It is over yet? Has the Ann Arbor City Council finally passed judgment on 601 Forest yet? Yes? Finally…
The City Council approved the smaller version of the 601 Forest high-rise on development. Call it a downsized victory for the proponents of vertical, urban growth in Ann Arbor.
The 'adjusted' version of 601 Forest is 14 stories tall. The developers, Hughes Properties and Omena Real Estate Investments, originally planned for of 26. They also wanted to build 1,100 beds in 342 units. The new plan calls for 150-175 rooms with 570-610 beds. All of those beds will be marketed toward students at the nearby University of Michigan.
Each unit will come furnished with amenities like flat screen TVs and floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the surrounding campus area. There will also be a café, fitness facility, business center and a landscaped roof garden.
The building will incorporate environmentally friendly construction techniques, materials and systems, such as passive solar technologies, advanced water recapture systems and a green roof. The developers are going for at least silver LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The Village Corner party store and a nearby apartment building at the corner of South University and Forest streets will be leveled to make way for 601 Forest. The adjacent Mud Bowl will be left alone.
Source: City of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.