New drawings for Blake Transit Center released; AATA hoping to break ground on project in September

That's the timeline Michael Ford, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's CEO, laid out at a Downtown Development Authority meeting on Monday afternoon.

Ford, unveiling new drawings for the proposed two-story building, said AATA officials are anxious to get started on the project following a public input period.

"We'd like to break ground in September. October at the latest," he said, adding the AATA is on "a very quick timeline" for the project at this point.

Ford said he's expecting the project, which has been talked about for years, to go before the Ann Arbor Planning Commission for approval on July 17. After that, it would go to the Ann Arbor City Council for final consideration on Aug. 20.

The project appears to have broad support from Ann Arbor officials. The City Council agreed last year to sell a strip of land to the AATA for the project.

Construction drawings have been submitted to the city already. Ford said the AATA is working to ensure minimum disruption during construction to the area along Fifth Avenue, directly across from a new 711-space underground parking structure built by the DDA.

The new, two-story Blake Transit Center is proposed to be built in the southeastern corner of the current site with a visual connection to the library across Fifth Avenue.

AATA officials said the foundation and building could support a third and fourth floor if a future development opportunity presented itself. It also has a basement.

It will be barrier-free and fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also will include offices for the getDowntown staff.

It's expected to achieve LEED Gold certification for sustainable building design, with a green roof and stormwater collection for gray water use.

The AATA also is investing in an energy efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, as well as energy efficient lighting with advanced lighting controls and LED fixtures. The sidewalks and driveway will be heated for snow and ice removal in the winter.

Making a case for a new transit center, Ford said ridership has increased more than 60 percent since the existing center was built about 25 years ago.

He said more than 5,000 riders a day pass through the Blake Transit Center, coming and going on somewhere around 40 buses an hour. AATA officials expect future frequency and ridership increases as they push for a countywide expansion of transit services.

The price tag for a new Blake Transit Center has been a moving target over the last few years. When it was first proposed, it was estimated at $3.7 million, which was raised to $4 million in 2010, then to $5.5 million in 2011. AATA officials said last September they had received a total of $4.2 million in state and federal grants to put toward the project.