County board OKs Brownfield plan for 618 S. Main St. apartments in Ann Arbor
A rendering of the 618 South Main apartment complex, which is proposed for the former Fox Tent & Awning site near downtown Ann Arbor.
The apartments, destined for 618 South Main St. in Ann Arbor, will be marketed to young professionals, but two commissioners who voted against the project said the rent will be too high for for young professionals.
The county board passed the plan in an 8-2 vote. The plan came before commissioners in its final phases with little opportunity for the then to make changes to it without further complicating the project.
Felicia Brabec
Commissioner Rolland Sizemore Jr. was absent from the meeting.
Ketelaar said the vast majority of the apartments in the 618 South Main building would be available to those in the 90 to 100 percent bracket of median income.
The project, located at the site of the former Fox Tent & Awning building, north of Mosley between Main and Ashley streets, calls for tearing down two existing structures for the construction of a seven-story building that would house about 231 bedrooms, 121 underground parking spaces, 65 bicycle parking spaces and pedestrian amenities along the adjacent streets.
Yousef Rabhi
Rabhi explained he liked the development project - including Ketelaar’s plans for a green roof to prevent storm water runoff - but couldn’t cast his vote for the measure because it would not bring accessible, affordable housing to downtown.
“I appreciate what you’re doing to bring a new crowd of folks downtown,” he said.
Brabec said she viewed herself as a young professional when she moved to Ann Abror as a doctoral student. The rent at the 618 South Main complex would have been too “exorbitant” for her to afford at the time, she said.
The Ann Arbor City Council also voted 8-2 in June to approve the site plan and brownfield plan.
Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.
Comments
Bozo
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 7:48 p.m.
Low income housing = existing housing. To ask for a new development to be low income is nonsense.
Madeleine Borthwick
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 5:51 p.m.
We do not need more high-end housing. we need more low-income housing. will the powers that be ever realize and acknowledge this?! probably not.
LA
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 3:05 p.m.
Let me repeat what I said on another article touting high-end downtown apartments. "I wish someone would create nice medium priced apts/condos downtown. Does it all have to be 'high end'? Wouldn't it be great to have basic ordinary working people be able to live downtown?? Going out to dinner, movies, strolling and window shopping in the evening and living in the heart of the city should not just be for high incomes!!!" Thank you for the two votes against. Also, IMHO, the building sketches do not look very attractive.
CunningStunt
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:47 p.m.
"90 to 100 percent bracket of median income" What does this mean exactly? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States So are we talking 120k plus? How young is "young professional"?
MRunner73
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 1:38 p.m.
The rendering of the design of the proposed 618 building looks a lot like the Ashley Mews Building at 414 South Main. Copy-cat type design is unappealing. A little diversity would be nice. The issue of rent being too high seem viable. Young professional are not likely to have exceptionally high incomes, perhaps median to a little above. Glad to see there were at least two no votes.
Jack Campbell
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 1:07 p.m.
I'm glad to see development in the right areas. It looks like they will be pretty snazzy!
Madeleine Borthwick
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 5:48 p.m.
"Snazzy" doesn't impress me. "Affordable Housing", on the other hand, does.
aabikes
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 12:38 p.m.
How much is rent going to be? What is the median income for a young professional?
UtrespassM
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 1:50 p.m.
How young is the age for young professional? The medical residents make $45000/year, they are 30-35 years old, and carrying over $500,000 student loan. The young IT Guys make $80000/year, They are as young as 21 years old. How many Google do we have in Ann Arbor?
LXIX
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 12:11 p.m.
My Johnny one note - JUNK! Leaders say build it and they will come Or, if not, the Reps will all be long gone. Retired to Boca Raton to suck down their oceanside mint julips - leaving the A2 natives back up in the cold to figure it all out. The Roman Ruins didn't happen all in one day, either.
LXIX
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:34 p.m.
You are a young A2 professional in the top 10^% wage bracket struggling with A] your quarter million dollar tuition repayment B] sustainable plan for self-replication (maybe a family) C] desire for all of the latest toys now that you are supposed to get them D] need for a secure investment like your own real esate while the derivative markets crumble E] growing concern about being outside of exclusive government club-corruption F] growing concern about geographic security amidst an increasingly hostile society. Like in Rome, Ann Arbor leaders seem determined to build a predictably obsolete empire.
mixmaster
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 1:27 p.m.
What on earth are you talking about?