Washtenaw Avenue isn't a thoroughfare known for bringing smiles to faces, at least not like Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor or Cross Street in Depot Town, Ypsilanti.

The Washtenaw Talent Center wants that to change. A group of local stakeholders is working on a plan to turn the suburban-strip-mall-dominated byway into something much more urban and sustainable.

"We're investigating it's redevelopment potential," says Anya Dale, a senior planner with Washtenaw County's Office of Strategic Planning.

That means turning the main artery between Ann Arbor Ypsilanti into a denser and walkable corridor filled with mixed-use buildings and improved mass transit.

"The key is there is a significant population living there that doesn't have cars or doesn't use a car to get to work," Dale says.

The group has been working on these plans for several months now. It is planning on having a steering committee meeting on Oct. 22. Anyone interested in the project can send Dale an email at dalea@ewashtenaw.org.

Source: Anya Dale, a senior planner with Washtenaw County's Office of Strategic Planning
Writer: Jon Zemke