Fuller Park intermodal transit center is a bad idea
With apologies to Joni Mitchell, our City of Ann Arbor seems hell bent on “paving paradise, to put in a parking lot.” The issue of course, is Fuller Park, and the more one looks into the city's apparent intent to sell or lease for decades a three-acre parcel within Fuller Park for a University of Michigan dominated parking deck, the more that decision stinks.
Right now, the city owns a ground-level parking structure at the very site that the proposed, new, 1,000-space, five-story parking deck is to be constructed, within Fuller Park. Yet, the agreement between the University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor calls for the city to pay between 10 million and 11 million dollars toward construction of the structure, and retain control of 22 percent of the new structure's parking spaces, or about the exact same number as is currently available in the simple ground level lot. In essence, Ann Arbor is subsidizing the University of Michigan's desire to have an enormous new parking structure on city parkland.
The idea that the new structure is to be an “intermodal” transport facility is disingenuous. The only current building plan is for a parking structure, pure and simple. Given Ann Arbor's current financial health, it has no business subsidizing this structure.
Robert M. Gordon Ann Arbor
Comments
treetowncartel
Tue, May 11, 2010 : 4:46 p.m.
I propose putting an underground station in the center of the Diag, with granola powered segways available to get to your point of destination and back. People not familiar with the area can then use the way finding signs to get to their respective destination. This would also help alleviate the problems associated with finding a parking space in the central business district after 6:00 pm.
cook1888
Mon, May 10, 2010 : 2:02 p.m.
cold gray buildings, where a field should be...
Basic Bob
Sun, May 9, 2010 : 9:10 p.m.
The Fuller Road Station is not located in what most people would consider to be Fuller Park. It is across the street from the Fuller Park Pool, on the south side of Fuller Road. The new station will fit into the existing parking lot, so Joni might say that they paved over a parking lot to put in a train station. The available parking at the station will allow more people to use the train to travel to downtown Chicago, where personal cars are not a necessity. Perhaps this will be expanded to include Toronto, another world city where visitors don't need cars. This is a great way to travel, not just a green fantasy. A multi-story parking deck in this location makes excellent use of the vertical space along the bluff below the hospital. It is one of the few places along the existing railroad right-of-way where this kind of facility could be built and still provide excellent access to existing roads and businesses.
AAresident
Sun, May 9, 2010 : 10:04 a.m.
To date City Council has spent approximately $375,000 of Ann Arbor taxpayer money from the Economic Development Fund on the Fuller project. There is a lack of transparency and no public process so far.
logo
Sun, May 9, 2010 : 9:29 a.m.
The state of Michigan lags badly in transit and it hurts the economy. The city has 75,000 workers driving in every day. 20,000 are going to the hospital. It is smart to put the transit and parking where the workers are going. Build it.
logo
Sun, May 9, 2010 : 9:02 a.m.
How about a few facts: The city is going to spend federal rail money on the station. Dearborn just got $30 million for a new train station and Battle Creek got $20 million. They are tearing down their old ones. A2 is the busiest train stop in Michigan and will be the busiest on the high speed. The Fuller location is one of the most traveled to places in the state. There are over two million visitors per year and it employs 19,000. Maybe the largest employer at one location in the state. Its been a paved parking lot since 1994. The city courts have to move out of the county court house by Jan. 1, 2011. The tried to find existing space for the city courts but could not. The current city hall was not built to with a police station inside, they have been making do all these years. No property tax money goes to pay for the underground parking structure. It is paid for with parking revenues. Over half of the revenues will come from people who use the structure the rest from the overall parking system. Most of the parking revenues come from commuters who don't live in A2.
AAresident
Sun, May 9, 2010 : 8:36 a.m.
From what I know, what Mr. Gordon writes is true. It's not fun to watch the city act in this way. Time for a change. I'm not supporting any incumbents on Council this August. The Council has spent too much money on the new Police/Courts building, the Library Lot underground parking, and now wants to give our money to the U of M? And at the same time cuts essential services and asks for a tax increase. We don't need career politicians running the city. We need people on the Council who represent us.
Craig Lounsbury
Sun, May 9, 2010 : 7:26 a.m.
"Yet, the agreement between the University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor calls for the city to pay between 10 million and 11 million dollars toward construction of the structure, and retain control of 22 percent of the new structure's parking spaces, or about the exact same number as is currently available in the simple ground level lot." If that is accurate it is indeed a travesty. Sadly our city officials would willingly sign on to such a thing regardless.