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  #281  
Old Posted Feb 27, 2014, 3:55 PM
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The pukey colors are what make it offensive, really. Otherwise, this style of design is the defacto standard across the nation, at least in similarly scaled markets.

Glad to see the proposal, still. Residential density is slowly creeping north toward the Amtrak station.
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  #282  
Old Posted Feb 28, 2014, 9:08 AM
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I don't know, even the massing and materials are ugly, to me. The stairwells/elevator towers looked like stacked trailers. To be fair, none of the proposals for this site ever looked nice. Still, it's infill, so it's definitely tolerable.
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  #283  
Old Posted Apr 3, 2014, 7:47 PM
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Quote:
First Martin submits site plan for hotel in downtown Ann Arbor
By Lizzy Alfs. April 03, 2014.



First Martin Corporation is moving forward with plans to build a hotel in downtown Ann Arbor.

The Ann Arbor real estate company submitted a site plan this week for a 110-room extended-stay hotel on the northeast corner of Huron and Ashley streets.

First Martin owns the property, which is occupied by the Greyhound bus depot and Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau.



Plans call to construct a seven-level, mixed-use retail and hotel development, which would incorporate the bus depot facade and sign into the design. First Martin hasn't confirmed which national hotel brand it's looking to bring to Ann Arbor.

.....

There are no plans for onsite parking for the hotel. Instead, First Martin has indicated parking could be provided in the adjacent 829-space Ann and Ashley parking garage, the 45-space Main and Ann parking lot, or the 167-space parking lot directly across from the hotel site on the so-called Brown Block owned by First Martin.

First Martin is working with architects Zivic & Hurdle and Hobbs & Black. The design team altered the plans slightly after attending a Design Review Board meeting in January.

Design changes include:
  • Four vertical elements were removed on the West Huron Street elevation, above the bus depot facade and sign
  • The primary entrance to the ground-floor retail area was relocated to the corner of North Ashley and West Huron
  • More brick was incorporated into the base of the building
  • There will be permanent canopies at the hotel, retail area and bus station facade
“The design team will further research the characteristics of the “Art Moderne” style and translate them into more contemporary context of our building. The goal will be to subtly introduce similar materials and referential horizontal elements above and beside the preserved facade,” the plans say.
So basically, the rendering that's apart of this article is old and doesn't reflect the current design changes.
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  #284  
Old Posted Apr 3, 2014, 8:10 PM
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Quote:
City completes $5.25M sale of property in downtown Ann Arbor for new development

By Ryan Stanton. April 03, 2014.



The city of Ann Arbor has successfully completed the $5.25 million sale of the former YMCA property on Fifth Avenue to local developer Dennis Dahlmann, paving the way for a new mixed-use development in the heart of downtown.

The city closed on what brokers from Colliers International Ann Arbor are calling a "landmark sale" on Wednesday afternoon.

Jim Chaconas and Brendan Cavender of Colliers International represented the city in the sale and will get a 6 percent cut, which works out to $315,000.

City Administrator Steve Powers said the city officially netted $4,929,450 from the sale after closing costs.

Under terms agreed upon by both Dahlmann and the city, Dahlmann must construct a building rising at least five stories by Jan. 1, 2018.

The project must include retail/restaurant space on the ground floor, large-plate office space on the remaining lower floors, and residential apartments on the upper floors, with no apartment having more than three bedrooms.

The project also must include a substantial landscaped open space, including the grand fountain Dahlmann has described in plans.

....

With the Y Lot sold, the city is turning its attention to the Library Lot, the surface parking lot above the Library Lane underground parking garage.

The City Council has provided direction to the city administrator to hire a broker to list the Library Lot, which sits across Fifth Avenue from the Y Lot, while reserving a portion of the property for a future downtown park.

"An RFP is being prepared," Powers said on Thursday. "We're incorporating the direction from council regarding the public space and the engagement with the community into an RFP for brokerage services. The selection of a broker will be a competitive selection based upon proposals submitted."
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  #285  
Old Posted Apr 4, 2014, 8:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by animatedmartian View Post
So basically, the rendering that's apart of this article is old and doesn't reflect the current design changes.
I'm so glad to hear that. lol Not gonna lie, I'm going to miss the art deco bus station.
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  #286  
Old Posted Apr 14, 2014, 8:49 PM
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Gotta hit up AA one of these years to check in on all of these developments...
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  #287  
Old Posted Apr 21, 2014, 12:20 AM
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Quote:
Site plan submitted for 'The Mark' condos on Ann Arbor's West Liberty
By Lizzy Alfs. April 19, 2014



Developer Alex de Parry is moving forward with plans for a seven-unit condo building on Ann Arbor's West Liberty Street.

De Parry, working with architect Brad Moore of J Bradley Moore & Associates, submitted a site plan for City Council approval for The Mark Condominiums at 318 W. Liberty St.

The 0.25-acre site is zoned D2 and located in the Old West Side historic district on the west edge of downtown Ann Arbor.

A car wash building constructed in the 1960s sits on the property. The site has a taxable value of $105,300 and is owned by Liberty Car Wash LLC, city records show.

Immediately to the east of the property is a city-owned parking lot that could become part of a future greenway along the train tracks that run by it.

The building to the west is now occupied by tech startup Sequoia Applied Solutions. The company’s founder, Joe Lambert, purchased the building last year and is in the process of renovating the structure.

Revisions have been made to The Mark condos after the project went before Ann Arbor’s Historic District Commission in December. Renderings show increases in the window size and amount of brick and the building is set further back from the street.

The Mark condos would be marketed toward empty nesters, the plans say. There would be seven units in the 11,910-square-foot building, including two penthouse units on top with patios. De Parry said the units would be similar in style to the nearby Liberty Lofts and will be comparable in price to other downtown condos.

There would be car garages located beneath the units with 14 tandem parking spots. A new curb cut would replace the existing curb cut on West Liberty Street.

The estimated cost of construction is $2.7 million, and the goal is to finish the project in 2015.

The site plan will go before Ann Arbor's Planning Commission before heading to City Council for consideration.










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  #288  
Old Posted Apr 23, 2014, 4:37 AM
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Nice design!
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  #289  
Old Posted May 9, 2014, 12:15 PM
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Was this project ever posted, here? I don't seem to recall this.

Quote:

A rendering of the approved ArborBLU high-rise on South University Avenue, which is slated to open in fall 2015. (Courtesy of Opus Group)

Construction to begin this month on Ann Arbor's new 'ArborBLU' high-rise

By Lizzy Alfs | MLive.com

May 9, 2014

The development team behind a 13-story high-rise apartment building approved for Ann Arbor’s South University Avenue plans to break ground this month.

Minnesota-based Opus Group and Pizza House restaurant owner Dennis Tice hope to finish construction on ArborBLU in time for the University of Michigan’s 2015 fall term.

A new website for ArborBLU markets the building’s 123 apartment units as U-M’s “newest luxury student housing.” Pricing structures aren’t listed on the website.

Ann Arbor City Council approved plans for ArborBLU in January. The project involves demolishing two buildings and constructing an addition adjacent to and over Pizza House restaurant at 618 Church St. that will extend south to Willard Street.

ArborBLU’s apartment units range from 490 square feet to 1,100 square feet. There is a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units.

...
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  #290  
Old Posted May 11, 2014, 4:27 PM
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Wow! Actually a related development was posted on this probably back when I was living in Ann Arbor to build a tower directly on top of Pizza House. That's why that 2-story addition was so bulky as it could support a taller building above. But this looks way bigger.


Edit: I got a great laugh going to the official website. It's like a JCrew catalogue. No matter what you charge in rents, it's still going to be very collegiate if you know what I mean.
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  #291  
Old Posted May 12, 2014, 2:09 PM
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^ That site is pretty hilarious, and J. Crew is spot on.
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  #292  
Old Posted May 21, 2014, 11:01 AM
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Quote:
6-story hotel in downtown Ann Arbor wins approval from Planning Commission
By Ryan Stanton



Plans for a new 110-room, extended-stay hotel in downtown Ann Arbor won support from the city's Planning Commission in an 8-0 vote Tuesday night.

The Residence Inn by Marriott proposed at the northeast corner of Huron and Ashley streets now heads to the City Council for final approval.

Ann Arbor-based First Martin Corp. wants to demolish two buildings on the 0.48-acre site — the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau building and the Greyhound bus depot — and construct an 88,570-square-foot, six-story hotel with a main entrance facing Ashley Street and a ground-floor restaurant along Huron Street.

First Martin plans to use the city's historic preservation premium for a proposed 4,352-square-foot floor area bonus.

Three people representing owners of residential and commercial condominiums in the adjacent One North Main building, just east of the hotel site, spoke during a public hearing on the project Tuesday night. They said they're pleased to see a hotel development on the corner, but one of the concerns raised was that some lower-level commercial spaces could have their west-facing views blocked.

Speakers mentioned they had asked First Martin to shift the building 12 to 15 feet to the west, away from One North Main, to alleviate some of those concerns, but First Martin says that doesn't work for a number of reasons.

First Martin also notes the approved site plan for One North Main recognized many years ago that some of the west-facing windows might have to be closed off someday when the bus depot site is redeveloped, and that day appears to have come.

The city's Building Board of Appeals granted a variance allowing the west-facing windows in 1984, with this stipulation: "In the event there is any development on adjacent locations with the construction of buildings, at that time the openings shall be totally closed up with the required fire-rated materials."

....

The estimated hotel construction cost is $13 million.

City Planner Alexis DiLeo described the proposed design as a blend of classic downtown Ann Arbor and the art moderne style of the bus depot.

The building is expected to rise 55 feet, far shorter than the 180 feet allowed in the D1 zoning district in which it's located. The square footage also is significantly smaller than the 147,378-square-foot maximum that's allowed.

....
Also...

Quote:
Should the city of Ann Arbor spend $4.4M to give city hall a new look?
By Ryan Stanton



Should the city of Ann Arbor put more than $4.4 million toward "re-skinning" the exterior of city hall, giving it a fresh new look?

That's a question the City Council eventually might have to answer.

For now, the council has postponed action on a resolution from Council Members Jack Eaton, Sumi Kailasapathy and Jane Lumm that would indefinitely postpone the project and urge its removal from the city's Capital Improvement Plan.

The resolution came up for discussion at Monday night's council meeting. It's expected to be back on the agenda June 2.

The resolution's co-sponsors argue there are other significant, unmet capital and infrastructure needs in the city — including in the areas of streets, water, sewer and parks — that are higher priorities and should come first.

Re-skinning the 1963-era city hall would entail replacing the exterior walls and windows with a new squared-off exterior, eliminating the inverted pyramid features of the building. The new exterior would hang vertically from the sixth floor and would be supported at each floor, eliminating the "stepping" at each floor.

The project was originally proposed as a second phase of the $50 million Ann Arbor Municipal Center project, which included renovations to city hall and the addition of a new police-courts building — the Justice Center — directly next to city hall a few years ago. The idea was that city hall's exterior would be refitted with new materials to better blend with the Justice Center, giving the two buildings a consistent appearance.

According to a city staff memo, the re-skinning also would offer energy efficiency benefits through replacement of windows.

...
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  #293  
Old Posted May 22, 2014, 10:21 AM
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I think they could have at least made those 3rd level windows at least match the lower level or renovate all the windows completly. The whole building looks kind of janky.

Quote:
$4.2M Bank of Ann Arbor expansion headed to City Council for approval
By Ryan Stanton. May 21, 2014.

An expansion of the Bank of Ann Arbor headquarters is headed to the City Council for final approval after getting the initial OK from the Planning Commission.

The $4.2 million project includes constructing a new two-story entrance at the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Washington Street, and adding a third story over the rear portion of the bank, totaling 9,440 square feet.

With the additions, the building would grow to 32,651 square feet, and stand 13 feet taller — going up from 27 to 40 feet.

The property is in a D1 zoning district, which actually allows building up to 175,826 square feet with a 180-foot height limit.

City Planner Alexis DiLeo said the proposed design seeks to transform the building from contemporary to traditional by replacing the yellow brick facade with brown and red-colored bricks and limestone-colored stone accents and trim, while creating a brick and glass tower at the street corner to create a prominent entry.

The existing drive-thru window is expected to remain as currently configured, and all driveways will remain unchanged.

....






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  #294  
Old Posted May 25, 2014, 11:09 PM
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Quote:
30 condos listed for sale at new downtown Ann Arbor development
By Lizzy Alfs. May 25, 2014.

The development team behind the Montgomery House project on Ann Arbor’s South Fourth Avenue is now marketing the building’s 30 units for sale.

Instead of half apartments and half condominiums as originally planned, the addition to the building at 210-216 S. Fourth Ave. will contain all condos.

“The market is very, very hot for condos right now; there’s just no supply,” said David Ebner, who owns the building with Joe Barbat of Barbat Holdings LLC. “We also felt it was a good opportunity for us to reduce some risk and exposure…by selling condos we’ll be able to reduce the loan on the project.”

Barbat Holdings purchased the building, the former Montgomery Ward’s department store, in May 2013.

Ann Arbor City Council approved plans in January for a 21,000-square-foot, 3.5-story addition above the existing 17,270-square-foot, two-story building located just north of East Liberty Street.

Montgomery House will include four studio units, 10 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom units. Units will range in size from 450 square feet for the smallest studio to 1,600 square feet for one of the largest units.

The price point of the condos: $179,000 for a studio on the second-floor to the high $600,000s for a penthouse unit.

....
Current building.


Planned renovations and addition.







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  #295  
Old Posted Jun 4, 2014, 4:33 AM
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Some great renovations proposed for what were some architectural turds downtown.
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  #296  
Old Posted Jun 15, 2014, 3:08 PM
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Quote:
Washtenaw on the rise: County experiences development boom

Four cranes rise over buildings in downtown Ann Arbor as summertime construction activity surges, promising to permanently alter the city’s skyline.

Growing demand for urban living has lured developers to Ann Arbor, which is rolling on its third year of booming development.

Three high-rise apartment buildings and a University of Michigan graduate student dormitory are all under construction in downtown, with some developers already plotting out their next projects.

Nine private housing projects are either under construction or about to start, which will result in more than 650 new apartments and 57 new condos in the downtown area.

Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje said the recession put developers’ plans to build housing for students, professionals and empty nesters downtown on hold, which created pent up demand.

“The market was in the tank and developers couldn’t get financing, so now it’s all coming back,” he said.

Downtown housing is only one piece of Washtenaw County’s development story, which includes four new residential subdivisions, dozens of commercial buildings and major investments totaling roughly $2.5 billion by the university.

How long the construction boom will last is unclear, but one thing is for sure: Development is transforming the county’s landscape.

....

Toll Brothers is building a 29-home community on Scio Church Road in Lodi Township


The University of Michigan's G.G. Brown Mechanical Engineering addition on North Campus.


A graduate student dormitory is under construction on South Division Street in Ann Arbor.


The 618 S. Main apartment building is under construction in Ann Arbor.


Here are projects within Downtown Ann Arbor that are either under construction or plan to start by the end of the summer or fall.

12 developments to watch in and around downtown Ann Arbor

1. 413 E. Huron









2. 618 South Main




http://www.voa.com/portfolio/on-the-...th-main-street





3. Pizza House high-rise




http://www.cpexecutive.com/cities/de...004096501.html







4. Six-story Marriott hotel







5. 414 Main and 401 Fourth









6. 121 Kingsley West





7. The Mark condos





8. Running Fit building addition





9. Montgomery building addition





10. 544 Detroit St.





11. Ann Arbor City Apartments (the only project set to be completed by the end of this summer)





12. 515 N. Fifth Ave.



Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/...o_watch_i.html
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  #297  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2014, 8:56 AM
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So glad to see Ann Arbor rebound so well from our state recession. While the city didn't get hit as hard as some other cities in the state, it got hit hard enough that it got knocked of the pace it was building up in the first half of the previous decade before the sh%t hit the fan.
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  #298  
Old Posted Jun 17, 2014, 11:09 PM
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A project I'd like to see come back from the dead is the Glen-Ann proposal from 2004.
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  #299  
Old Posted Jun 19, 2014, 2:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Hayward View Post
A project I'd like to see come back from the dead is the Glen-Ann proposal from 2004.
Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to stay buried inside a little coffin. On the positive side, the site probably won't be vacant for too much longer.

Quote:
Glen Ann Place: This half-acre site on Glen Avenue between Catherine and Ann streets still sits empty, 10 years after Ann Arbor City Council approved Joseph Freed & Associates’ plan to build a nine-story apartment building with lower level commercial space. Tax foreclosure notices were staked into the site in fall 2013 after the Glen Ann Place site plan expired. Back taxes were paid and city property records show Freed no longer owns the property, a signal that development could follow. Catherine Ann Development Company LLC purchased the site in March for $2.5 million. The entity is registered to Craig Singer, who is part of a group of Oakland County-based investors that own several developments in Washtenaw County, including the Oak Valley Centre anchored by Target and the 192-unit apartment project being constructed behind the shopping center.
http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-ar...these_und.html
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  #300  
Old Posted Jun 20, 2014, 2:52 AM
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Yeah we don't talk about the developer that shall not be named around here in Chicago. I'm happy to see the lot has been sold. It's a great location. You're right by the hill dorms so retail and restaurants would do very well in that location. And apartments up top would probably be some of the most desirable for students that would board buses at Victor Vaughn heading to North Campus or walk over central campus.
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