Ann Arbor parking deck construction continues downtown, expected to finish next spring

"Concrete, concrete and more concrete."

That's how Amy Sullivan, project manager for contractor Christman Co., sums up the major work being done right now on a $50 million underground parking structure that continues to take shape next to the library along Fifth Avenue in downtown Ann Arbor.

Crews are hard at work forming and pouring elevated concrete decks, columns and walls for the four-story underground project funded by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. Work on the plaza level is expected to begin at the east end in the next two weeks.

The deck is expected to include somewhere around 700 parking spaces. It originally was expected to open in August 2011, but several months ago project officials said, due to a later start, it wouldn't be finished until December 2011 or January 2012.

Sullivan said on Friday the entire project won't be done until spring 2012 now, though concrete work is expected to be done before then. She said there are temperature-dependent items that will need to be completed in more moderate temperatures in the spring.

So what's left to be done? Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, elevator installation, and finishes such as stain, paint, tile, glass canopies, handrails and wayfinding signage.

Also remaining is plaza-level work, including site concrete, sidewalks, furnishings such as bike hoops and tree grates, landscaping and snowmelt systems.

AnnArbor.com photographer Melanie Maxwell captured the following images of the project taking shape this past week:

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.