The City Place development got its approval from the Ann Arbor City Council Monday, clearing the path for the downtown development, or not.

The future of the project that has become the poster child of downtown development gone awry is about as clear as mud. Yes, the development now has the city's blessing, but it doesn't with the recently enacted demolition moratorium on the small neighborhood on the southern edge of downtown. The city is studying the idea of designating the newly named "Germantown" neighborhood a historic district.

Ann Arbor Builders wants to raze seven historic homes (including one of the city's oldest) along Fifth Avenue just north of Packard Road to create a dense housing development. Original plans called for 90 brownstone-style condos in a long 4.5-story building that is reminiscent of Beacon Hill. Several months of wrestling with local neighbors and city officials created a number of different versions of the plans, but a consensus has proven elusive.

The latest plans call for two apartment buildings separated by a surface parking lot. The 3-story buildings will have 144 bedrooms in 24 units geared for college students and 36 surface parking spaces. The developer says this suburban-style development (a far departure from the original plans) is what city ordinances and regulations call for.

It's not clear whether there is a construction timeline for the project. A call and email to developer were not returned by press time.

Source: City of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke