University of Michigan Board of Regents: Michigan firm to design Fuller Road Station
A planned transit center took another step forward today when the University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the project and authorized the hiring of an architect.
The project is estimated to cost $46.5 million, to be shared between U-M and Ann Arbor in a 78 percent to 22 percent split, respectively. The cost-sharing reflects the way 1,000 future parking spots will be divvied up between the university and city, with U-M taking 780 spots to the city's 220.
The University of Michigan Board of Regents moved plans for the Fuller Road transit center forward at their monthly meeting Thursday.
Regents approved the hiring of Walker Parking Consultants, a national firm with corporate offices in Kalamazoo and a local office in Ann Arbor, to design the project.
The project will be completed within the existing footprint of a surface parking lot the city currently leases to the university.
The first phase will include:
- Parking for 1,000 vehicles.
- Four covered bus loading/unloading zones and waiting areas.
- A covered area for bike hoops and lockers.
- Improvements to Fuller Road adjacent to the site for vehicle access.
- Upgrades to the multi-use path along Fuller Road.
James D’Amour, an executive committee member of the Huron Valley Group of the Sierra Club protested the development today, charging it would violate the "spirit" of city ordinance by building on parkland.
But the project will be completed within the existing footprint of a surface parking lot the city currently leases to the university, not parkland. Money from the lease funds the city's parks and recreation operations.
The city's estimate in managing the site's environmental assessment and site preparation is estimated at $3 million, with an overall contribution of $10.2 million.
Overall, university funding is estimated to cost $36.3 million from its parking resources; it will take on short-term debt to provide the cash under its commercial paper program.
Juliana Keeping covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
s_klein
Sat, Jan 23, 2010 : 10:27 a.m.
d, why would bike lanes be part of this? this is more parking for UMHS employees. it's the same situation for cars on fuller as well, "ride slow and stoppy" or hit someone on their bicycle who should be on the bike path instead of the middle of car traffic.
Karen Sidney
Fri, Jan 22, 2010 : 4:57 p.m.
I wonder where Ann Arbor will get the money to pay for its share of the new parking structure for UM hospital employees? Will there be more police and fire layoffs or will Ann Arbor residents be asked to pay more taxes? Or perhaps the city can divert some of the AATA millage money to this project. All those hospital employees who ride the bus because UM parking structures are full may return to their cars when the new structure opens. I can understand the UM wanting this strategically located parcel. What I can't understand is why the mayor and others involved in negotiating this deal did not get a good price for the land. Voters might approve sale of park land if it resulted in a large endowment to fund parks operations. I doubt they would approve what amounts to a gift to the UM, which appears to be the current plan.
theodynus
Fri, Jan 22, 2010 : 10:41 a.m.
@d: Bike lanes are going to be a fairly major change to the road and it wouldn't make sense to do them with this project.
yohan
Fri, Jan 22, 2010 : 6:43 a.m.
Why would anyone hire an architect named "Walker Parking Consultants" to design a "Transit Center"? Maybe because is IS NOT a Transit Center at all but really just another parking structure for UM hospital? Another lie heaped upon the people of Ann Arbor by UM and their head civic puppet, John Hieftje