University of Michigan board approves designs for $122M in ongoing construction
A rendering of the $34 million parking garage planned for Lower Town.
University of Michigan
University of Michigan regents have approved the design for a $34 million controversial parking structure on Wall Street in lower Ann Arbor.
Project architect Neil Martin said he worked "sensitively" with residents concerned about the appearance and safety of the structure, which replaces the Fuller Road structure U-M had planned to build with the city but cancelled earlier this year.
Martin called the design —which includes a brick facade and garden— "warm and welcoming." Residents will have a chance to weigh in on the design during a July 31 meeting.
Tim Mortimer, president for a condo association located near the Wall Street site, could not be reached for comment following the 3 p.m. Thursday Board of Regents meeting.
A rendering of a planned $50 million School of Nursing building.
University of Michigan
The facility was proposed to alleviate a space crunch within the school.
"They are growing so fast," U-M Chief Financial Officer Timothy Slottow said of the nursing school. The nursing school's student body has increased 26 percent in the past 10 years.
The new building will be located at the intersection of Kingsley Street and North Ingalls Street, near the existing building, which will remain in use.
Project architect Michael Mckinnell said the new building will create a new corridor of activity on U-M's central campus.
"North Ingalls Street is going to become much more important in the university’s circulation pattern," he said.
The project will eliminate 125 parking spots.
The Board of Regents also approved a $6 million budget increase for an addition to the Institute of Social Research, a project first approved two years ago.
The additional money expands the scope of the project to include a 56,700-square-foot addition with four floors, up from the 44,700 square feet, three-floor addition proposed in 2010.
Lastly, the board approved the design for a $9 million renovation to the entrance and museum of Schembechler Hall.
The hall will now include a statue that commemorates each Wolverine football win.
Together the four approved designs cost $122 million.
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
Chase Ingersoll
Tue, Jul 31, 2012 : 12:08 p.m.
Wouldnt it cost about the same to build a high rise and subsidize it for the employees, so that they could walk to work?
Aquarius
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 3:05 a.m.
This is where our tax dollars are going? Not to rebuild crumbling roads, bridges and schools but to build a statue to celebrate every football win. And we have more childhood poverty than any industrialized country in the world.
Somargie
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 9:39 p.m.
Another symbol of financial loss for the city of Ann Arbor and the hubris & arrogance of UM towards the city of Ann Arbor and the people who live here. The people who run this University have zero interest in working with the community or the city to safeguard the financial stability of AA. They don't care if the community loses 125 parking spaces or taxes from their land grab. This comment will be removed by this media tool of UM, its silly vote system or my favorite the blind UM rabid fans/supporters who feel any complaint is whining, ungratefulness or disbelief that anyone can disagree with the greed of this university's impact on the city of AA. The rabid fans & university don't care either because they know they run this town and can do whatever they want, disregard any city law, because they can...
Greenradish
Sat, Jul 21, 2012 : 2:02 p.m.
Who was parking there before? Who else was willing to buy the land? You are living in a paranoid fantasy world. It's not the university's job to give the city financial stability. But it does that incidentally by bringing, oh, 100,000 customers/jobs/residents in town plus another 100,000 on any given sunday. Dunk your head in some cold water, and come back to Earth from whatever planet you currently reside on.
GoNavy
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
With tuition rates at rock bottom prices and falling, spending money on something like this makes perfect sense. PS I can't voice my support over the wise allocation of $9M to "renovate the facade" of a University athletic building either. Every dollar that directly contributes to the quality of an undergraduate education is "OK" in my book -
xmo
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 1:16 p.m.
Thank Goodness the University has money to spend! While most businesses are trying to stay in Business, U of M is expanding!
NoPC
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 1:15 p.m.
I think that parking garage looks great! Imagine what it will look like with all those Prius and Subaru's in it!!
Blue Marker
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 12:42 p.m.
Say what you will but I don't know what my locally owned company would have done these last 10 years if it wasn't for the UM construction projects. It's provided jobs both directly and indirectly for everyone in our company. Honestly, I don't think we would still be open without them.
Somargie
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 9:46 p.m.
I am sincerely grateful that you're employed and yes you're right right that the many construction projects have provided jobs for many directly & indirectly. This was a good comment. However, this comes at a horrible cost to the City of Ann Arbor's financially stability, destruction of neighborhoods, schools, and other things. They count on this continual construction for them to win the support for even more land grab and financial destruction of the city.
Sparty
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 8:42 p.m.
And it was done in a fiscally sound manner, when UM could leverage the number of companies wanting the work to compete for VERY competitive bids rather than trying to do all of this work when time are booming and rates would be much more expensive.
Mick52
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.
Great post Blue Marker, I was about to post the same thing. Like UM construction or not, during the recession the construction has kept a lot of people working when unemployment is so high and you have to tip your hat to UM for that.
Bill
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 1:03 p.m.
Blue Marker, I'm sure your local company is not the only one that benefits from U of M projects. Too often citizen of Ann Arbor wish to believe they live in Pleasantville. The reality is that without a major employer such as U of M, Ann Arbor would likely be in the same condition as many other cities in Michigan - broke and in disrepair (worse than the current disrepair).
Rabid Wolverine
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 12:38 p.m.
"The hall will now include a statue that commemorates each Wolverine football win." Really? So just having the history of winning and the record to prove it isn't good enough? We need a statue too? Put the money to renovating that place not puting a unnecessary statue up...
Billy Bob Schwartz
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 7:38 p.m.
Rabid...I assumed that there would be one statue for each win. Seems like a big project to me.
hail2thevict0r
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 12:14 p.m.
Well, at least people are as mad about this as they are about the football sign being put up.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 7:36 p.m.
No kidding, we went to Nitwit Lion Valley specifically to see the stadium, and it took us two hours to find someone who could tell us how to get there. Wish THEY had a sign or two. I think the usual directions were, "An hour before the game, follow everybody else there." Not much help in July.
R.B.
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 1:32 p.m.
@Brad Yeah, from my understanding UofM wants to put up a giant marquee sign.
Brad
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 12:19 p.m.
They're putting up a football sign? Why? Is someone having a problem finding the stadium or something?
Ron Granger
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 12:03 p.m.
"The project will eliminate 125 parking spots." Yeah, that'll be great for the neighborhood.
Mick52
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 3:02 p.m.
I am not sure why 125 spaces will be eliminated. Perhaps those are the spaces at the parking lot where this will be built or that refers to during the time of construction. Later there will be more. There are UM lots in this area and some on street parking but I doubt the on street parking will be affected and I doubt there are that many on street spaces anyway.
Brad
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 12:02 p.m.
Only $34 million for an above ground parking structure? How quaint. But how many electric vehicle charging stations will it have? Will it have a fiber optic communications network? And most importantly, will it drive local businesses to the brink of disaster while it takes 3x the time it should to build it? If the answer to any of these questions is 'no' don't despair - only one answer - hire the DDA to consult on your parking project.
Angry Moderate
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 6:21 p.m.
All cars are sold because of handouts by the government. Who do you think builds the roads?
Mick52
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 2:58 p.m.
I think by the time it is finished manufacturing of electric cars will be done due to poor sales, and the end of the govt subsidy to buy one. Any product that needs a handout by the govt to sell is a bad product.
Bill
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 1 p.m.
Fortunately this is a U of M project not a city of Ann Arbor project, the mayor and his cronies won't have control.
DJBudSonic
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 11:42 a.m.
Wow that garage is ugly. No, thanks. As if we have a choice. Our spineless city council and connected mayor seem incapable of dealing with the University to the city's advantage. Just because this is a so-called company town doesn't mean we can't have a say in things.
Greenradish
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 7:39 p.m.
You're correct. You and your city council have no say in the matter, because the state is not subject to city law. A child does not tell its parents when it is their bedtime. But the people of Lowertown have only themselves to blame. Your neighborhood would be on a far different path had you not run down the clock on redeveloping the Kroger site. But no, you people think you are just too good to have a five or six story building within walking distance of your best of all possible neighborhoods. Keep thinking your design sensibilities are so fine, and keep saying "no" to reasonably decent projects, and eventually the only projects left will be the ones you have no authority to say "no" to. Sic Semper NIMBY-ae, I say.
MjC
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 3:07 p.m.
I think the parking structure design looks good (brick building usually look better as the years go by).
Mick52
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
What? Ugly? I am with Bill. It's a lot nicer that almost all of them. Maybe underground, eh?
Bill
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 12:57 p.m.
It is no worse than the existing parking structures in Ann Arbor.
sellers
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : noon
I believe you mean this is an ugly parking garage. http://www.zendextool.com/tools-for/parking-garages/GoJak-for-Parking-Garages.jpg What is proposed there is typical for modern day parking garages.