Ann Arbor library to lead development of key downtown site

Voters in Ann Arbor signed off on a pair of ballot proposals on Tuesday that kick-start an effort to build a new expanded library, new housing and public space downtown above a city-owned underground parking deck.

Proposal A prevailed with 58.3% of the vote while Proposal B similarly triumphed with 57.6% of the vote, according to unofficial election results from Washtenaw County. Proposal A called for the sale of the air rights commonly known as the Library Lane parcel to the Ann Arbor District Library, which will pay $1 for them.

The site is located at 319 S. Fifth Ave. and consists of about 0.81 acres of land, according to CoStar Group Inc. The existing library is next door at 343 S. Fifth Ave.

Now, the city and the Ann Arbor District Library can enter into discussions to draft a formal agreement.

“We look forward to settling the details of the transaction framework we shared months ago,” said Ann Arbor City Administrator Milton Dohoney Jr. in a statement following the election. “Now that the voters have approved the purpose of this transfer, it’s the right time to move forward in drafting the agreement for City Council and Library Board consideration.”

In 2018, voters in Ann Arbor amended the city charter to require that the land stay publicly owned “in perpetuity,” according to an Ann Arbor City Council document, and be developed as a central park and civic center commons called the Center of the City.

The vote on Proposal B from Tuesday repeals that park provision. Proposal A calls for the sale of the property from the city to the district library, which wants to build an expanded new building on the site. Other components would include retail, both market-rate and affordable housing, including units marketed to artists, as well as potentially senior housing.

The library would issue a request for proposals for development, and would sell or lease the air rights to a developer. Annual payments would pay for debt service on public bonds issued for the project.

“AADL is up to this challenge,” said AADL Director Eli Neiburger. “We look forward to working with the public to develop a design that offers something for everyone. That’s what libraries do best.”

The library plans to vacate its existing building for a temporary location within three or four years to accommodate the project, according to a March 3 City Council document.

The future of the Library Lane parcel has been a highly debated issue in Ann Arbor. In 2018, Chicago developer Core Spaces wanted to build a 17-story high-rise on the site; a plan that was backed by Mayor Christopher Taylor, according to reporting from MLive. However, voters rejected that idea with the 2018 charter amendment that effectively blocked the project from moving forward, and the deal died, according to reporting from MLive.