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Ann Arbor Nine-Story Development Breaks Ground

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The construction of The Glen, a mixed-use development on the corner of Glen Avenue and Ann Street has finally broken ground after several years of delays. It was approved in 2017 and was scheduled to open in 2018. Technical changes were made in 2019, and construction was to begin in 2020 when the pandemic delayed it further. It’s now expected to open in 2024. The building will house 164 hotel rooms and suites and 24 apartment suites. It will also include a fine dining restaurant, meeting and event spaces, retail shops and 241 parking spots.

Ann Arbor Rezones Briarwood Mall Area

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The Ann Arbor City Council recently voted to permit reclassifying over 200 acres around Briarwood Mall under the city’s new TC1 transit-corridor zoning category. The rezoning of 68 properties in the State Street and Eisenhower Parkway commercial area makes way for downtown-style development on the city’s south side. According to the mayor, the council’s steps will create a substantial amount of housing units in the city.  The goal is to encourage high-density, mixed-use development. Building height limits range from 550-300 feet and depend on how close sites are to residential areas.

United Artists Theater Building Rehab Begins

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The Bagley Development Group has begun its redevelopment of the Ilitch-owned, 18-story United Artists Theater Building at 150 Bagley St.  The property is being transformed into a 148-unit residential building called Residences @150 Bagley. It is scheduled to open in late 2023. Twenty percent of the new apartments will be offered at below-market rents for qualified tenants. It will also include about 10,000 square feet retail space on the ground floor.

 

 

Downtown Royal Oak Main Art Theatre’s Days May Be Numbered

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The 80-year-old Main Art Theatre in downtown Royal Oak could soon be demolished. An A.F. Jonna Development LLC affiliate has submitted plans to tear down the theater and replace it with a 5-story mixed-use building. The developer will appear before the Planning Commission on April 12 to present plans for a new 71-foot building that would include 9,200 square feet of commercial space. A restaurant and a retailer would split the space. The 2nd floor would accommodate 31,000 square feet of office space. The third through fifth floors would include 54 new residential units.

 

Ann Arbor City Council Approves Rezoning Efforts

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In an 8-3 vote, the Ann Arbor City Council has given initial approval for the rezoning of over 200 acres around Briarwood Mall. The city-initiated rezoning will need final council approval next month. Its intent is to encourage high-density, mixed-use development with limited building heights determined by the proximity of residential areas. City officials are hopeful that it will lead to a mix of housing and commercial spaces.  The three council members who voted against the proposal view the rezoning as a giveaway to developers and landowners.

 

Woodward West Nears Completion

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Construction crews continue to make steady progress on Woodward West, the five-story apartment building in Midtown Detroit. The residential and retail development has already started pre-leasing and should be completed this summer.  The development will add 204 apartments and 25,000 square-feet of retail space to the Midtown community. The first floor will consist of retail space.

Dearborn Mayor Has High Hopes For Fairlane Town Center

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The Dearborn Mayor hopes to turn the Fairlane Town Center site into the “heartbeat of our city.” Affordable housing and green space are only two of the many possibilities that could reinvigorate the mall. He wants to brainstorm with business leaders to improve the space. Mayor Hammoud envisions an affordable housing project, a public health project, an environmental sustainability project, and a flood mitigation project. He wants to pitch ideas to area developers to formulate a plan that will utilize the available city, county and state resources.

 

 

Construction Begins On The Former Joe Louis Arena Site

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Construction is due to begin on the former Joe Louis Arena site for a new residential apartment tower. Several pieces of heavy-duty equipment arrived on late Wednesday afternoon. Colasanti Construction Services Inc. prepped for initial work on the 24-story apartment tower, drilling 100-foot deep caissons. Sterling Group applied for a permit for the building, but no information has been released by the city pending the outcome of the permit review. Part of the vision for the site includes an apartment tower called The Louis, with 500 studio and one-bedroom units. Specific plans for the property have not been made public since Sterling Group acquired the property. Previously, the site had been discussed as a mixed use development, potentially with a hotel.

 

 

 

 

Rezoning Proposal Heads to Ann Arbor City Council

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Ann Arbor’s Planning Commission voted to recommend City Council approve the rezoning of 68 properties along State Street and Eisenhower Parkway into a new high-density development zone. The proposal would rezone 226 acres by Briarwood Mall and allow downtown-style development to occur, transforming the area into a mixed-use neighborhood. According to City Planner Alexis DiLeo, the proposed rezoning could potentially add hundreds of homes to the area.

 

Former GM Transmission Plant to be Redeveloped

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NorthPoint Development, the owner of the former General Motors Transmission plant in Warren has a $180 million plan to redevelop the site. The plan is expected to bring 1.4 million-square feet of new industrial space, as well as 600 jobs. According to Warren Mayor James Fouts, the development is a good idea for the city. The company will house multiple tenants on the site. It will make improvements to parking, green space and storm water management. Site jobs will pay at least $15 per hour. This project is just one of many that NorthPoint Development has underway in the Detroit area.