Ann Arbor Construction updates

[DetroitMan]

University of Michigan to reveal plans for massive housing, dining complex

The reshaping of the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus housing — including design plans for a massive new housing and dining complex — will be the focus of the Board of Regents meeting on Feb. 16, the school said Tuesday.

Architects will share design plans for a previously approved, 2,300-bed housing and dining complex to be built on the current Elbel Field. The last new residence hall built on campus, North Quad, was built in 2010 and has 450 beds. It was the first new undergraduate residence hall in 40 years.

Adding more Central Campus housing beyond that is also underway and officials are expected to brief the board on what's being done.

Included in those plans are relocating the Michigan Marching Band practice field from Elbel to the site of the former Fingerle Lumber property just off the main campus. U-M bought that property in 2018 when Fingerle closed.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/edu...x/69858203007/

[DetroitMan]

Hopefully the city can get this site redeveloped fairly quickly...
Toxic pollution spreading at city-owned site in downtown Ann Arbor

The city’s team considering options for the blighted 415 W. Washington St. property on the west edge of downtown gave the Planning Commission an update on the pollution and redevelopment plans Tuesday night, Feb. 7. The commission responded by voting to forward a planned unit development (PUD) zoning proposal to City Council for consideration, with a conceptual plan showing a potentially 157-unit housing development. The city’s plan is to attract a private developer to build the housing and do a cleanup, with brownfield tax incentives paying for remediation.

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

[DetroitMan]

Simon Property Group, the owners of Briarwood Mall, are planning to redevelop the old Sears store into a mixed-use project that will include a grocery store, 4-story apartment building and two-level retail building. I'm really excited about this project and hope that they go taller.
Demolition of old Sears proposed for new Briarwood Mall development

A proposal to demolish the building includes plans for a new grocery store, a two-level retail building, an approximately four-level, multi-family residential building and an outlot building.

A public meeting is being held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, for Ann Arbor residents to voice opinions and ask questions about the proposed project. The meeting is being led by Simon Property Group and Hines at 100 Briarwood Circle.Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group is one of the owners of Briarwood Mall and owns the old Sears location.

“This project is in the planning phase, and we are excited to share additional details in coming months,” a Briarwood Mall spokesperson said in an email. “What we can confirm now is that we’re looking at standout community-driven offerings that will cement Briarwood Mall’s positioning as a dynamic, mixed-use lifestyle center.”

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

[DetroitMan]

I must say I like the classic design of the new hall.

UM reveals design for new $500 million residence, dining hall on central campus

The University of Michigan is moving forward with a $490 million-$540 million project that will bring a new housing and dining quad to its Ann Arbor campus.

The UM Board of Regents approved preliminary plans during a late Thursday meeting but will consider the final expenditure for the project at its May 18 meeting.

The plan calls for constructing the new housing and dining complex on the current Elbel Field between East Hoover Avenue and Hill Street. Elbel Field would be relocated a block north, with that project including the construction of a new, $15.4 million practice and teaching facility for the Michigan Marching Band. The board of regents requested more information before making a decision on relocating the recreational sports fields at the current Elbel Field site.

The first central campus residence hall built for first-year students since 1963 according to the project's architect, the new quad is aimed alleviating a decades-long shortage of on-campus housing, UM said.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/educat...w-dorms-dining

[DetroitMan]

A 6-story hotel is being proposed for E. Huron in DT Ann Arbor.
New hotel proposed on East Huron in downtown Ann Arbor

First Martin Corp. wants to demolish and take over an existing parking lot at 300 and 312 E. Huron St. right across from Ann Arbor City Hall.

The developer is proposing a nearly 80,000-square-foot building with six stories and approximately 140 guest rooms. First Martin President Mike Martin confirmed the development will be a part of AC Hotels by Marriott.First Martin will act as the franchisee that will own and operate the AC Hotel within the Marriott brand.

Martin said the company is aiming to open the hotel in either spring or fall of 2025 if everything goes as planned.

The idea to bring this development to the area isn’t a completely new concept for First Martin Corp. Martin said the company began thinking about an AC Hotel prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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

[DetroitMan]

Tax breaks have been approved for a 250-unit affordable housing project on the west side of Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor OKs tax break for roughly 250-unit affordable housing project

City Council last week OK’d tax breaks for The Annex Group, which last year laid out plans for 252 affordable apartments rising four stories on 4.38 acres at 2050 Commerce Drive, between Maple Road and Stadium Boulevard.

“This is a welcome initiative by a private developer to create affordable housing in Ann Arbor,” said Council Member Lisa Disch, D-1st Ward.Union at A2, as the project is called, would serve households with an average income at or below 60% of the area median income.

It’s envisioned as workforce housing for people with incomes from about $50,000 to the mid-$70,000s, Tyler Knox, The Annex Group development manager, said previously.

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

[DetroitSky]

8-story development called Southtown proposed on Ann Arbor’s State Street

ANN ARBOR, MI — An eight-story development is proposed to replace an entire neighborhood block of houses and apartment buildings in Ann Arbor.

Southtown is the name of the mixed-use project by local developer Prentice 4M, working with Synecdoche Design.

The block sits along the east side of State Street between Henry and Stimson streets — a block south of Stadium Boulevard. The site is surrounded by low-income housing complexes to the north and east, the Salvation Army thrift store to the south and the University of Michigan Golf Course to the west.

[DetroitMan]

Big redevelopment of Ann Arbor’s riverfront getting $20M from state

The state budget bill signed by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in July includes a $20 million appropriation for the Broadway Park West project planned for an old industrial property off Broadway Street along the Huron River north of downtown. Detroit-based Roxbury Group has had plans for years to redevelop the 14-acre DTE Energy site with four six-story buildings with 96 condos, a nine-story hotel with 148 rooms, a riverfront restaurant, commercial spaces, public green space, walking trails, an event pavilion and more. With funding in place now, initial site work could start this fall/winter, depending on final permitting and weather, or by next spring, said Roxbury principal David Di Rita.

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

[DetroitMan]

Ann Arbor City Council signed off a deal to redevelop the University Inn property into a 4-story, 185-unit apartment building.

Ann Arbor OKs agreement for big Stadium Boulevard development

Farmington Hills-based Beztak Companies plans to move forward with potentially two years of construction next year.

Plans call for a U-shaped, 215,000-square-foot apartment building to rise around an existing office building, while three other buildings on the site will be torn down.

It’s planned as an all-electric building with rooftop solar panels in keeping with the city’s A2Zero sustainability goals.

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

[Rizzo]

^ I believe all the tower development is well placed. It’s either clustered along Huron or replaced insignificant 1 story structures or lots. Ann Arbor still has all its character, at least visually, because most of all its original buildings are still there.

[DetroitMan]

These renderings really give a nice prespective of the SouthTown project..

Drawings give closer look at Ann Arbor’s SouthTown development proposal

There would be 250 new apartments, new office and retail space and outdoor green space open to the community.

The developer plans to submit a formal site plan to the city by the end of October, after which it will go through a months-long approval process that involves city staff reviews and then Planning Commission and City Council approval, with public hearings to be held by both bodies.

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

[deja vu]

Speaking of taller things... here's some more of Vic Village South - encouraging progress in a month, though I can't tell from these frames if the tower crane is fully installed -






Source: LinkedIn | Grand River Construction, Inc.

[deja vu]

U of M Health's new Clinical Inpatient Tower progress -






Source: U of M Facilities

[Rizzo]

For basically about forever I thought this building was already entirely residential.

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by Rizzo

For basically about forever I thought this building was already entirely residential.

Same here. I guess it was just the top-level condos, making the whole thing look like an apartment building.

"higher demographic" professionals - that sounds bad. They're basically saying "don't worry, we'll price out the trashier students and other riff raff."

[deja vu]

With a stellar regular season now in the books, Michigan Athletics has wasted no time with dismantling the existing scoreboards at The Big House to install some long-overdue new ones. I remember them glitching at the two home games I attended this season. Here's a unique view -


Source: LinkedIn | Alumni Association of the University of Michigan

[DetroitMan]

Ann Arbor unveiled designs today for an 18-story affordable housing tower on a city-owned lot next to the Blake Transit Center downtown. Personally, I really like the design of this tower.
Ann Arbor unveils design for new 18-story high-rise development

Ann Arbor officials have spent years talking about creating high-rise affordable housing downtown and now new drawings show what it could look like.

Working with design consultant SmithGroup, the Ann Arbor Housing Commission has unveiled a full set of architectural renderings showing its latest plans for two connected towers on the former YMCA property known as the Y Lot.

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

[deja vu]

^ Damn. Well that's big!

[deja vu]

^ That's pretty generic-looking, but not bad I guess.

I just discovered that there is a construction camera for Vic Village South. And it has really taken off! The stair and elevator cores are topped out and the 3rd-floor bearing walls, framing, and long-span composite decking is going up.

Here is the camera link (select the project from the top drop-down): https://webcams.christmanco.com/

And here is a still shot from earlier today -

[DetroitMan]

Originally Posted by deja vu

^ That's pretty generic-looking, but not bad I guess.

I just discovered that there is a construction camera for Vic Village South. And it has really taken off! The stair and elevator cores are topped out and the 3rd-floor bearing walls, framing, and long-span composite decking is going up.

Here is the camera link (select the project from the top drop-down): https://webcams.christmanco.com/

And here is a still shot from earlier today -

It's amazing how fast this building is going up. Another 4-story, 79-unit apartment building on Ann Arbor's north side has been approved. Not to crazy about the design, but at least it furthers the densification of the city.

79-unit Ann Arbor apartment development gets council’s initial OK

A 79-unit, all-electric, solar-powered apartment development on Ann Arbor’s North Maple Road now awaits final city approval.

City Council voted this week to give the initial OK to zoning for 3.13 acres annexed into the city from Scio Township for a project applauded by officials for adhering to city goals.

“It is rare to see projects that hit all of the city’s major priority initiatives and this one does: sustainability, affordability and greater density where there is infrastructure to support it,” said Council Member Lisa Disch, D-1st Ward. The project is now due for final approval April 3.

The proposal from A2 Collaborative LLC, led by founding partner Jeff Wilkerson, combines four parcels along the west side of Maple Road just south of the M-14 highway.

It includes a four-story apartment building with 95 bedrooms, a one-story clubhouse with bike repair and bike storage space and e-bike charging, and 65 car parking spaces.

It includes rooftop solar panels to help power what’s planned to be an all-electric building without gas appliances, reduced car parking and features to encourage walking and cycling.

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