Old Shaman Drum is renovated into new offices

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

The building that formerly housed Shaman Drum Bookstore is now being transformed one space at a time into more energy-efficient offices.

308 S. State in downtown Ann Arbor, near Liberty Street, has a new fire escape, with new windows coming soon. Deb Pearson, leasing director for Oxford Property Management, notes other ongoing improvements as office space comes up for rent.

"We're putting in windows that are energy-efficient and in compliance with the historical society standards," Pearson says. "Preserving the nature and character of the building is at the top of the list. As a property management company, we're very interested in making it more of an efficient building.”

Improvements include rear window replacement, old panel removal, plaster restoration, and changing out the lighting. "We've been doing interior renovations as space gets leased -- carpet, paint," Pearson says. "We have quite a few new tenants, so we're quite pleased that the property is doing well. A lot of businesses like to be downtown."

Currently the retail space on the first floor is leased out to a Great Wraps sandwich chain, which will be coming up for lease in February. Most of the office space on the two floors above is leased out.

Other plans to erase its former identity as a hotel include replacing the interior doors and removing a "funky" mailbox system. "In the common areas the paint is in good condition, but the carpeting on the list for replacement," she says. The current boiler used to heat the building is also under review, but nothing has been decided.

Source: Deb Pearson, leasing director for Oxford Property Management
Writer: Kristin Lukowski