Is Ypsilanti's undeveloped Water Street parcel in for a watershed development? After floating a proposal to build a rec center on the Huron riverfront to the Ypsilanti City Council earlier this month, the
Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Department is gathering requested supporting information to strengthen its case for the center, which would front on Michigan Avenue.
The information will include examples of how adjacent parkland and rec centers have affected property values in other locations. In addition, a preliminary market study has yielded favorable results, says Bob Tetens, director of Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation.
Officials are touting the project as a catalyst for downtown Ypsilanti, with the rec center anchoring other commercial frontage on Michigan Avenue and residential development on the river side of the undeveloped Water Street parcel. While the idea generally garnered a favorable response from city council members, some pointed to its footprint and parcel size, and the loss of tax revenue on one-third of the 38-acre plot.
The proposal calls for the city to give up to 12 acres of land to Washtenaw County. The city currently has $31 million in outstanding debt on the property.
"Understandably they would feel a sense of loss at giving something away and getting nothing in return other than $15 million worth of development," says Tetens. "Conversely, if we had to purchase it at the rates they would like to sell it for, we wouldn't have the money to build the building." About half of the construction costs would be financed with cash from development millage funds and the balance with a bond issue to be repaid over 10 to 15 years, Tetens says.
No formal design has been completed, but Tetens puts the center's size at 50,000 to 60,000 square feet, with construction costs ranging from $10 to 15 million. The center would be comparable in size to the Meri Lou Murray recreation center in Ann Arbor. Features include a natatorium, possibly with water park features, a gymnasium and weight room, and community meeting rooms and classrooms. The center would use its location on the
Border to Border Trail and the riverfront in outdoor recreational programming. Officials would also like to have a management agreement with the YMCA, Tetens says.
While the total plot size is close to 12 acres, included in that is a 100-foot easement for a trail along the river's edge that would run the length of the property. Subtracting out the easement, Tetens says, "You're looking at something that's more in the range of eight acres."
The two-story center "will not appear to be sprawling as much as it will appear to be vertical," he contends. "Again, we're hoping to design this in concert or in cooperation with the city because we want to adhere to the architectural style and heritage of the city and still be a landmark downtown."
The lack of utilities and roads on the parcel has hindered other development alternatives. "Most companies that would come into a site like that are going to want at least a minimum amount of infrastructure they can start with," Tetens notes. "Frankly, we'd probably be involved; if we were the first ones to go in there, we'd probably be involved in helping to make those roads and utilities accessible to other portions of the site."
County officials are also bolstered by the number of visitors to the Meri Lou Murray center -- close to 400,000 a year.
"You can do the math," Tetens says. "This is going to generate traffic. Downtown Ypsilanti needs traffic more than it needs anything else right now."
Source: Bob Tetens, director of Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation
Writer: Tanya Muzumdar
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