The building at 413 E. Huron used to be a grocery store, then an antique shop, then the University of Michigan leased it, and now, well, maybe the building has finally found its calling.
The owner, Bruce Thompson, has his Thompson Terrace sliding into its new skin as a little streetscape that, according to its Web site, mixes campus and commerce. And, along with its sprawling rooftop terrace, brings the ambiance of an Italian village.
Man, Italy in Ann Arbor – doesn't sound so bad.
James Chaconas of McKinley, who is marketing the redevelopment, says the 17,000-square-foot former building that once sold produce and dusty lamps are looking at select retail, a bagel or coffee shop, and eight or nine apartments on the upper levels to round out the mixed-use space.
"It'll be all new in an old shell," Chaconas says. "But even the shell will be redone."
Thompson Terrace is now waiting on the city but, Chaconas says, it should be in five to six months.
Chaconas points out that the Thompson Terrace is not a high-rise, something Ann Arborites embraced initially but have recently taken issue with, he says.
"This is an alternative to the high-rise," he adds. "Everyone wanted them, then people complained but now we have this. People should like this because it's not a high-rise."
Source: James Chaconas of McKinley
Writer: Terry Parris, Jr.
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