Nearly 770 new parking spaces are in the works for downtown Ann Arbor now that the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority plans to build a huge underground parking garage next to the the District Library's main branch.

The DDA is expected to review plans today before sending them to city officials for approval. The City Council should vote on the plan later this year.

The parking structure plan calls for 770 parking spaces under what is currently a large surface parking lot on Fifth Avenue. The underground deck will be four stories deep, running beneath Fifth Avenue, connecting it to the old YMCA site. Other options for the parking garage that are under consideration include: preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles and incorporating both energy efficient LED lights and natural lighting.

"They're saying let's put this infrastructure in while we have the chance," 
explains Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. "Like so many home improvement projects you spend a fortune on things you never see."

The DDA hired two firms, Walker Parking Consultants and Luckenbach/Ziegelman Architects, to design the three-story underground structure. It is also trying to purchase a few homes adjacent to the parking lot to complete the half-block parcel next to the Ann Arbor District Library. City officials are still debating what to put above the underground structure but there are reports of plans for a small convention center.
 
Source: Susan Pollay, executive director of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke