The Madison was a residential development proposed for an acre-large site on the north side of East Madison Street, between Fourth and Fifth Avenues, across Madison from the Fingerle Lumber sales center. The development would have replaced seven multi-apartment houses that were noted as being in poor condition by the developers.
Jeff Helminski, of Ferndale-based Moravian Co., and Bluestone Realty's Newcombe Clark initially proposed a 14-story building on the site in June, 2008, with 161 apartments. That project was rejected by the Planning Commission.
A revised plan was presented to neighborhood residents at a December 23, 2008, meeting; this version would be only 4 stories tall, with 60 1- to 4-bedroom apartments renting at $1,250 - $3,200 / month. The project would be a Planned Unit Development, with 15% of the units designated as "affordable". Parking would be provided in an underground garage and a small surface lot. The developers hope to submit this plan to the city by the end of 2008, presenting it to the Planning Commission in spring of 2009. If approved, construction could be completed by mid-2010.
The Ann Arbor Chronicle notes that residents presented several concerns at the December meeting, including discussion of the project's role in the City's Central Area Plan and concerns that the project would have by-the-bed rental practices catering to students, rather than the young professionals discussed by Clark and Helminski.
Sources
- Ann Arbor Chronicle, 24 Dec. 2008: The Madison Redux
- Ann Arbor News, 5 June 2008: 14-story apartment building south of downtown Ann Arbor would target "young professionals"
