The Ann Arbor City Council has finally approved the 601 Forest project, well part of it anyway.  The original plan contained 26 stories, 1,100 beds and 342 units.  The ‘revised’ plan is only 14 stories with 150-175 rooms and 570-610 units.  So those in favor of horizontal Ann Arbor growth should be pleased.  Units will be furnished and offer amenities such as flat screen TVs and large windows with great campus views.  The project will be marketed solely to University of Michigan students.  The space will also contain a cafe, fitness facility, business center and rooftop garden. 

Developers at 601 Forest plan to use environmentally friendly building processes, construction materials and systems.  Plans include:

• Passive solar technologies
• Advanced water recapture systems
• A Green roof

Developers plan to seek at least a silver LEED certification from the US Green Building Council.  And for those of you wondering… the Mud Bowl will be staying.

For more information about Ann Arbor condos please contact Kathy Toth & Team

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Toyota will be building a new $187-million technical center in York Township near Ann Arbor.  The project is expected to infuse 1,100 jobs to the region by 2010.  Although the auto industry faces difficult economic conditions, Governor Jennifer Granholm is excited to bring innovation and vehicle evolution back to the Michigan marketplace.  The technical center, located at the corner of US 23 and Willis Road, is Toyota’s primary research and development center in North America.  The company will also continue to occupy the research and development campus in Ann Arbor Township.  Toyota’s tech center has historically played a role in the research and development of vehicles such as the Tundra, Venza and Camry Solara. 

The future will see expanded center capabilities with the new building.  Times for the auto industry are tough, but Toyota’s renewed interest in Michigan is a big win for state economic development.

FREE MLS Search - View Current Homes for Sale Search the local Ann Arbor MLS and find the homes for sale in your desired area. Stop looking through 3 different papers, get the whole Ann Arbor homes list here for FREE. Plus receive daily updates via email, for any new listings. All for FREE - no strings attached!

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NetEnrich, a company offering Remote Infrastructure Management Services announced plans to open a research and development center along with network operations in Ann Arbor.  This new facility will create at least 250 new area jobs and should be in operations as soon as the end of 2008.  NetEnrich is positioned to help small to medium enterprises better leverage technology and infrastructure.  Their goals is to help companies reduce IT operation costs from 30-50% making them more competitive and efficient in the long run.

NetEnrich’s Ann Arbor R&D center will support product and software development and will be equipped to provide remote IT services to clients in North America, Japan and Europe.  They are excited to tap into Ann Arbor’s talented job pool and to infuse an American market with new jobs versus outsourcing to overseas markets.  We welcome them to our community!  

FREE MLS Search - View Current Homes for Sale Search the local Ann Arbor MLS and find the homes for sale in your desired area. Stop looking through 3 different papers, get the whole Ann Arbor homes list here for FREE. Plus receive daily updates via email, for any new listings. All for FREE - no strings attached!

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Zaragon, developer of the Zaragon Place student project on East University, recently closed a deal to purchase the old NBD Bank Building and 0.32 acres at the corner of William and Thompson streets.  Although yet unconfirmed, the old bank site may become another Ann Arbor student housing project.  Zaragon believes the Ann Arbor real estate market is primed for well-built, designed and located student housing. 

• The 4Eleven Lofts at Division and Washington
• 601 Forest planned for the corner of
• South University and Forest
• 425 E. Washington
• North Quad on State Street
• A North campus project on Plymouth Road

Most developers believe the student housing market is strong enough to absorb all this activity.  As more of these projects get completed and "go to market" additional insight will be gained.  Zaragon Place is scheduled to be opening next spring with 248 beds.  According to representatives pre-leasing activity is hot right now.

FREE MLS Search - View Current Homes for Sale Search the local Ann Arbor MLS and find the homes for sale in your desired area. Stop looking through 3 different papers, get the whole Ann Arbor homes list here for FREE. Plus receive daily updates via email, for any new listings. All for FREE - no strings attached!

Find Out  the Value of Your Ann Arbor Home Get an over the net estimate of how much your Ann Arbor home is worth - FREE! We search the local MLS, along with data the public does not have access to, and find out how much your home is worth in current market conditions.

 Kathy Toth and Team
www.KathyToth.com
Keller Williams Realty

On the Ann Arbor development scene, developer Mike Concannon is taking his Gallery project one slow step at a time.  He recently announced that he will start with a four-story building on Fourth Avenue instead of the larger Main Street building.  The Fourth Avenue building will house 18 residential units and ground floor retail.  The project will house 123 condos and rental lofts in total including office, retail and 200 underground parking spaces. 

Concannon originally planned to start with the larger building but decided to wait for the economy to revitalize.  For now, he plans to raise the former Greek Orthodox Church and use it as a temporary parking lot for construction workers.

Concannon’s Fourth Avenue building will be marketed as luxury Ann Arbor lofts.  The next phase will hopefully take place when the housing market begins to bounce back.

Joseph Freed Associates 4 Eleven Lofts project is on schedule to be completed in May of 09.  Marketing and leasing are ahead of schedule and finding tenants hasn’t been a problem.  The struggling economy doesn’t seem to be having much of an effect on college kids.  4 Eleven Lofts is conveniently located next to campus.  The project has 342 beds and 15,000 sqft of ground floor retail space.

FREE MLS Search - View Current Homes for Sale Search the local Ann Arbor MLS and find the homes for sale in your desired area. Stop looking through 3 different papers, get the whole Ann Arbor homes list here for FREE. Plus receive daily updates via email, for any new listings. All for FREE - no strings attached!

Find Out  the Value of Your Ann Arbor Home Get an over the net estimate of how much your Ann Arbor home is worth - FREE! We search the local MLS, along with data the public does not have access to, and find out how much your home is worth in current market conditions.

 Kathy Toth and Team
www.KathyToth.com
Keller Williams Realty

A $394,000 revised Ann Arbor transportation plan will soon be available for community viewing.  The city has been working diligently with consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff Michigan Inc and LSL Planning Inc to develop the first upgrade to the Ann Arbor transportation plan since 1990.  Short and long term goals will be outlined, highlighting efforts such as: 

• Completing a bicycle and pedestrian path on Washtenaw
• Providing rapid transit for major city corridors
• Train stations for two proposed commuter trains
• Transit service from regional park-and-ride lots
• Reconstruction of several major freeway interchanges

One of the main concerns outlined by the plan is the increase in the Ann Arbor employment outlook.  New estimates show that the city could acquire 20,000 new jobs by the year 2035.  The plan recognizes current limitations along with the value of Ann Arbor city real estate and aims to give people more transportation choices such as public transit, bicycles and walking that fit within the scope.  The city ultimately hopes to provide pedestrians, cyclists and transit users access to all available corridors to meet their needs.  This is great news for the Ann Arbor Real Estate Market, for those of us who specialize in downtown Ann Arbor condos.

A draft of the new Ann Arbor Transportation Plan will be available for public viewing Tuesday, September 23rd from 4:30 - 8 pm at the City Hall.  City staff and project team members will also be on hand for questions and a presentation will take place between 4:45pm and 6:45pm.   

FREE MLS Search - View Current Homes for Sale Search the local Ann Arbor MLS and find the homes for sale in your desired area. Stop looking through 3 different papers, get the whole Ann Arbor homes list here for FREE. Plus receive daily updates via email, for any new listings. All for FREE - no strings attached!

Find Out  the Value of Your Ann Arbor Home Get an over the net estimate of how much your Ann Arbor home is worth - FREE! We search the local MLS, along with data the public does not have access to, and find out how much your home is worth in current market conditions.

Kathy Toth and Team
www.KathyToth.com
Keller Williams Realty

Washtenaw Avenue traffic congestion in Ann Arbor is happily almost a thing of the past.  Morning commuters experiencing traffic delays in the University of Michigan central campus corridor shouldn’t have to worry too much after this week.  The Washtenaw paving project was originally scheduled for completion by Labor Day, however delays resulted from a miscalculation in time on sidewalk restoration to become compliant for the disability act.

Washtenaw has had one lane closed in both directions betweeen Geddes Road and the Huron Street Curve.  The project is nearing completion and will only cause a few more hiccups in regular traffic flow.  Next week you can expect double lane closure for two more days (likely on Tuesday and Wednesday).  After this intermittent single lane closures will be necessary for spot adjustments, restoration, clean-up and painting thru September 12th.

We’ll be looking forward to Washtenaw’s new and improved face!       

FREE MLS Search - View Current Homes for Sale Search the local Ann Arbor MLS and find the homes for sale in your desired area. Stop looking through 3 different papers, get the whole Ann Arbor homes list here for FREE. Plus receive daily updates via email, for any new listings. All for FREE - no strings attached!

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When Ari Weinzweig (663-9304) and Paul Saginaw (913-0059) opened Zingerman’s Delicatessen in an old, brick building in Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown District back in 1982, they had two employees, five stools at the counter and no idea this thing would grow so big.

Today, Zingerman’s shares its name with a family of Ann Arbor area businesses that all build in some way upon the original plan - providing great food in a service-oriented atmosphere that is not only good for customers, but also for employees, the community and the environment.

The original deli outgrew the confines of its home at 422 Detroit St., absorbing the house next door and the space between the two buildings, which now provides sunny outdoor seating.  Zingerman’s Next Door sells pastries, chocolate and baked goodies, along with coffee roasted by Zingerman’s Coffee Company, and when Weinzweig is in, you can often find him at his desk – a table tucked in a sunlit corner near the back door.  Back in the original deli, you can find big, serious sandwiches with names like Mary’s Commute, Wayne’s Inheritance, and The Ferber Experience.  Zingerman’s Bakehouse supplies the handmade bread, and the cheese comes from Zingerman’s Creamery, where they also make gelato.  A true foodie mecca, Zingerman’s constantly strives to be better, whether that means fresher, more authentic ingredients or better service. Its customers reap the rewards.

The Zingerman’s empire also includes Zingerman’s Roadhouse, home of the best ribs in town, Zingerman’s catering and a mail order business. Zing Train is Zingerman’s customer service consulting firm, and Bake! a hands-on teaching bakery with classes for adults, kids and families.

When I have hosted REALTOR luncheons, I pick up deli trays from Zingerman’s and don’t mind if I have leftovers.  My all time favorite is pastrami and their brownies.  What is your favorite?

The plan for a revamped $30 million Georgetown Commons (the old Ann Arbor Georgetown Mall) is held up at the moment by two items: securing a renewed lease from Kroger and getting a tax increment financing district set up for the site.  Plans are slated for a new 45,000 sqft Kroger store, underground parking garage, almost 150 apartments and several retail shops.  The developer’s original plans were to demolish the entire mall and rebuild 90,000+ sqft.  Kroger is currently the only business left in their original space. 

Original plans did not include space for the grocer, however Kroger has communicated intentions to stay in the Georgetown location and expand.  On the other hand, the developer is still waiting for a renewed lease. 

A recent community meeting discussing the site brought forth several concerns from local residents.  Number one on the list is the slated building layout - Kroger is placed  right off Page Avenue near the back of the property - some are worried it will be too close to nearby homes, creating an influx of neighborhood traffic. Developer, Schubiner, wants to make sure he has public support before moving forward.

This property was recently sent foreclosure notice and has narrowly avoided the auction block.  Schubiner assures owner Harbor Georgetown plans to pay the back taxes (of $485,000) before the March deadline.  Ideally construction on a new site would begin next summer.

For more information contact Kathy Toth and Team.

FREE MLS Search - View Current Homes for Sale Search the local Ann Arbor MLS and find the homes for sale in your desired area. Stop looking through 3 different papers, get the whole Ann Arbor homes list here for FREE. Plus receive daily updates via email, for any new listings. All for FREE - no strings attached!

Approval on Ann Arbor’s 601 Forest development, otherwise known as University Village, was recently tabled by the City Council.  Since the debate between vertical or horizontal growth has not yet been decided city council members are stalling on projects like University Village. 

University Village is a mixed-use project located at the corner of South University and Forest Streets.  The central tower is slated to be 26 stories high with two-20 foot adjacent buildings.  The project would provide 342 units with 1,100 beds, 16,000 sqft of retail space and 235 underground parking spaces.

University Village developers hoped to begin work on the project with expected Ann Arbor city council approval.  The building plans will incorporate green materials and construction techniques such as passive solar, water recapture systems and a green roof.  Developers hope to obtain a LEED certification from the Green Building Council.  The City Council has moved the next vote on the project to October 6th.

Proponents of the Ann Arbor vertical growth initiative want to see the city grow taller in the center versus sprawl at the edges.  What do you think?

For more information contact Kathy Toth and Team.

FREE MLS Search - View Current Homes for Sale Search the local Ann Arbor MLS and find the homes for sale in your desired area. Stop looking through 3 different papers, get the whole Ann Arbor homes list here for FREE. Plus receive daily updates via email, for any new listings. All for FREE - no strings attached!