You can debate whether Ann Arbor should develop a park or a commercial building on top of the underground parking structure being built downtown. The better question is whether the city will do a thorough analysis and be willing to make a hard decision -- even if the decision is not to develop the property at all right now.

The city has received six proposals for the so-called Library Lot on Fifth Avenue. Already, an advisory committee has rejected the two that call for a park or a town square, although that may be reconsidered.

The former surface lot next to the downtown Ann Arbor District LIbrary on Fifth Avenue is the site of a planned underground parking garage. File photo | Ann Arbor.com

The committee's action only fed the perception in some quarters that this is a done deal, and that the agenda all along has been to build a conference center. Granted, when the Ann Arbor City Council agreed to spend $59 million to build a four-level underground parking deck, it was clear in saying the intention was to eventually build something on top of it. But what we're hearing from City Council members suggests they aren't necessarily wedded to any one proposal, and might even reject them all.

Given the unhappy history of downtown projects, the city's own dubious record for dealing with development proposals and the tenuous state of the economy, it's essential that council members bring the right level of due diligence to this project.

The city's recent track record on other proposals, be it the 415 W. Washington property, the First and Washington property or the former YMCA site, has created the impression of Ann Arbor as a place where projects go to die. A better outcome here would be welcome. If the city could match the right vision with the right project and the right timing, there's an opportunity to add vitality to downtown Ann Arbor.

Of the four proposals for commercial development on the Library Lot, one is for a conference center/hotel that also would include condos, retail and a generous amount of public space. The other three are mixed-use projects that would involve either a hotel or senior housing.

There certainly is merit in exploring the possibility of a conference center. There are regional and national conferences that Ann Arbor can't land, and doesn't even pursue, because we don't have suitable facilities. What conference planners are particularly keen on are newer "green'' facilities in downtown locations with surrounding amenities. Our proximity to a major airport is a plus, as well.

None of that guarantees a conference center would be a success here. In the current economy, there are no guarantees. A conference center would have to attract significant additional business on a very consistent basis to be financially viable.

Ann Arbor has that kind of potential. Even now, our hotel market is relatively healthy. According to Smith Travel Research, our hotel occupancy rate for last year was 24 percent higher than Grand Rapids and 10 percent higher than Madison, Wis. Our occupancy rate even tops Chicago's.

Still, Ann Arbor doesn't gain a lot if it adds more hotel rooms without drawing more visitors. Then we're just shifting occupancy from existing hotels to a new one. Particularly if City Council is going to entertain a conference center proposal, it needs to see a clear plan for how such a project would be financially viable, how a significant number of new events would be attracted here, and who would be accountable for achieving those results.

There also would need to be significant evidence that the project involved a reputable developer who is well-funded and can amass substantial commitment and support from the public sector, local businesses and the University of Michigan.

What's required here is the kind of foresight that prevents the city from missing a real opportunity, but also prevents it from sticking the community with a white elephant. We hope the City Council will conduct an open and honest process, ask hard questions and make a tough decision -- for the right project, or for no project, if the right one doesn't present itself.

(The editorial appeared in today's newspaper and reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board at AnnArbor.com.)

What does the public think about the six proposals? Here are the results from an online poll responded to by readers of AnnArbor.com. Town Square and Community Commons are urban park proposals, All Seasons is a senior housing proposal and Fifth a2 is a hotel project.