Battle Begins to Save 84 year old apartment building

[wolverine]

This is almost two weeks old, but I hadn't heard about this recently. It's about the 10 story building that might replace the historic 'Melrose Place' apartments. Personally, this is one of my favorite old courtyard apartment buildings with its unique art deco design. It is also a PERFECT fit in this neighborhood. I'd hate to see it demolished The Zaragon place sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. I don't see why they don't level those crappy buildings on South U, next to the Towers for this project. I'm glad the city is being critical on this one.

http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/AAbattle0018.aspx

[wolverine]

Go to the end for elevations -----> http://a2gov.org/CityAdministration/Clerks...-07-07/DB-1.pdf

[nofunk]

I think the criticsm is spot on.

I for one have my fingers crossed that this proposal gets rejected; there have to be plenty of other places to site this that don't condemn historic buildings and destroy neighborhood cohesion.

[WALD0123]

I also agree with the criticism. The existing building is exceedingly rare in the Ann Arbor area and the replacement is simply out of place with the surroundings (However, those elevations do look like a marked improvement over the last new student housing mid-rise to go up, the generic building at the corner of State and Washington with Buffalo Wild Wings in it.)

I believe that Ann Arbor needs additional student housing especially close to campus and this type of higher end luxury housing would be a perfect fit for the area, just not this street or location. Something off of South University or maybe even South Forest would have been better.

In other areas, the parking lot on Thompson and William behind the Michigan Daily buildings would be a good place for a 5-8 story mid-rise student housing building.

[numstead]

Go to the end for elevations -----> http://a2gov.org/CityAdministration/Clerks...-07-07/DB-1.pdf

[GRDadof3]

Zaragon?! Will the building have a big EYE on the top that looks out over the AA kingdom?

Seriously, who came up with a name like that? And the building quite rightly fits with the name. Reminds me of the dumb General Motors names they keep coming out with lately. Drive the new Chevy Zaragon!

[wolverine]

^ LOL, I was thinking the same thing. It's like, way to creep out the public with your proposal.

I'm glad people here don't care for the architecture of the building either. I feel it's trying to be historical looking and modern (with those) windows at the same time in the wrong way. It just looks awkward.

I hope people get the chance to check out Ambrose. It really is distinctive in its architecture. The type of masonry work used is unusual which gives the building its identity. I realize that the inside is in bad condition, but that doesn't mean a solid renovation can revive this place. I hate it when people use ill maintenance as an excuse to justfiy demolition. Please, all of us Ann Arbornites have dealt with crap housing in varying degrees. Yet, most of the city is still standing. This about a developer making money. That site is valuable, and everyone knows that.

[wolverine]

Extensive sewer work is being done in the street in front of this building.

Yeah AA, way to go. Rip up the street right before students move into East Quad.

[wolverine]

This building is currently being demolished.

[mendelman]

I am amazed by all the development activity happening in AA recently. When I was doing my MUP in 2000-2002, there was little of this redevelopment activity and there seemed to be general public opposition to such.

A meger 5 years later and the city is going crazy.

As for this apartment building, it certainly is a nice form, but the increase in density seems a decent trade-off. Though, I agree there are other locations along this stretch of South U. where the impact and loss of buildings would have been less a problem.

wolverine....got any demo pics, yet?

[wolverine]

[wolverine]

This building is now gone. I took 2 days to entirely demolish.

Please oh please God let the future building not be some prefab piece of junk, but something we can celebrate as good architecture. Something good must justify this loss.

[nofunk]

It's gone?! Already?! Man that was quick. So much for my plan to take a few final photos of it.

Yes, let's hope that it's not another Ashley Terrace.

[ZachariahDaMan]

Damn, I never got around to photographing it before it was demolished.

[numstead]

yep, walked past it this morning... pile of rubble. what a travesty

[nofunk]

So, somebody explain to me how Ann Arbor moves lightning-fast to level an historic apartment building, but when it comes to one or two dumpy old houses...

[wolverine]

^ Well, those have to be moved.

[mgman]

^ Well, those have to be moved.

[JazperG]

does anyone have a pic of what the new building is going to look like?

[wolverine]

There's some elevations of it in the pdf document posted at the beginning of this thread.

[tracer1138]

Alas I didn't have my camera with me.

Yesterday they did a massive coordinated poor of the foundation (seems to be the trend these days). I counted and there were no less than 9 cement trucks lined up on East University. Project's moving right along.