Ann Arbor Construction updates

[LMich]

Was this project ever posted, here? I don't seem to recall this.

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.

...

[Rizzo]

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.

[subterranean]

^ That site is pretty hilarious, and J. Crew is spot on.

[animatedmartian]

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...

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.

...

[animatedmartian]

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.

$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.

....

[animatedmartian]

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.

[Rizzo]

Some great renovations proposed for what were some architectural turds downtown.

[animatedmartian]

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

[LMich]

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.

[Rizzo]

A project I'd like to see come back from the dead is the Glen-Ann proposal from 2004.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by Hayward

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.

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

[Rizzo]

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.

[animatedmartian]

That march of (possible) development spreading north and west of Downtown Ann Arbor.

2 Ann Arbor properties listed for sale as redevelopment opportunity for condos



The owners of two neighboring properties just north of downtown Ann Arbor are looking to capitalize on the growing demand for urban living.

Beal Properties is marketing the sites at 221 Felch St. and 214 W. Kingsley St. for sale as a redevelopment opportunity for apartments or condominiums.

The price tag for the properties: $3.9 million.



“The reason it might be attractive to sell at this time is you’re seeing more of these near downtown or in downtown condo developments,” said Stewart Beal. “My father (Fred Beal) and uncle (George Beal) are of the age where it makes sense to start talking about retirement … one option would be to sell this property.”

Stewart Beal said the properties were listed for sale in 2009, but interest waned as the real estate market crashed. He said his family is not interested in developing the site, but would prefer to sell.

The decision to market the properties for sale again comes shortly after three Ann Arbor developers proposed a 22-unit condo project across Kingsley Street from the Beal Properties. Peter Allen, Mark Berg and Tom Fitzsimmons want to build 121 Kingsley West on the corner of Kingsley and North Ashley — a property once slated for a 46-unit condo project called Kingsley Lane.

....

Working with Ann Arbor architect Brad Moore, the Beals have outlined potential redevelopment options for the site:

• Combine the parcels, demolish the existing buildings at 221 Felch St., rezone the property to O Office and construct a new office building of up to 66,000 square feet
  
• Combine the parcels, demolish the existing buildings at 221 Felch St., rezone the property to R4D Multifamily and construct a residential building of up to 96,000 square feet for as many as 51 condos or 75 apartments.

Stewart Beal said the building at 214 W. Kingsley St. could remain, but the purchase of that property is necessary to meet the minimum lot size requirement of 83,000 square feet under the R4D zoning.

....

[animatedmartian]

Next redevelopment site in downtown Ann Arbor? City hires broker to market Library Lot



Ann Arbor officials are getting ready to officially market the city-owned Library Lot as a potential redevelopment site.

City Administrator Steve Powers has selected CBRE, a real estate firm with offices in Southfield, to assist the city with the marketing and sale of the property.

Powers said CBRE will help the city achieve the highest attainable return consistent with the vision for the property articulated by the City Council.

The council is interested in a mixed-use development, one that could include commercial and residential uses, as well as public open space.

....

If there was ever another good spot for Ann Arbor to put a decent high rise, this would be a good spot to put it.

[animatedmartian]

Ann Arbor has an odd case of NIMBYism. Residents want lesser density but also want less (or none) sprawl. It seems like straight up a demand for population control.

Neighbors fight plan for 500 residences proposed north of Ann Arbor



David Caddell is worried a proposal for almost 500 new residences in on the northeast side of Ann Arbor will create traffic bottlenecks in his neighborhood.

Sheila Jensen fears the character of the area where she lives on Lakehurst Court will be changed forever. And Ron Durbin says the project, which includes a mix of three-story townhouses and attached two-story carriage homes, is just too dense.

They are among dozens of northeast Ann Arbor residents who have banded together to oppose plans for the project at Nixon and Dhu Varren roads announced earlier this month. Their goal: Get Toll Brothers to reduce the density of the proposed community or convince Ann Arbor City Council to deny Toll Brothers’ annexation request as they consider the impact of this type of development.

...

Residents have several concerns about the project.

Density

The city’s master plan recommends residential uses for the vacant sites, at a density of between seven to 10 dwelling units per acre. At 491 units, Toll Brothers’ project would result in a density of about 4.5 units per acre, less than what's master planned for the site.

A mixture of housing types is encouraged for the site, including single-family detached homes, attached townhouses and multiple family, the master plan says.

Many neighbors would like the three-story buildings removed from the Toll Brothers plan.

“I think we all realized that at some point in time that property was going to be developed,” Durbin said. “I don’t think we’re going to stop development. …My concern is the density of these units. I really object to three-story buildings.”

Joseph added: “This really is an issue of density and I think we should stay very, very focused on that in terms of services and schools, sewers, trash pickup, traffic, drainage — all of these things are density issues, ultimately.”

....

Traffic

Some residents in northeast Ann Arbor worry Toll Brothers’ community — along with a 294-unit apartment project proposed across Nixon Road — will worsen traffic backups where Nixon Road meets Green and Dhu Varren roads. The intersection is an unconventional four-way stop where the road jogs, with no traffic light.

The city has talked about realigning Dhu Varren so it lines up with Green Road and/or possibly constructing a roundabout to improve traffic flow.

Rampson said the apartment project has been on hold while the city evaluates options for the intersection. She said both Toll Brothers and the developer of the apartments, Bleznak Real Estate Investment Group, have indicated they would contribute to fixing the intersection.

...

Environmental impact

The properties Toll Brothers plans to develop have extensive environmental features, including wetlands and a woodland preservation area.

Toll Brothers’ plans call to build around several wetlands on the property.

According to the plans: “Both the layout of the proposed development as well as the storm water management system will be designed in harmony with the numerous wetlands and high quality woodlands located throughout the property. In particular, significant tree stands being preserved along the western property line provide both a buffer to adjacent uses, as well as natural passive recreation open space area.”

But some residents still worry development will have a negative impact on the wetlands, wildlife and trees on the site.

“When a developer does replace a wetland, it’s never as good as what Mother Nature created,” said Lisa Dusseau, who lives on the north side of Ann Arbor.

More housing planned

Jensen said she’s concerned about more than just the Toll Brothers project; in all, more than 1,000 residences are planned in northeast Ann Arbor as the region’s housing market improves and developers target vacant land to build new projects or complete unfinished ones.

Along with the Toll Brothers development and the Bleznak apartments, other projects proposed or approved in the area include: 141 single-family homes and 63 apartments or condos at 2701-2801 Pontiac Trail, north of Skydale Drive; and 19 homes at 2000 Traver Road, just northeast of Barton Drive.

Briere said a number of infrastructure issues need to be addressed as development continues in northeast Ann Arbor.

“The roads are in bad condition, I’m concerned about the stormwater, I’m concerned about wastewater, I’m concerned about traffic,” she said.

[Rizzo]

Those townhomes look nice.

[animatedmartian]

They might not get built if the NIMBY neighbors have their way.

[LMich]

I'm confused. From what little research I've done, this land at Nixon at Dhu Varren - if I have the right parcel - is just across Nixon in adjacent Ann Arbor Township. What say would the Ann Arbor City Council have in this? Or is this just them venting at Ann Arbor? Because it sounds like me they should be taking this up with the Ann Arbor Township Board of Trustees.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by LMich

I'm confused. From what little research I've done, this land at Nixon at Dhu Varren - if I have the right parcel - is just across Nixon in adjacent Ann Arbor Township. What say would the Ann Arbor City Council have in this? Or is this just them venting at Ann Arbor? Because it sounds like me they should be taking this up with the Ann Arbor Township Board of Trustees.

Ann Arbor has plans to annex the land before it is developed.

[LMich]

Well, that's what I get for originally not reading the whole thing. lol

Anyway, I can kind of see the current residents' points, at least on the traffic issue. I've always been surprised how quickly Ann Arbor gets windy and sprawly right outside the core/inner-city, and without the road capacity and connections to really handle the traffic in the residential neighborhoods. It was planned and built differently than the likes of Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids, which are pretty heavily/regularly gridded outside their cores.