And then there were three. A trio of redevelopment proposals have been made to the city of Ann Arbor for its old Department of Public Works site, just outside of downtown.

 

The Ann Arbor Art Center, Chicago-based developer Morningside Group (the Liberty Lofts people) and the Old West Square LLC (a partnership that includes Peter Allen of Kingsley Lane and Lower Town fame) have all made bids to redevelop 415 W. Washington Street.

The Old West Square's plans call for a mixed-use development that will focus on the cultural and arts community while strengthening a connection to a greenway and a public space.

The Ann Arbor Art Center wants to make the site its future home. Morningside wants to create a mixed-use development there, but declined to comment further on its plans.

The city put out a request for proposals for the nearly 2.5-acre site earlier this spring. The City Council is expected to appoint a committee to review the three proposals received later this month. Picking a developer could happen by the end of summer.

 

The former maintenance yard for the city and county DPW services is a few blocks northwest of downtown between Huron and Liberty streets and adjacent to the railroad tracks. City officials have determined that it is no longer needed for municipal operations.

 

The city requested redevelopment proposals that respect the surrounding residential neighborhood, utilize green building practices, mitigate floodplain issues and preserve the historical two-story industrial building built in 1907.

 

Source: Wendy Rampson, systems planner for the city of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke