will be the topic of a public meeting the city is hosting at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at Pittsfield Elementary School, 2543 Pittsfield Blvd. The meeting will be a chance for property owners and residents to ask questions and give feedback.

The two areas proposed to be rezoned include the Washtenaw/Stadium split area, including the retail complex anchored by Trader Joe’s, and the easternmost portion of the corridor within the city limits, including the Arborland shopping mall and nearby properties in the vicinity of Huron Parkway and U.S. 23. Those sites cover roughly 111 acres of land, according to the city’s list of the properties.

The city hosted a public meeting in October where officials presented a plan for TC1 zoning along Plymouth Road. A proposal to recommend City Council rezone 45 properties totaling 127 acres in three areas along Plymouth is now on the Planning Commission’s agenda Wednesday night, Nov. 1.

TC1 zoning eliminates floor-area limits and allows buildings up to 300 feet tall, though if properties are close to residential neighbors, different limits come into play.

For instance, the maximum height is 55 feet if within 80 feet of a residential zone, 75 feet if within 300 feet, 120 feet if within 1,000 feet and 300 feet if more than 1,000 feet away.

Developers can get exceptions to the limits and go 30% bigger if they meet sustainability and affordable housing requirements, which is an option throughout the city. [QUOTE]
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...r-meeting.html

[DetroitMan]

Condos priced from $2M to $4M proposed to overlook Ann Arbor’s Argo Cascades

New luxury-branded condos overlooking the Argo Cascades are being proposed in Ann Arbor.

Drawings by Hobbs and Black Architects show plans for a decoratively designed, 15-unit building featuring stone, brick, metal and multi-colored artistic glass, with arched openings, large outdoor terraces, a green roof, solar panels, and garages built into the first level. The condos are expected to range from 2,500 to 3,200 square feet, each with three or four bedrooms and three baths. With anticipated sales prices from $2 million to $4 million, they would be some of the city’s highest-end condos.

The development is proposed on property owned by Huron River Holdings LLC at 416 Longshore Drive, where there’s a parking lot the city leases for use as spillover parking for the adjacent Argo Park canoe and kayak livery on the Huron River. The developers behind the project are JD Lindeberg and Jim Frey, leaders of consulting company Resource Recycling Systems, and their partners, Jane Mills and Lisa Brush.

“We started Resource Recycling Systems, which is why we have this property,” Lindeberg explained. The company was founded in 1986 and is located in a small office building on Longshore Drive next to where the condos would rise.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...-cascades.html

[DetroitMan]

Drawings show rejected plan for downtown Ann Arbor building addition

While a proposal to turn a three-story building on Main Street into a five-story building didn’t pass muster with Ann Arbor’s Historic District Commission, there’s still a chance a revised plan could come back.

There have been no updates since the Oct. 12 meeting, but property owner Reza Rahmani is continuing to explore any possible solution to redevelop the site in a way that is longterm and meets the local market needs, said Chris Biggers, project architect with BIGGdesigns LLC. The Italianate brick commercial building at 215-217 S. Main St. dates back to the 1800s and is located in the Main Street Historic District. Its two ground-floor spaces were previously home to Urban Jewelers and a shoe store called Footprints, while the second floor consists of offices and the third floor has been vacant due to structural concerns and fire damage. Rahmani, an eye doctor who has invested in a number of downtown Ann Arbor properties over the years, has wanted to create residential units on the second and third floors and additional floors above if permitted, while preserving the existing Main Street facade and side walls.

The city’s historic preservation coordinator and members of the commission opposed his addition plans, citing concerns the fifth story would be too visible and negatively impact the historic integrity of the building and its surrounding environment.

Community members have reacted to the decision with mixed opinions about whether the commission made the right call. The rejected addition would have been set back 19 feet from the front and some think that would have been inconspicuous enough.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...-addition.html

[DetroitMan]

New Ann Arbor riverfront park close to being a reality with 20,000 tons of fresh soil

After several months of work, a large site off Broadway Street north of downtown Ann Arbor is getting closer to becoming the city’s newest riverfront green space.

“We’ve removed 13,000 tons of contaminated soil and we’ve brought in 20,000 tons of fresh soil, so we’ve brought the space up to recreational standards, and it’s safe to say it’s fully remediated at this point,” said Marie Klopf, president of the nonprofit Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy. The conservancy, which netted $20 million in state funding for the effort that broke ground in early 2023, now anticipates having a grand opening for the initial phase of the new Broadway Park West in summer 2024. At that point, it will be a grassy space along the river for people to enjoy, while additional features such as an event pavilion will come later, Klopf said. “The base park, it’s essentially ready for landscaping and sod — it’s ready to go,” she said. “And so we’ll probably start that after the ground thaws in the spring.”
The fence that separates the site from the city’s pathway between Depot Street and Argo Dam also will come down and plans call for new trails leading through the property.

“I’m very excited to do that,” Klopf said. “I’m excited for it to be available to the public.”

The site of a former coal gasification plant, it was left polluted, blighted and vacant for many years, and its cleanup and transformation have been talked about for over a decade. DTE Energy, which inherited the former MichCon property through a merger in 2001, has worked to facilitate its redevelopment and did some initial cleanup over a decade ago.

With more of a clean slate now following additional remediation, crews will start building out the site infrastructure in the coming months, including the entrance road and utilities, Klopf said.

“I think we’re going to start doing the parking deck,” she added.

The conservancy is coordinating with the Detroit-based Roxbury Group, the private developer chosen by DTE to carry out a mixed-use development on half of the 14-acre site with condos, a hotel, retail space and a riverfront restaurant. The park component is part of Roxbury’s overall site plan and Roxbury is represented on the board of the conservancy separately created to carry out that half of the project. None of the residential or commercial components are underway yet, but Roxbury’s David Di Rita expects that to follow once some of the shared infrastructure with the park is in place.

“We’re really working toward a mid-next year joining of the effort, if you will, by which I mean vertical construction,” he said.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...resh-soil.html

[DetroitMan]

A closer look at the Sports Illustrated Resorts concept for downtown Ann Arbor

A resident of the Ann Arbor area for over 30 years, he’s now the CEO of Sports Illustrated Resorts, which has laid out a vision for a sports-themed, high-rise hotel and conference center plus condos on the nearly block-long parking lot behind a row of Main Street businesses. Schroeder and his team have had private meetings with city officials to discuss the concept, more details of which are starting to become public, though nothing is final yet. He sat down with MLive/The Ann Arbor News to discuss the potentially 16-story development estimated to cost over $200 million and shared renderings of what it could look like. Some features include a Fab Five Court paying homage to the University of Michigan Wolverines basketball team of the early 1990s, a rooftop field area called the SI Fit Deck and a Hall of Champions with Sports Illustrated images showcasing notable UM sports figures.

“It’s like you literally walk in and you can have Jim Harbaugh, Michael Phelps and Tom Brady,” he said of imagery that would line the entry hall and lobby. “We want to also highlight both women and men sports.”

For visitors who aren’t Wolverines fans, there still would be “a nice mix of just Sports Illustrated in general,” Schroeder said.

And if anyone is worried it could end up looking like a big theme park, Schroeder says never fear — it would be a nicely designed building with a brick and glass facade and possibly a public art element around the parking deck portion. “No, no Disneyland attraction,” he said, adding there’s no screaming neon. The most that we’re actually doing is we’re creating something we call the Field of Dreams,” Schroeder said, explaining plans for a large, ground-level space with artificial turf at the corner of William and Ashley streets where it would look like walking into a stadium, with several entryway openings off the sidewalk that would stay open when the weather is nice.

“You walk in and that’s going to be like a big food court, community area,” Schroeder said, adding there would be micro restaurant spaces provided to local chefs.

It would be a nice space to have events and watch parties, and children could run around and play while parents sit down and have some food and drinks, he said.

“We may have movie nights in there, family-friendly movie nights, because we’ll have a big screen,” he said.

Part of the building is proposed to be branded as the SI Stadium with a high-end sports bar and grill with an award-winning chef. Another social or meeting space called Club SI would offer cocktails and wine, while an SI Trophy Room could be a space to watch a game with friends in a more exclusive setting described as a speakeasy-type clubhouse with vintage memorabilia.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...ann-arbor.html

[DetroitMan]

Pinball Pete's may be biting the dust soon....
Pinball Pete’s faces demolition to make way for 17-story Ann Arbor high-rise

Following the trend of high-rise housing replacing small commercial buildings along the South University Avenue strip next to the University of Michigan, a developer is proposing a 17-story, mixed-use building to replace the Galleria building that houses Pinball Pete’s and other businesses.

A newly unveiled rendering by Myefski Architects shows plans for a tower with 211 apartments above 2,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space at 1208 South University Ave. Pinball Pete’s co-owner Mike Reynolds said Friday, Nov. 17, he was still learning about the plans and unsure what the future holds for his business in Ann Arbor at this time. The popular arcade has been in business for more than 40 years in Ann Arbor and East Lansing and has called South U home for many years now — in its current location since the 1990s.

“I’ve been around for a while now and it’s interesting to watch all the changes here, and I live in East Lansing, so I see all the changes there, and I understand all of it,” Reynolds said. “And it’s progress and that’s just part of the deal.” In addition to Pinball Pete’s, the existing building includes a Starbucks coffee shop, Pancheros Mexican Grill, a U.S. Post Office, the University of Michigan’s Program on Intergroup Relations, an Amazon hub and Vape City. It’s sandwiched between two popular campus-area bars that also have been around many years: the Brown Jug and Blue Leprechaun.

The first-floor plan for the high-rise now proposed includes a small amount of retail space, a residential lobby and leasing area, bike storage and garage parking.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...high-rise.html