Finding the balance between green space and development in downtown Ann Arbor

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

Could the city known for its plethora of parks not have enough in its core? That's the argument of some in Ann Arbor as calls for increasing green space in the college town's downtown grow louder and more persistent. But where is the line between park and urban development?

"Ann Arbor is the one area everyone thinks we don't have enough parks," says Ray Detter, chair of the city's Downtown Area Citizens Advisory Committee and a downtown resident.

That argument was made loud and clear when the initial proposals for the Library Lot project were being debated. It's what led to recent suggestions by the city that their 415 W Washington property (an old Dept. of Public Works yard) could become a new green space and arts center.

The Library Lot is being groomed for dense, urban development while 415 W Washington, which was once headed in that direction, has been offered up as a potential concession. The two leading proposals for the Library Lot call for a mixed-use development of hotel and commercial space.

The 415 W Washington parcel includes an early 20th Century industrial building, which is now being proposed as home for a new community art center. Former plans for the surrounding acreage called for a combination of residential development with a touch of green. Now its all community space all the time, with an additional park space proposal.

A map of Ann Arbor's downtown shows that it is ringed by significant parks, including West and Wheeler parks, the Huron Riverfront and the University of Michigan's Diag. But the actual city center lacks green space with the exception of Liberty Plaza.

"I see the Allen Creek Greenway and adjacent park (415 W Washington site) as a counterbalance to the campus green space," Detter says.

Detter also maintains that park development should not get in the way of creating more density downtown and attracting more residents to the city's core. He believes there are times when spaces like the Library Lot should be oriented for development rather than additional park space. He prefers dense development oriented toward bringing more residents to downtown for the Library Lot over proposals for turning the entire space into a park.

"I find it concerning that if people don't have a park our of their front door then we don't [believe] have enough green space," Detter says.

Source: Ray Detter, chair of the city's Downtown Area Citizens Advisory Committee
Writer: Jon Zemke