ANN ARBOR | Collective on 5th | 180 FT | 17 FLOORS
About 2 years ago, the City of Ann Arbor set out to develop a parking lot adjacent to the city library. After dozens of proposals, the city council focused on Chicago-based Core Spaces' proposal. On January 20th, 2016, Ann Arbor's city council voted to start negotiations on selling the library lot to Core Spaces. The proposal itself has three massing options though Option B is the favored one.
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http://i.imgur.com/wTQopjL.jpg http://i.imgur.com/UqyiX6e.jpg http://i.imgur.com/EYqH6Jt.jpg |
This news is about a month old, but since I just noticed that animatedmartian had a thread going for this development, I figured I'd add to it:
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https://hxvqmg-dm2305.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none The Library Lot, atop the underground parking structure, as it looks now: https://fbvqmg-dm2305.files.1drv.com...&cropmode=none Images Source: Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News / MLive |
I thought this project would be moving a lot faster than it has been. I didn't even realize this thread is coming up on two years old and we're not even close to an estimate groundbreaking date. :yuck:
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Building in Ann Arbor is like pulling teeth. That they've even got this far with such a controversial project is amazing. There are ones that don't require any funky financing that get held up for years over next to nothing.
I'm still not getting the issue about the bonds, though, and what they mean by tax advantaged. Someone want to hash out this legalese for me? It's kind of crazy, because for whatever reason I thought the Library Lot was a decades old garage, but it looks like it's only a few years old. |
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The bonds issue is seemingly about the parking garage which of course was built and is owned by the city. The city isn't selling the garage to the developers but development rights to build on top of the garage. In return, the developers pay $10 million dollars to lease about 200 parking spaces (in addition to paying taxes and paying for construction like any other private development). The NIMBYs are arguing that essentially the city built the parking garage for developers to use which meant that public money was used to fund a private investment which then would mean the city owes taxes on that parking garage. However, the IRS already said that this isn't the case and that the deal with Core Spaces can go through with no problem. |
That's a really nice looking building. Those balconies are great. Because of the varying lengths, they give the illusion of there being overhangs even though there aren't any. I would love to see something like this in Austin's West Campus neighborhood. Good model for student housing.
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Bond work is tricky in general. |
Thanks for the explanation, guys. The case by the opposition to this project seems very weak, then. It sounds like a hail mary.
Anyway, Ann Arbor really needs this. The plaza is also a very nice touch. Ann Arbor needs more downtown gathering spaces and spaces that focus development there. Everything down there feels kind of scatter-shot. Main and State are some of the best designed human-scaled urban corridors you'll find in the Midwest, but everything around and in between doesn't have anything to unite the core. |
The NIMBY argument is bs for 2 main reasons:
1) (as stated above) the city isn't selling the parking structure (I can't believe they don't realize that) only the top and they arnt even renting a half of the total 700 some parking spaces to the developer. 2) they will get a public space out of the whole thing... it would have seating, trees, and grass. If they want a park so bad why not campaign for it to be on the old ymca lot (literally like 100 feet away (They already scared a developer away from that lot)) I would say that lot is actually better for a park then the library lot... For starters it doesn't have a road (technically its a lane) running through it, second it's bigger and not boxed in by 3 lots; it faces the street on 3 sides thus making it feel more open, and third it's right next to (not across the street from) an already big gathering space the transit center. also petitioners are calling it a skyscraper haha |
Two news updates, also shared on the general A2 construction thread.
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Man, I bet you that that public meeting is going to be a hot mess. But, Core Spaces knows what it's getting into with it, so...meh. I hope they don't give the NIMBYs too much time or space or we'll end up with a 4-story affordable housing building with 50-foot yard setbacks or something. lol
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lol--
Ann Arbor approves ballot language for 'Center of the City' proposal Quote:
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Knowing Ann Arbor, I wouldn't bet against it passing. They say that it's questionable if it'll be enforceable, but it'd give them something else in court to argue.
Here's the thing, NIMBYs: Downtown Ann Arbor lost a chance to build a downtown "central park" decades ago. There are simply no parcels large enough for a legit grand-scaled park. You want a grand open-space near downtown? Go to the Diag where everyone goes for that kind of thing. But, of course this isn't about parkland, it's about stopping this development. |
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https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...k_proposa.html |
Yes, this one for all intents and purposes is dead, as the city formally terminated their agreement with the developer in January. And, not only was the ballot question passed, but opponents of the project flipped enough seats on council that they basically control it, now.
But the developer hasn't cancelled the project, and vowed a vigorous court case against the city. So, I'm not sure what to do with this one. |
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