Ann Arbor Construction updates

[Rizzo]

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]

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.

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Currently:

[animatedmartian]

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."

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Scaled-back design







Original design







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

[animatedmartian]

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

[the urban politician]

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

[animatedmartian]

Wowzers. Mighty fine improvement over the initial design.

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.

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[uaarkson]

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]

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.

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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.

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

[animatedmartian]

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.

....





Current space:

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

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

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

Updated rendering:





There's also considerations for the building massing.

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

[animatedmartian]

No deal yet as AAATA officials explore solutions for Y Lot's 'bus problem'
By Ryan Stanton. MLive. October 30, 2015.

The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority's governing board met behind closed doors again Thursday night to talk about what local developer Dennis Dahlmann calls "the bus problem" surrounding the downtown Y Lot.

AAATA officials say they're taking seriously Dahlmann's concerns that the location of bus stops on three sides of his property along Fourth Avenue, Fifth Avenue and William Street present a challenge for redeveloping the lot next to the Blake Transit Center.

Dahlmann has proposed different options for relocating the on-street bus loading and unloading zones, but no agreement has been reached yet.

No decisions were made Thursday night.

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A year and a half after buying the former YMCA property from the city for a new mixed-use development, Dahlmann hasn't formally submitted any plans to the city.

Under terms of the sale, Dahlmann agreed to redevelop the property within four years, giving him an April 2018 deadline.

Last month, he publicly shared renderings for a couple of ideas he's considering, one that's primarily an apartment high-rise and another that's a six-story office building. He said last month the apartment high-rise was the current frontrunner, and it would include other elements stipulated in his agreement with the city, including office space, ground-floor restaurant/retail, and a landscaped open space with a fountain.

But for the development to proceed, there needs to be a resolution to the bus problem, Dahlmann has maintained.

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Dahlmann says he's leaning toward making this design which would be residential aimed at working professionals and older adults:



This design would be an office building:



Currently:



One of Dalhman's suggestions is to move all the bus stops to the north side of the lot via a two-way bus lane.

[animatedmartian]

Downtown Ann Arbor office space vacancy at historic low
By Matt Durr. Mlive. January 5th, 2016.



Finding office space in downtown Ann Arbor is harder now than ever before, according to an annual report released by Swisher Commercial Real Estate that tracks office vacancies in the city.
Space in downtown Ann Arbor is once again the tightest. Just 2.1 percent of downtown office space — 35,370 square feet — is vacant, down from 3.6 percent last year.

"I've been in the market since '85 and I don't ever remember it being this tight," said Mike Giraud, a vice president at Swisher.

The Ann Arbor-based commercial real estate firm began tracking vacancy rates in 1993 and issues the yearly report to help clients and residents understand the trends in the Ann Arbor marketplace.

This year, the report found total availability decreased by .7 percent in 2015 as only 8.5 percent of office space — totaling just more than 1 million square feet — is available in the city.

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Swisher also indicates that a lack of new construction of office space in downtown is hurting the vacancy rates. Because a developer would need to a significant portion of a building leased before construction could begin, it makes building new spaces more difficult.

It also means modified gross square foot lease rates would likely be above $40. As a comparison, the space that Google currently occupies is being marketed for $35 a square foot and is available in a matter of months, not years, as would be the case with new construction.

Because downtown is becoming less of an option, other areas in the city are becoming more attractive to businesses.

....

It seems for the time being, Ann Arbor's downtown office market has plateaued.

[animatedmartian]

Ann Arbor considering Chicago developer's $10M offer for Library Lot
By Ryan Stanton. MLive. January 11, 2016.



The Ann Arbor City Council is being asked to authorize the start of negotiations with a Chicago-based developer to sell the city-owned Library Lot for $10 million.

The city's administration is recommending the city enter exclusive contract negotiations with Core Spaces, one of two finalists whose development proposals for the downtown site have been under consideration since last year.

The City Council is expected to vote Jan. 19 on a resolution affirming Core Spaces as the finalist with the best offer.

If that resolution is approvedthe city's administration intends to bring a sale agreement to council for approval in April.

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Proposed 12-story high rise in Ann Arbor no longer geared toward student housing
Matt Durr. MLive. January 11, 2016.



City planners are reviewing plans for another residential high rise proposed on East Huron Street in downtown Ann Arbor.

Situated on the same block as the still-under-construction Foundry Lofts and Sloan Plaza, a new project known simply as "603 E Huron" would add 310 beds to downtown's ever growing amount of residential units available for rent.

Proposed by Chicago-based Core Spaces – which is also a finalist for the Library Lot proposals – plans for the apartment building were first submitted for design review in October.

The project was originally proposed as one of Core Spaces' "Hub on Campus" student housing developments. The company operates several of those developments on college campuses across the U.S. But since then, those plans have been altered.

At the citizen participation meeting held last month, representatives said the apartments will now be open to anyone seeking housing in the area, but expect tenants to mostly be graduate students or young professionals.

Construction on the 12-story, 124-unit building will begin in the spring or summer of 2016 depending on when the project is approved. The target completion date for the $22 million building is Aug. 1, 2017. The building would be constructed on the properties of 513 and 603 E. Huron.

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[animatedmartian]

Another highrise proposal.

14-story student high rise proposed near U-M campus on East University
By Matt Durr. Mlive. January 26, 2016.

Plans have been submitted to the City of Ann Arbor for another high-rise student-housing complex to be built near the University of Michigan campus.

St. Louis-based developed Collegiate Development Group is proposing the high rise and has retained Ann Arbor architects J. Bradley Moore & Associates to construct the 134,000-square-foot building.

The 14-story building will be 148 feet tall and will be accessible on East University Avenue and Church Street, as the building is designed with two primary facades.

The project will be built on a .45-acre site that will be formed by combining properties on East University Avenue and Church Street. A purchase agreement is in place between the developer and the property owners to buy the necessary parcels if the plan is approved by council.

Those plans are currently under design review by the city.

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[mind field]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Another highrise proposal.

That is ugly. Just because it's tall (by ann arbor standards) doesn't mean it should be built.

[animatedmartian]

Light rail system with cost up to $700 million proposed in Ann Arbor
By Ryan Stanton. MLive Ann Arbor. February 24, 2016.



Local leaders on Wednesday discussed plans for a potentially $500-$700 million light rail system connecting Ann Arbor's busiest areas.
That includes the downtown and the University of Michigan's Central Campus, North Campus and Medical Center.

It also would go out Plymouth Road to a new Plymouth and Green park-and-ride lot, and eventually, as part of a future phase, extend south to Briarwood Mall.

"The Connector offers a transformative opportunity for the community and campuses by providing better transit access to downtown, important U-M destinations and job centers, and reducing dependence on adding more parking in core areas," Sue Gott, university planner, said in a statement.

The general idea for the Ann Arbor Connector has been around for years and has been the subject of much discussion and study, but now the vision is taking shape, and there's momentum around the idea of light rail.

Officials from the city, university, Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority and Downtown Development Authority gathered on U-M's campus on Wednesday to announce new details about the project, including the recommended mode of transportation, cost estimates, and route information.

The proposed light rail system would go in a dedicated lane, embedded largely into existing roads.

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Officials emphasize the project is still in the early planning stages, and they're seeking public support.

They say it would require an estimated $500-$700 million in capital costs, paid for by a combination of federal and state dollars, the university, public-private partnerships, fares, local funding sources and innovative funding strategies.

If the project is approved to move forward and funded, it's still an estimated six to 12 years away from being operational.

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

[Docta_Love]

Ann Arbor isn't a large city and 500-700 million is a lot of money however i'm sure there would be plenty of support for a cross town light rail line and A2 is exactly the kind of city that is made for transit. So while i'm always a lil skeptical about any mass transit announcements in Michigan i would think A2 has a decent chance of making this happen.

The general idea for the Ann Arbor Connector has been around for years and has been the subject of much discussion and study, but now the vision is taking shape, and there's momentum around the idea of light rail.

[animatedmartian]

Foundry Lofts will be open for students May 1st.



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

[The North One]

It looks like there are tons of proposals but how much of this is actually getting built? I haven't been to A2 since February, does anybody have updates?

[animatedmartian]

Kinda hard to keep track of all the developments going on, there's so many.

Residents are holding up this development and are fighting for a city park.

Ann Arbor council votes against putting downtown park proposal on ballot
By Ryan Stanton. August 05, 2016



The Ann Arbor City Council once again has taken a stance against putting the future of the Library Lot to a vote of the people.

In a 7-4 vote on Thursday night, Aug. 4, the council rejected a resolution that called for putting a question on the Nov. 8 ballot asking whether the city-owned property next to the downtown library on Fifth Avenue — currently a parking lot — should be developed as an urban central park and civic center commons.

The only four in favor of putting the question to voters were the resolution's co-sponsors: Jack Eaton, Sabra Briere, Jane Lumm and Sumi Kailasapathy.

Mayor Christopher Taylor and his allies — Zachary Ackerman, Julie Grand, Graydon Krapohl, Chip Smith, Chuck Warpehoski and Kirk Westphal — were against it. Some of them indicated they'd prefer to see the site privately developed, and the city is still considering a proposal from a Chicago-based developer for a hotel/apartment high-rise with an outdoor plaza.

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Council Member Chuck Warpehoski, D-5th Ward, questioned the integrity of some people who want to prevent a development on the Library Lot, saying the conversation hasn't been honest as it's been framed as whether to have a park on the site. He said there already is a 12,000-square-foot plaza included in the development plans proposed by Chicago-based Core Spaces, which is offering to buy the property from the city for $10 million.

"Do I want a park on the site? Yes," Warpehoski said, adding he wants it as part of a mixed-use development so the city can get outside funding for it.

Warpehoski recalled that tens of thousands of dollars were anonymously funneled through a marketing firm to fuel a campaign against redeveloping the downtown library site when it was put to a vote of the people in November 2012.

Suggesting the same type of forces might once again come into play if the Library Lot is placed on the ballot, Warpehoski said he would prefer that the community conversation and process around deciding the future of the site be honest and free from what he characterized as the corrupting influence of "dark money."

...

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



Meanwhile... Project approved and/or starting construction soon.

Kingsley Condominiums to break ground near downtown Ann Arbor by next spring
By Ryan Stanton. August 05, 2016





Another new condo development is expected to break ground near downtown Ann Arbor by next spring.

The City Council approved the rezoning and site plan for Kingsley Condominiums, a 51-unit redevelopment of the Beal property at 221 Felch St.

The council approved the five-story project in a series of votes Thursday night, Aug. 4, spilling into Friday morning.

The building will take shape across the street from two other condo developments near the corner of First and Kingsley streets.

...

The Promanas Group hopes to break ground either this fall or next spring. It's expected to take about 18 months to build.

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

Main Street apartment project wins approval from Ann Arbor council





Another new apartment building is coming to Ann Arbor's South Main Street.

The City Council voted unanimously Monday night, July 18, to approve plans for The Residences at 615 South Main.

The Collegiate Development Group plans to construct a 229-unit, six-story building on the east side of Main Street, just north of Mosley Street, similar in nature to the 618 South Main apartments across the street.

The 286,079-square-foot building will take the place of the South Main Market and a neighboring car wash, while incorporating the old Ann Arbor Buggy Company building — a brick structure at the corner of Main and Mosley.

The City Council also approved a brownfield plan for the project that calls for reimbursing the developer for up to $3.5 million worth of environmental cleanup activities through tax-increment financing.

The brownfield plan now goes to the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority for consideration.

...

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



Projects awaiting approval.

Pizza House owner says new development has 'cleaned up' South U







Dennis Tice, owner of the Pizza House restaurant on Church Street, has seen a lot of changes in the South U area in recent years, including a wave of student apartment high-rises.

In May 2009, he saw the first tenants move into Zaragon Place, a 10-story, 66-unit, 248-bed high-rise at 619 E. University Ave.

In the fall of 2012, he saw the first tenants move into Landmark, a 14-story, 606-bed high-rise at 1300 S. University Ave.

And last August, the 13-story, 113-unit ArborBLU high-rise next to and above Pizza House brought another 242 people to the neighborhood.

Now, plans for another 13-story apartment high-rise with 343 beds in the South U area is headed to the Ann Arbor City Council for consideration.

The city's Planning Commission voted 7-0 Tuesday night to recommend approval of the Collegiate Development Group's plans for a 133,805-square-foot building containing 90 apartments at 611 E. University Ave.

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



Projects completed.

Latest condo development in downtown Ann Arbor welcomes first residents
By Ryan Stanton. July 26, 2016 .





...

After several months of construction, the new condo development known as The Mark is nearing completion on the west edge of downtown Ann Arbor, and buyers have started moving into some of the first finished units.

The seven-unit building stands at 318 W. Liberty St. where a 1960s-era car wash was demolished last year, across from the Argus Farm Stop.

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The Mark is the latest among a number of upscale condo developments to bring new residents to downtown Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor developer Tom Fitzsimmons of Huron Contracting built the 414 Main condos on North Main Street. Buyers moved into the 16 units there last year, and Fitzsimmons now has other upscale condo projects underway in the Kerrytown area, including on North Main, Kingsley Street and First Street.

Ann Arbor-based James & Werner LLC also is moving forward with a five-story, three-unit condo building at 213 W. Kingsley St. that is expected to back up to the 25-unit condo building Fitzsimmons is building at 410 First St.

The City Council recently gave initial approval for rezoning the Beal property at 221 Felch St. for another 51-unit condo development. That's expected to come back to council for final approval on Aug. 4.

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



New Proposals.

4-story restaurant/office building planned for vacant site on South U





Draft plans for a new mixed-use commercial building in the South U business district have been submitted to the city of Ann Arbor.
SCP South Forest LLC, which has an address in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, is listed as the developer behind the project at 1215 S. University Ave., a vacant lot where the former Pinball Pete's building was destroyed in a fire in 2009.

The developer proposes a four-story building with a basement, rising just over 51 feet tall with retail/restaurant or bar uses on the ground floor and lower level and office spaces above on floors two, three and four.

No apartments or off-street parking spaces are included in the plans, which await review by the city's Design Review Board.

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

Here's how a $2.1M redesign will change the South U streetscape in Ann Arbor







The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority has released plans for a major makeover of the South U streetscape.

By this time next year, construction is expected to be underway on a $2.1 million project along three blocks of South University Avenue — on both sides of the street from East University Avenue to Washtenaw Avenue.

The project aims to address several maintenance issues on what the DDA considers cluttered and constrained sidewalks.

The plans include new sidewalks, street trees and planters, benches and bike hoops, among other changes.

DDA Executive Direct Susan Pollay said the existing tree planters take up a lot of room and interfere with cafes using the space, plus the trees are slowly dying and will need replacement anyway.

The project is expected to go out to bid this fall, with construction starting in late spring 2017 after the University of Michigan's spring commencement. Work is expected to continue through Labor Day with a pause for Art Fair.

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