Addition next to Dollar Tree in Washtenaw retail center heads to Ann Arbor Planning Commission
A rendering of what the retail center on Washtenaw Avenue would look like after the upgrades.
Damian Farrell Design Group | for AnnArbor.com
The 9,500-square-foot addition had been planned as part of a $3 million upgrade to the retail center, which is on the south side of Washtenaw across from Arborland Center and about 1/4-mile from the US-23 intersection.
Other tenants in the center include Casual Male Big & Tall, Mattress World and destination specialty stores.
Phase 1 of the plan included redoing the exterior of the Dollar Tree and adding an addition onto the building where Frank’s Nursery outdoor sales center once occupied the far east side of the property.
Phase 2 was to add nearly 14,000 square feet of retail space to “join” the gaps between other buildings in the center, which were built separately in the 1950s or 1960s.
However, the only thing facing a Planning Commission vote is the building addition next to the Dollar Tree and some visual improvements, said Damian Farrell, the architect who represents owner Duane Renken.
“At the moment, the concept of Phase 2 is not even in consideration,” he said.
The addition would make room for up to three new retailers in a prominent location on Washtenaw Avenue. Michael Lippitt of Landmark Commercial is marketing the proposed space.
“We have a lot of tenant interest,” Lippitt said. “We have one 4,500-square-foot national retail chain for the east end cap and can split the balance into one or two more units.”
Lippitt and Farrell declined to name the national retail chain.
The plan also includes visual improvements at the center, such as trimming the number of parking spaces by adding new storm water management in the form of “bioswales,” or treed islands at multiple intervals in the existing parking lot.
Farrell said the project would make the area more appealing, benefiting nearby retailers and the community.
“I think hopefully it will be a good thing for some of the retailers in that area to at least see one project be updated and refreshed,” Farrell said. “It will definitely help that area.”
The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the 2nd floor of the Ann Arbor Municipal Center. Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
Damian Farrell
Sat, Aug 20, 2011 : 8:53 p.m.
@ steve...your comment is about areas that are in the City right of way. @ Paul Taylor....the two are completely unrelated or connected in any way what so ever. This expansion is related purely to a potential tenant desiring a presence in this location.
Mark
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 9:31 p.m.
A Dairy Queen.
Sallyxyz
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 8:31 p.m.
That entire strip mall is terrible. The parking lot is a disaster with huge potholes and weeds and trash strewn about. somehow I don't think that a Dollar Store is a great anchor store for any strip mall; if you have ever been inside that store, it's trashy itself, with shelves in chaos, boxes littered throughout the store, missing merchandise, etc. It's a mess. There are already too many empty stores across the street in Arborland; why add more retail to a highly congested area? The entrance and exit to the "Dollar Store" strip mall is also abysmal. It's very difficult to turn into and out of that entire strip mall. If anything needs to be done, it would be better to just pave the Dollar Store parking lot and not try to "develop" it with yet more stores that may end up sitting empty. Fill up Arborland first. There are huge vacant spaces and where is the interest in filling those? Why does every inch of commercial space have to be "developed?" The only people who end up benefitting the most from this constant development are the developers getting richer. There is far far too much congestion on Washtenaw already, and this proposal would add more. Why hasn't anything been done with the decaying buildings at the corner of Platt and Washtenaw? I've watched those "retail" buildings sit empty for several years. What an eyesore! And more retail is to be added to Washtenaw Ave? Hey, here's an idea: How about some green space instead of more and more and more retail? Enough already!
Robot Charles
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 8:17 p.m.
Empty Boarders store, empty Circuit City store, empty stores in the strip mall just west of Dollar Tree. Yep, we need to build more stores. I'm sure the residential neighborhood on the other side of the fence in back of Dollar Tree is gonna love all of the new traffic that will be cutting through as well as the noise and pollution.
mczacharias
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 7:37 p.m.
lovely architectural achievement. welcome to culturally void strip-centered america.
sesomai
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 5:48 p.m.
I don't understand why the Planning Commission believes there is a need for more retail space along this section of Washtenaw Ave. There are multiple empty retail spaces along that section of Washtenaw. I counted at least 8 the other week. This seems like a waste of money, time, and like the Planning Commission hasn't ever actually been to the area. Why not focus on improving what is already there, rather than adding more retail space?
Emma B
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 6:26 p.m.
Amen! I was hoping someone would mention that.
treetowncartel
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 2 p.m.
What really needs to happen is an improvement to the US-23 interchange. The exits should be similar to the one on i-94 at Telegraph or US-23 at M-59. This would really help traffic flow. also, some type of park and ride lot in the area would be a good addition. Not sure where you could put it. Maybe, take the old John Lee Oldsmobile lot through eminent domain and put a parking lot/structure and bus terminal in there.
Andy
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 5:22 p.m.
Agree, there is a massive amount of parking available on the south side across from Arborland and I'm not sure I've ever seen it even half-full.
treetowncartel
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
@ Madhatter, I don't see the problem as long as the addition is in the footprint of the outdoor space used by Frank's. It is the same amount of retail floor space.
Paul Taylor
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 1:44 p.m.
I wonder if this expansion/improvement would have been possible, had not Arborland punted AATA, forcing people to board and exit across the street. And, look at all the empty storefront in Arborland...
steve
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 1:41 p.m.
I'm all for renovating this strip mall. It looks run down and trashy. I also think someone needs to take better care of the landscaping too. The weeds outlining the parking lot look terrible. Anyone know who is responsible for that?
Dr. Webster
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 12:09 p.m.
"If you build it they will come." Cities grow, people have needs and wants, businesses provide for demands.
Madhatter
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 11:48 a.m.
Washtenaw ave is already clogged up with traffic problems. I hope there is some type of plan to control the additional traffic that this expansion will cause. It's great that they want to grow business, but it should be done with responsibility.
Andy
Tue, Aug 16, 2011 : 5:21 p.m.
They could start by taking out some of the vast area of unused parking spots in this section and putting in a bike lane, and closing off the entrances to those parking lots off each side of Pittsfield, which causes unnecessary backups. Let people exit directly onto Washtenaw. That entire stretch seems like it was engineered to be dangerous.