Ann Arbor Community Commons (A2C2)

Section 1: Proposal Statement (RFP #743 Form)

The Proposal Statement / Legal Status of Proposer form
is submitted separate from the A2C2 proposal along with
the Section 12: Acquisition Cost Proposal.
Section 2: Project Description
Ann Arbor Community Commons -- Introduction
We are honored to make a proposal on behalf of the ”We appreciate your
community of Ann Arbor. Our proposal aims to develop interest in…the City of
an urban public space, a focal place of community at the Ann Arbor and hope that
heart of downtown Ann Arbor. We are lifted by the spirits you will consider
submitting proposals on
of previous and future partners, volunteers and activists.
future city projects.”
In this way, our proposal is theirs, just as a Commons (Community
should be. Development, April 26,
2005)
Our proposal begins to integrate decades of community
development and planning as we interpret the Request for
Proposal alternatively. As the “Ann Arbor Committee for
the Commons” we have begun another chapter of open
community discussions to make this proposal. We expect Miniatures from a
the discussions to continue toward gratifying results. community member

While we do not propose intense building development, The urban design issues
we do look forward to appropriately-scaled edge infill affecting Downtown Ann
projects over time. We propose elements that define Arbor encompass a broad
space, link places, express civic character, and combine variety of topics …
providing public amenities
as a palette for cultural interaction. As context-sensitive
such as a central “Town
development evolves on and around the Library Block, Square” and maintaining
community plans are likely to come true, at last. One of and designing new public
the most important acts of community ownership will be to spaces like Liberty Plaza
choose a permanent name for our project on public land. and the Allen Creek
For the purpose of this proposal, we call our project the Greenway. (Calthorpe,
“Ann Arbor Community Commons” (A2C2). 2006
Decisions about the use of significant public land should “Create a program of
be publicly deliberated. With so little public land available events and activities
in downtown Ann Arbor, we can‟t afford to settle for based on a high level of
expedient or piecemeal approaches. Since this site is community involvement.
publicly owned, the A2C2 utilizes a rare opportunity to Publicize local cultural
engage in building community. events and businesses.
The site context demands design that is sensitive to Band together to develop
historic adjacencies and promotes future connections. a management strategy
The challenges are daunting and require innovative for the area.
approaches. The easier way would be to ignore the Create a neighborhood
context, the past challenges and future opportunities. The pedestrian and traffic
A2C2 is a proposal that takes the more difficult path, calming plan.”
daring to go in the direction of our common dreams (Project for Public Space)
toward unexpected success.
A fundamental question now underlies any public …a place to demonstrate

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decision, that is, whether or not the outcome will transition to a greener,
contribute to a humane and just response to ongoing cleaner and simpler
global climate change. The A2C2 is aimed to enhance our future…a place for ann
current civic assets and to create the kind of framework arbor to play out our
vision of ourselves,
upon which our sufficient and most livable future
unfolding with long-lasting
depends. intentions.
A2C2 – Goals and Benefits
The A2C2 will progress through phases of development Fulfill long-held
with community-based goals and benefits. The A2C2 community
realizes goals and benefits both as applications of best expectations for the
practices in urban design and as implementation of site.
enhancements that serve both the residential and
business needs of Downtown. A preliminary and open-
ended list of sources appears in Appendix A, reflecting a
sustained evolutionary approach and dynamic
partnerships.
Birdseye views of nineteenth-century Ann Arbor show
shared rear yards within what we now call the Library
Block. The apparently undivided and visually continuous
area made up a shared semi-private place, a commons,
for about a century. Over decades of the twentieth
century, the Library Block changed drastically, including
surface vehicle parking as a seemingly temporary use of
vacant parcels which had made up about half of the
previously undeveloped rear yards.

With the replacement of the County Courthouse in the

early 1950‟s Ann Arbor lost the Courthouse Lawn.
Depicted in panels of the “Downtown Ann Arbor Historical
Street Exhibits Program”, this was such a significant loss
of downtown public space, that Ann Arbor has never quite
recovered. We have since had no public place of casual
civic exchange in downtown Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor needs
a proportional hub for our residents and visitors, similar to
that which the „Diag‟ provides for the University of
Michigan community. (These are very different kinds of
spaces.) Ideally located in the Library Block, the A2C2 will (Courthouse with lawn,
evolve into just such a hub, the public front porch for 1878. Replaced by
those who call Ann Arbor home and for those who come existing in 1950s)
to visit.

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Our public Downtown Library (AADL) is a major Sustain a desirable

destination and has a strong identification with this block relationship to the
at the southern edge of the “Midtown” character district Downtown Ann Arbor
(cf., A2D2 proposed Zoning Ordinance amendments and District Library.
draft Design Guidelines). Ann Arbor City Hall stands three “Libraries are the
blocks north, serving to define an opposite edge of the cornerstones of many
same character district. By its design, the public outdoor civic centers.” (Project for
space at City Hall is too small and the adjacent Public Space)
destinations are too specialized to serve the purposes to
which the A2C2 is dedicated.
A public institution as valued as the Downtown Library
deserves a setting that supports its mission. With the
likely orientation of a new Library entrance to the interior
of the block, the A2C2 provides protected outdoor space
for the growing number of library users. Public ownership
of the A2C2 must also provide complementary
programming and stewardship that supports, rather than
burdens, Downtown Library functions.
The A2C2 holds partnership with the AADL at high
priority. Problems which the Downtown library identifies
and aptly addresses now, are also problems that the
A2C2 will be designed to ameliorate. As a public space
the A2C2 uniquely presents potential benefits to the
(Existing Downtown
AADL. From the start, the A2C2 must enhance the Library at Fifth Ave. and
recognized success and reputation of the Downtown William St.)
Library.
Bus transit provided by the AATA is assumed to continue Integrate transportation
to bring many workers and visitors to the area of the amenities, including
A2C2 and nearby civic destinations. Integrated planning services of AATA.
and design should enhance safety, create complementary
relationships.

In the last year or two, Washtenaw Community College Explore an education

(WCC) has apparently sought satellite campus space in and cultural center with
downtown Ann Arbor. This is not a sudden idea. In 1991, Washtenaw
WCC ”…identified advantages in a downtown facility, and Community College in
the possibility of connecting to the Library and the relationship to the
proximity of the AATA [transit] station…”(cf., Library Block A2C2 and the AADL..
Report, 1991). Since the public purchase in 2003 and
later removal of the former YMCA building by the City of
Ann Arbor, there has been no successful proposal for
redevelopment.

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On the “Old Y” site with frontage on the 200-block of East Incorporate different
William Street a mixed-income residential development types of housing within
could reflect the residentially-scaled historic district across the context of the
the street. Such a development might also include office A2C2.
uses at the street level while respecting the context with
compatible design.
Commercial frontage on William Street is designated
secondary among commercial frontages. Existing front
yards on the street need reinforcement to address
residential character of its historic district. Prior proposals
for the “Old Y” site were required to include replacement
affordable and other housing. Combining some level of
housing with a WCC satellite campus still presents strong
potential for successful housing development in the
broader context of the A2C2.
The A2C2 anticipates the possible incorporation of Improve visual and
privately-owned intermediate surface parking and open pedestrian connections
space in exchange for dedicated replacement parking to existing and future
spaces in the underground parking structure. The owners amenities including
of the intermediate property have previously indicated Liberty Plaza.
openness to proposals.
Further programming of Liberty Plaza and tenant Assist business tenants
development for the Michigan Square building would in providing active uses
capitalize on existing assets, specifically windows and at grade.
entrances at grade, re-establishing desirable active use.
Access to the Library Block must first serve pedestrians. Take strategic
Vehicular access must be efficient but explicitly measures to reduce
subordinate to both pedestrian security and bicycle conflicts among
movement. Our A2C2 proposal reduces the width of pedestrian, bicycle, and
Library Lane to one lane eastward for vehicular vehicular movements.
movement. If demonstrated to be necessary, the A2C2
might provide a single vehicular „flex‟ (entrance or exit)
lane for the underground parking at the interior of the site.
(The preferred option is not to have vehicle access at the
interior of the A2C2.)
A mid-block drop-off zone for the Downtown Library is
proposed on the south side of Library Lane, allowing for
adequate vehicle stacking and protected passenger
unloading. Drivers may either continue to Division Street
or, if the interior access is provided, enter the
underground parking from the drop-off zone.
We should note that if the AADL resumes plans for a
replacement building for the Downtown Library, the latest
plan called for major entrances from both Library Lane
and directly from underground parking.

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A ramp on South Fifth Avenue would provide primary Enhance the

vehicular access to underground parking. The Division environment for
Street ramp should provide the primary vehicular exit alternative modes of
north of pedestrian movement on Library Lane, turning transportation.
left into the northward flow of traffic. This configuration
Resolve conflicts.
would also resolve many of the implied vehicular conflicts
in the narrow „tail‟ of the underground parking spaces.
Further, if the underground parking is expanded to the
west in the future, the primary entrance ramp is well-
situated on South Fifth Avenue.
Current drives to private surface parking areas within the Reduce the use of
Library Block should be considered for conversion as downtown land for
additional ramped access to designated underground surface parking lots.
parking and service access. Sensitive infill development
should be encouraged in the resulting open areas which
are currently used for private surface parking.
The Division Street pedestrian entrance to the Strengthen
underground parking should be designed both as visual neighborhood edges.
infill for the neighborhood edge and as a gateway
Provide meeting
structure marking an entrance to the A2C2. Reflecting the
places.
neighborhood character, this residentially-scaled
„Commons House‟ could serve as a meeting place for
peacemaking and downtown resident groups such as the
Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, the Downtown
Area Citizens Advisory Council and the Germantown
Neighborhood Association.
Just off William Street, the A2C2 is about midway “Identify areas where
between the University of Michigan Central campus and greenways could link
the initial park of the Allen Creek Greenway. Coordinated parks, neighborhoods,
planning and design can create both visual and physical commercial areas, the
linkage among these three green nodes. Innovative University of Michigan
treatment of the existing Fourth and William parking and the downtown.”
structure frontage can create an intermediate point of (PROS Plan 2006-2011)
interest.
Existing „sidewalk seating‟ for nearby food vendors can be Increase flexible space
expanded outdoors and relating to the A2C2 (cf., Library for outdoor seating and
Block Report, 1991). Shared customer facilities may be facilities for nearby
located underground with access from the A2C2. small restaurants and
street food vendors.
The A2C2 will incorporate unusual and effective lighting. Create pedestrian-
Both LED and OLED fixtures may be incorporated integral oriented amenities and
to design elements. In addition, integrated digital displays attractions, including
may utilize the transparent stair enclosures of the orientation to
underground parking. These displays can provide Downtown through
orienting information and may alternately take the form of interactive lighting and
video art and interactive opportunities. digital displays.

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A generous public place above related parking can Expand outdoor event
reduce street closures for events. Occasional rentals may space for programs per
be accommodated. Permanent structure may support regional cultural plan.
performance equipment.
We recognize that several major projects could affect the Coordinate planning of
overall character of two or even three blocks on the north destinations and public
side of East William Street. The “Old Y” site, a new transit amenities.
center and redevelopment on Fourth Avenue with any
expansion of underground parking could have profound
effects on the district. We expect that a more coordinated
approach to redevelopment would benefit from the focus
provided in the A2C2, midway between the Allen Creek
Greenway at First and William Streets and the eastern
terminus of William Street at the State Street edge of the
UM Central Campus.
The west side of Fifth Avenue is already a poor quality Enliven „dead zones‟.
pedestrian experience. The addition of a vehicle entrance
ramp to underground parking will only exacerbate unsafe
conditions for movement. Further, the Federal Building
turns a high blank wall and a low buffer wall to a third of
the block frontage. Another third of the block is transit
drives or postal vehicle parking. Pretty dead. The A2C2
projects (possibly in a literal way) improvement of the
pedestrian experience. Visual relief from these negative
features may be achieved by providing attractive features
in the A2C2, enlivening the South Fifth Avenue frontage
of the Library Block.
The idea of building a 15-story building on the A2C2 site,
or one even half that tall, especially one dedicated to
workday or occasional event use, is like landing the anvil
on top of Wile E. Coyote (“Lickety-Splat”). The site area
might waiver back to its knees now and then, but a full
recovery or regeneration seems unlikely if like Mr.
Coyote, we keep repeating the dead zone mistakes.
In a previous plan for
Downtown open space
we can see how one
major opportunity has
been diminished on the
City Hall block. Even
with many other
changes since, a great
opportunity remains on
the Library Block.

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Section 3: Target Population

Our target population includes those residents, local “Create a program of
businesses and service providers who expect public events and activities
property to be put to public use, to have a purpose that based on a high level
meets their needs and fulfills the promise of our of community
community. As the A2C2 evolves our expected daily involvement.” (PPS)
population is the expanded creative throng. We define the
creative population broadly, to include not only young
adults, but their mentors, clients and protégés, workers
and retirees, parents and children. The A2C2 will respond
to both the near neighborhood residents and visitors. All
who enter the A2C2 should enjoy choices of destinations,
activities, respite and interaction with security and delight.
The A2C2 is inclusive and ultimately seeks to creatively
engage the broadest spectrum of visitors and residents,
welcoming all generations and walks of life.

Section 4: Impact Analysis

Our analysis of the impact of the A2C2 centers on the Every neighborhood
public need for Third Places. The concept of Third Place needs a Third Place
recognizes the invaluable community benefit of a public where healthy society
place that completes a triad with the controlled or private thrives.
venues of Work and Home.
Among positive impacts, the A2C2 opens views, lifts Attract and retain
gates and protects access for those who seek that public „cultural creatives‟.
Third Place in Downtown Ann Arbor. As an outdoor Third
Place the A2C2 expects to complement the existing and
future Downtown Library which is already a successful
indoor Third Place. Both places provide public focus for
communication and cultural experience that are essential
to our democratic society. Not only will Downtown Ann
Arbor continue to benefit from a captured working
population, but the A2C2 will also attract and retain
cultural consumers of choice.
The A2C2 site is publicly owned and should be “Public acquisition of land
considered a public asset with extremely high value to the for park [plaza or open
public. The A2C2 will accrue additional value as the focus space] use is difficult in
of successive community-based proposals and design the downtown because of
the high price, demolition
competitions. Since the A2C2 implements many of the
costs, soil contamination
strategies of the Downtown Plan, adjacent properties and possibilities and general
business will accrue value and vitality from increased unavailability of vacant
pedestrian activity. Existing residential properties will hold land.”(City of Ann Arbor
or increase in value by proximity to an amenity-enriched PROS Plan 2006-2011)
location and enhanced residential character. New
residential development will benefit from the essential
common ground that makes compact living attractive.

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In creating a place of public focus, the A2C2 answers a

question that has endured for many decades.
Where to experience the essence of Ann Arbor?
The essence of Ann Arbor keeps residents here Create community.
throughout their stages of life. It is what attracts new
residents for study, work and new ventures. It is what
makes us proud to indentify ourselves as “Townies” even
if it is less logically than abiding in our hearts.

Section 5: Plans
The A2C2 is not yet a fixed plan. It is a community Observe the most robust
process, to shape what the people of Ann Arbor would application of the Ann
like, primarily by asking and providing opportunities for Arbor Citizen Participation
participation. Ordinance. “This
ordinance will provide
We respect the previous work and conversations of many benefits, including
others. We seek new examples and community minimizing the costly and
conversations to further reveal a common vision for time-consuming
common ground. reworking of plans that
often results from getting
feedback late in the
design development
Some general planning concepts and principles have process.” (a2gov.org)
been accepted in community discussion:
Capitalize on proximity to the initial Allen Creek Greenway Create a linking
at First and William Streets. The A2C2 anticipates a streetscape and
verdant path to the Fourth and William parking deck and pedestrian way
beyond to the initial park element of the Allen Creek between the A2C2 and
Greenway at First and William Streets. An elevated the Allen Creek
element is a highly desirable feature of a successful Greenway.
urban space and provides three-dimensional orientation.
The conceptual path includes the existing parking deck
elevator and stair tower, returning to grade and continuing
to the Allen Creek greenway on tree-lined William Street
sidewalks. At least part of the south face of the Fourth
and William parking deck, and possibly the depth of one
parking space, would be transformed into a living wall.
One of the elements of the 1991 urban design study Convert surface
(Library Block Report) was infill development on the parking lots to housing
interior of the Library Block, specifically behind the or locations for small
existing Michigan Credit Union building. In a swap for businesses.
underground parking spaces, residentially scaled
structures would be appropriate facing Library Lane. With
sensitive diverse redevelopment of the rear lot areas of
the historic Liberty Street commercial structures, the
A2C2 can create a more continuous level of activity with
both feet and eyes on the scene.

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Context analysis:
Recent planning documents have begun to emphasize
„corridors‟. The Draft Design Guidelines dub Fifth Avenue
as a “civic corridor” connecting the Library Block to Huron
Street. William Street is might be looked upon as a
„residential corridor‟ connecting neighborhoods and their
open spaces from the future Allen Creek Greenway to the Civic corridors such as 5th
University of Michigan‟s Central Campus. Avenue and Huron Street
are distinguished by
important civic anchors and
institutions such as the Ann
Arbor City Hall, Washtenaw
County Courthouse, Ann
Arbor District Library and the
University of Michigan
Campus.(Draft Design
Guidelines, October 2009)

Designated Historic Districts border three sides of the

Library Block. An official study is underway to evaluate
the “Germantown” area of Fifth Avenue and E. William
Street for historic district designation. The Kempf House
Museum is a City-owned property adjacent to Liberty
Plaza. Kempf House is maintained by Parks and
Recreation, staffed and supported by community
volunteers. These historic resources indicate the need for
particular sensitivity and innovation to achieve compatible
design for the A2C2 site.

Downtown Neighborhood and Commercial Associations Germantown NA,

have keen interest in existing amenities and Jackson-Huron NA,
enhancement of their unique quality of life and business Downtown Citizens AC.
opportunities. DDA, State Street and
Main Street Area
commercial associations.
There are no public plans to relocate the AATA transit Public owners.
hub. It is apparent, however, that facility replacement is
desired even as transportation issues are intensifying.
The AADL has made a long-range plan to remain on their
current site, eventually to replace the current building.
The nearby site of the existing Federal Building was
historically platted as “Jailhouse Square” faces Liberty
with a blank wall and surface parking on Fifth Ave.
Private owners in the range of the A2C2 should be Private owners.
sounded out and encouraged to participate in projects of
mutual benefit. These could include rear lot infill.

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Current political
boundaries also show the
centrality of the A2C2
site, where the AADL
(marked by a target) is a
traditional polling site for
Precinct 5-1.

Schematic Site Layout: Basic Concepts

The A2C2 finds is identity in ideas of place, town square, Engage in
garden, venue, front porch, focus, commons. placemaking.
We are thinking of the Arbor and the Tree as design
characteristics for the A2C2.
We lean toward a soft and open diagonal axis between
Liberty Plaza and AADL
We line the Lane and direct east-west access between
Division and the Fifth Avenue. We embrace a transformed
view to and from the Fourth Avenue and East William
parking structure.
We echo Library Lane on the north with human scale. Kempf House Museum on
Division Street.
We seek the partnerships that will submerge surface
parking and reserve rear lots for life on the Commons.
Illustrative Sources: Sample Plans and Elements
Ann Arbor deserves one of our own. Public spaces in
other places are not to be copied. They are pieces of their
unique environments. However, by observing best
practices and successful designs we come to a better
understanding of the potential of our own opportunities.
Millennium Park
Chicago‟s Millennium Park is about twenty times the size
of our Library Lot site for the A2C2. Yet, several elements
of this wildly successful super-sized urban park inspire
elements for the A2C2 on an appropriately smaller scale.

The reflective metallic “Cloud Gate” could be re-

interpreted in an abstraction of a tree to serve as a
gateway to the A2C2. Divide by 20 and smile.
In keeping with the idea of the “Arbor” in our City‟s name,
a sculptural arbor superstructure could support fixtures.
Adapting the interactive digital fountain, a „Faces Book‟
rotating digital portraits submitted on site by A2C2 users,
could become a community album.

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Artistic verve of the A2C2 can also „spill‟ out to the

surrounding area to influence the development of other
downtown public spaces.
Oklahoma City Memorial
This National Park has a somber and formal purpose, but
its relationship to government and civic buildings has
inspired a high level of design in the rebuilding of the
area. One building was rehabilitated to serve as a
museum for the site, and as an educational center for
peace and conflict resolution. Cultural symbolism is subtle
and impressive.
An interactive children‟s area is included. One elevated
terrace highlights the “Survivor Tree”. On the opposite
side of the rectangular reflection pool a terrace is formed
from the foundations of the bombed building. The terrace
overlooks a field of symbolic chairs that are lighted during
evening hours.

St. Louis City Garden

Covering two small city blocks in the heart of downtown,
the newly completed St. Louis City Garden has elements
that are both playful and serene. The combination of
passage and repose makes for a dynamic public space.
In our case, the use of circular patterns and cylindrical Use design to unite the
forms in the A2C2 will contrast with the orthogonal elements of the Library
landscape of Liberty Plaza. The use intermediate space in Block and adjacent
the design would open interior corners with a geometrical uses.
design transition. The resulting soft axis would terminate
at the main entrance to the anticipated new Downtown
Library.

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Calthorpe Report Illustration

The illustration of potential development on around an
open space at the Library Lot shows extension of
concerns from Division Street toward Main Street.

The A2C2 is does not model the entire illustration,

especially concerning compatibility and openness, but the
coordinated planning is noteworthy. We can do even
better with the character district and design guidelines
that we have created as part of the Calthorpe Report
recommendations.
Library Block Study
Like a tree firmly rooted in the underground parking
structure, design elements of the A2C2 will branch out to
encompass improvements shared by adjacent and related
properties. In the 1991 Library Block study, depicted a
“Possible retail court behind the East Liberty shops”
facing the block interior, the site of the A2C2. A
succession of opportunities like this shared amenity will
demonstrate partnership advantages.
The A2C2 offers several placement options for the re- Integrate public art
mounting of the Kamrowski mosaic to be moved from the installations both
original City Hall location. Highlighting such installations, permanent and
including the mosaics at the Fourth and Washington „visiting‟.
parking deck, may establish an artistic theme and social
identity for the [Mosaic] Midtown district.
In addition to lighting and surface treatments, the A2C2
design elements will accommodate other permanent and
visiting artistic and cultural performances, exhibits and
demonstrations. For example, an individual scale, visitors
may be able to experience environmental audio works.
The A2C2 contemplates incorporation of a water element Environmental water.
to complement the planned Herbert Dreiseitl work at the
municipal center under construction three blocks north of
our site. While the underground parking structure is
designed to “…detain storm water in excess of what is
required on this [RFP] site”, the A2C2 water element
would be designed to enhance the performance of the
provided system to achieve a more beneficial outcome
along with experiential aspects.
Although the initial design of the A2C2 does not include Design for future
restroom and washing facilities, secure free-standing and amenities.
self-cleaning single-occupant units may be evaluated at a
later stage. These units could be installed in the first level
of the underground parking deck, particularly in areas
where vehicle parking is less functional, as in the „tail‟ at
the east. Bicycle commuters may request this amenity
along with underground bicycle parking provisions (cf.

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Decaux or other secure high-quality low-maintenance

toilet and washing stations).
A successful outdoor urban space contains flexible Seating for success.
seating choices. Seating options should accommodate
multiple passive activities.
Diverse and generous seating is essential for multiple
uses of the A2C2. Low-rise integrated amphitheater
seating should be provided to echo an interior auditorium
that will be a prominent element of a new Downtown
Library building. One or more slightly elevated landscape
elements may accommodate both occasional street
musicians and scheduled performers. Movable,
adaptable, sculptural and environmental seating should
be considered.

Section 6: Project Schedule

While the A2C2 will not require the kind of intensive Coordinate final
infrastructure contemplate in the early design of the design of the
underground parking structure, other efficiencies and cost underground parking
savings are sought through continuous coordination of the structure with major
underground design and construction with what is design features of the
planned above ground. A2C2.
Our proposal while specific to the library lot, envisions a Schedule to
larger perspective in relation to adjacent properties and accommodate public
the downtown generally, including the Allen Creek participation
Greenway.
The A2C2 is the first of at least 3 desired stages of Goal #5: Provide the City
general downtown development-- Council with clear
1. Create the community commons. direction on a Downtown
2. Develop a connection with the key greenway park at Development Strategy
… Identify catalyst sites
First and William Streets.
for short termand long
3. Re-develop the „Old Y‟ site including new mixed- term development.
incomes housing or educational uses, in conjunction with (Calthorpe)
anticipated transit hub improvements.
This proposal focuses on creating the A2C2. We expect
the resulting A2C2 to stimulate formal competitions or
requests for proposals for the later development phases.
Creating the A2C2 may be accomplished in 6 stages that Goal #1: Encourage a
must be coordinated with the underground project: transparent process with
1. In advance of City Council action, develop public public input, debate, and
interest and educate. Invite the community to think about consensus building:
_ Convene public
a permanent name.
workshops that allow
2. Upon positive City Council action, officially and safely participants to discuss
celebrate at the site, demonstrating the core purpose of future development
the place to be made. Invite the community to create the in Downtown Ann Arbor;
celebration of creating a commons. Keep the activity open _ Emphasize

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and guided by a formalized representative group. neighborhood

3. Establish public and professional liaison for involvement; and
coordination with underground parking structure design _ Listen to and
and construction to integrate innovative systems and incorporate community
input. (Calthorpe Report)
services.
4. During early design and construction stages of the
underground parking structure, explore, develop and
define and solidify community partnerships for the A2C2.
Maintain partnerships during a period of integrated
planning and design.
5. Maintain a continuous program of financial
development.
6. Make a congruent plan for construction of the A2C2.

Section 7: Development Team

The A2C2 starts with community leaders. As community As part of the A2C2
leaders, we expect coordinated and open participation proposal an invitation
with design professionals connected with the City, DDA, extends to a preliminary list
AADL, AATA, and other organizations for which a of potential community
partners who may take a
relationship to downtown Ann Arbor is vital.
self-defined role in the
The primary authors and organizers of this response to development team over time.
RFP #734 are Alan Haber and Alice J. Ralph. See Appendix C.

Section 8: Overview of Organization and Services

The Ann Arbor Committee for the Commons came “Band together to develop
together to create a public purpose alternative response a management strategy
to the City of Ann Request for Proposals. We composed for the area.” (PPS)
ourselves for this project. As an informal group, our
number is fluid but growing. Among us we offer expertise
in planning, organizing, activating, urban design, scientific
research, politics, law, and other fields. As volunteers, our
time and resources are tightly managed. The keys to our
success are cooperation and collaboration.

Section 9: Professional Qualifications

There is no stronger qualification for the design and
realization of a public space than the support of a broad
sector of the community.
Alan Haber is a community organizer and activist in local,
national and broader arenas. As an author with formal
training in social work, Mr. Haber has focused on issues
of poverty, energy independence and self-sufficiency. He
is a self-employed professional woodworker and
cabinetmaker. His design of a Table for Peace serves as
one of the inspirations for the A2C2 proposal.

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Community support backs the volunteer professional

leadership that is provided by Alice J. Ralph. Emerging as
a local public policy advocate and civic activist during the
last decade, Ms. Ralph is a registered architect with
training and significant experience in urban design,
historic preservation and building rehabilitation. She
engages broadly in neighborhood, Ann Arbor and County
issues.

Section 10: Prior Experience with Downtown Infill

Projects
The A2C2 responds to aspects of the request for
proposals that call for innovation. Not only does the A2C2
address context-sensitive infill, but also extends to a
community mission for which the public is uniquely
experienced.
The A2C2 may be more aptly described as „outfill‟ (rather
than infill), keeping the Library Lot commercial district
viable and making the downtown residential
neighborhood more livable. For this dual purpose, public
experience has recently been intensified.
In the last several years a series of planning efforts, “_Work together to
issues and contentious projects have engaged many create a vision for the
more Ann Arbor residents than officially presumed. civic center as a livelier
Citizens have been obliged to arm themselves with place.
_Create a neighborhood
specialized knowledge beyond personal experience. We
pedestrian and traffic
have volunteered (and sometimes paid for) professional calming plan.” (PPS)
expertise to bear on complicated issues. The Ann Arbor
Committee for the Commons draws on vast experience
and expertise of „users‟ of Downtown as well as
knowledge accumulated during the last several years of
community study and consultant presentations.
Certainly, City officials and administrators have struggled
to ensure successful private or public-private
development in many cases. Not only have tax revenues
been disappointing but profits have been elusive. The
current and five-year projections for development are the
lowest in decades.
Whether or not City Council implements required
compliance with urban design principles with pending
regulations, public management of the A2C2 will compare
well with the relative risks of private infill development
proposals on public land.
Not everything in the 1991 Library Block study is
appropriately revisited, but the preceding 1988 Library Lot
Task Force made recommendations about infill that are

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rather durable.
Edited for brevity— Compare--
Givens “The Fifth Avenue civic
Surface parking is not the best use. core within the downtown
Designated historic and other significant structures is dominated by surface
are to remain. parking lots and inhuman
Pedestrian access and movement are a high building scale. The Vision
priority. plan demonstrates how
Short-term public parking is important. the City might add a
Liberty Street frontage should remain commercial. much needed “Town
Square” or central plaza.
[Violated.]
A combination of civic
A public space on the Library Block should be in uses including an outdoor
addition to Liberty Plaza. [amphitheater]as well as
New construction should be mixed use on the mixed-use retail and
Library Block. Housing could be in the mix. office with upper-floor
The area for development could be expanded residential would add
beyond the Library Lot. much needed housing,
pedestrian activity, and
None of the appointees of the former Library Lot Task safety to the area. The
Force of 1988 continue in staff, appointed or official City Vision also shows an
positions today. None of those in similar positions today improved Blake Transit
were engaged or employed by the City in 1988. In Center and a redeveloped
contrast, the team of consultants recommended by the [Y] site that should retain
Task Force included the same architectural firm that leads affordability.” (Calthorpe,
the design of the underground parking structure and was 2006)
selected to design the replacement Downtown Library. A
sustaining public committee can reflect the excellent
performance of their forbears to direct the creation of the
A2C2 and realize its potential.

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Section 11: Financial Capacity

We measure public financial capacity by different means Announcement of 2009
than we do that of private corporations. As a group of Ann Nobel Prize for
Arbor residents, the Ann Arbor Committee for the Economics
Commons shares financial interest in the A2C2 with a By Anna Ringstrom and
broad spectrum of fellow citizens. In that respect, current Nicholas Vinocur, Reuters
financial capacity in the public sector casts its shadow on Mon Oct 12, 10:28 AM
us. We call upon the values that have positively EDT
transformed our society in previous difficult times. A U.S. academic who
Success has sprung from the non-profit sector and from proved that communities can
trump state control and
innovative public-private partnerships not only to rescue
corporations became the
citizens from during difficult economic periods, but to first woman to win the Nobel
generate durable organizations for the common good. We prize in economics on
persistently find ourselves banding together in common Monday, sharing it with an
purpose. We discover hidden talents and re-discover expert on conflict resolution.
necessary skills.
Elinor Ostrom defied
As vested residents, members of the public are reliable, conventional wisdom with
watchful and resourceful. Our capacity as managers of studies that showed that
our own resources, including public land, is demonstrated user-managed properties --
in appointed boards and commissions such as Parks such as community fish
stocks or woodland areas --
Advisory Commission, Zoning Board of Review, Historic
more often than not were
District Commission and others. better run than standard
The A2 Committee for the Commons expects robust theories predicted.
public discussion about the A2C2 and related "Since we have found that
components. In planning for a new or renovated bureaucrats sometimes do
Downtown facility, the Ann Arbor District Library set an not have the correct
example of a process that was open, deliberate and bold. information while citizens
Although the plans were suspended before being and users of resources do,
finalized, the process was invaluable to the AADL and its we hope it helps encourage
users. a sense of capacity and
power," the Indiana
The concept of the A2C2 deserves serious engagement University professor told a
of our citizenry. We should not be looking for a windfall or news conference via
temporary infusion of cash when we risk the very place telephone.
that could harbor our civic soul. Even if selected, the The previously accepted
A2C2 concept engenders an ongoing focus of knowledge view was that common
and talent that make up the ever renewable financial and property was poorly
creative capacity of our organization. managed and should be
either regulated centrally or
privatized.

Section 12: Acquisition Cost Proposal

The Acquisition Cost Proposal is submitted separate from
the A2C2 proposal along with the Section 1: Proposal
Statement / Legal Status of Proposer.

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Section 13: Project Financing

Information of this section is submitted with Section 12.

Alternative Section 13: Financial Prospects

The A2C2 is an evolutionary, collaborative and
incremental project with richly complex and dynamic
financial prospects. The opportunities for public and
private partnerships are numerous. The efficiencies and
added value to institutions, services and systems are
nearly unlimited. Partners will structure mutually beneficial
investments with measurable results.
Parking structure construction cost savings from Downtown
building more conservative foundations may be applied to Development
the alternative surface development of the A2C2. Authority (DDA)
Estimated costs of surface parking lot development “Market the civic center.”
could be transferred to the initial alternative installations (PPS)
of the A2C2. We recognize that several parking spaces
will be sacrificed for the A2C2. We believe that the net
benefit to the city, including the inducement to use the
underground parking spaces, far outweighs the loss of
surface spaces.
The DDA Housing Fund may support infill development
to enhance the edges of the A2C2 and nearby street
frontages. This housing should be in a scale and
configuration that would complement the adjacent historic
districts and other existing residential properties. In
addition, other small-scale development would create
„secondary addresses‟ at Library Lane compatible with
offices that face William Street.
Parking swaps for dedicated underground parking or
private buildable area should also result in contributions
for further public A2C2 projects.
Parks millage funds may be applicable to certain phases Parks and Recreation
of the A2C2.
Future event rentals may offset a portion of costs,
including costs related to event street closures.
The Dean Fund may consider participation with tree
installation as an updated companion to the Dean
Promenade, part of our award-winning South Main Street.
External community development and cultural grants External Grants
will be applicable due to the focus that the A2C2 provides.
Programs of the Downtown Library can benefit from AADL
generous accommodation for visitors and to stage
outdoor events at reasonable cost. The AADL is a highly

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prized and top-rated public institution that plans a building

replacement design that will be oriented to Library Lane
and integrated with the public underground parking.
The 1% for Public Art Fund may consider commissions. AAPAC
The Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau may Ann Arbor CVB
partner with the other business development
organizations to fund an interactive information center.
Ideas include a digital events calendar and illustrated
orientation map, a digital non-motorized travel information
center.
The online annarbor.com recently opened a highly Media
visible interior community space. Located diagonally from Enhance innovative news
Liberty Plaza, the new space is now open to the public and public information
weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Public community outlets.
space may naturally extend outdoors beyond to the A2C2
and inside the Downtown Library.
At the northern part of the “Midtown District” the City of Essential Services
Ann Arbor is completing city services buildings including Expand innovative
Fire Services, Safety and Court Services, and delivery of public
Administrative Services. After the loss of the printed services.
daily newspaper, the City will need increasingly innovative
means to communicate with and inform the public.
Parking directly associated with this concentrated service
center is severely limited. Interactive digital installations in
the A2C2 can expand access to and information about
these important services. Locating this information center
adjacent to the Downtown Library, directly above
convenient parking and amid inter-modal transportation
services makes for a dynamic and efficient partnership.
If SPARK achieves its ultimate goal, the City may Non-profit Co-op
facilitate the transformation of current offices in the
Michigan Square building to incubator-style offices and
meeting rooms for non-profit organizations. The
activities of non-profits often occur outside of regular
business hours and would close a gap in activity levels to
benefit Liberty Square and its relationship to the A2C2.
An alternative is location in new infill development on
Library Lane.

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The programs of Washtenaw Community College are WCC

enjoying high demand during the current economy. The
Main Campus suffers from dependency on car commuting
and parking shortage. With strategic planning, a satellite
campus and mixed-use development on the “Old Y” site
could be a positive legacy in the periphery of the A2C2.
The A2C2 is a catalyst for increasing community value. Citizenry
Savings will compare favorably to initial costs. Taxpayers To paraphrase the Song
and civic volunteers have already made contributions in of Solomon, the essence
money and in kind. We will continue to do so. Public of Ann Arbor requires a
investment is projected to be incremental and paired with worthy setting, holding
various private initiatives. At what price, in any case, do value above rubies.
we value our democratic civil society and the physical
fabric where we thrive?

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Appendix A – Sources
Goals, objectives, benefits and inspiration have been
drawn from many sources and individuals. We include a
partial list with some excerpts.

“[Number] 69 Public Outdoor Room A Pattern Language

…There are very few spots along the streets of modern (Alexander, et al)
towns and neighborhoods where people can hang out,
comfortably, for hours at a time.
…In every neighborhood and work community, make a
piece of common land into an outdoor room - a partly
enclosed place, with some roof, columns, without walls,
perhaps with a trellis; place it beside an important path and
within view of many homes.”
Proposed Downtown Zoning Ordinance amendments Ann Arbor Discovering
Midtown and Main Street character overlay districts Downtown (A2D2)
“The Silent Theft: Private Plunder of our Bollier, David
Commonwealth”, 2005
“The Viral Spiral: How the Commoners Build a Digital
Republic of their Own”, 2009
Recommended Downtown Vision & Policy Framework, Calthorpe Associates
2006
[From an Appendix showing two- to ten-year
recommendations. Most of these should be underway.]
Encourage the creation of new public spaces within the
Downtown and rehabilitation of existing paces
A. Pursue and design a Town Square or central civic area
that incorporates an outdoor meeting place, underground
parking, an indoor facility, and mixed-use buildings.
1. Conduct a design competition for the library lot site.
2. Study the impact of removing the surface parking stalls
for the library lot and absorption into surrounding DDA
structures.
Human Spaces Crisp, Barbara
Life Enhancing Designs for Healing, Working, and Living
(Rockport, 1998)
Site Development Objectives City of Ann Arbor RFP
“Preference will be given to proposals that incorporate a No. 743
use (or uses) that provides a publicly available service to
Development of City-
the community, for instance, building or open space that
Owned Property
may be used for public meetings, recreation, or civic/
cultural events.” “Library Lot”
Development Specifications (319 S. Fifth Avenue)
“The site has been designed with flexibility for future
development in mind. …Additionally, the site has been

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planned to accommodate lateral expansion as well, if

neighboring properties wish to pursue additional
underground parking.”
Reservation of Rights
“The City reserves the right to accept any proposal, to
reject any or all proposals, to waive irregularities and/or
informalities in any proposal and to make the award in
any manner the City believes to be in its best interest.”
Placemaking Guidebook The City Repair Project
(Leis and Lerch, eds, City Repair Project, Portland
Oregon, 2003) www.cityrepair.org
Fifth Avenue Underground Parking Project website: Downtown
“… in the Calthorpe report the following community Development Authority
vision for the central core area was established: (DDA)
Create a dense, mixed-use core area that is
connected to adjacent neighborhoods. …
Redevelop the library parking lot. This lot might
be appropriate for a design competition and
should include a central “town square,”
underground parking, and residential uses…. An
analysis of the Downtown land use data
illustrates the significant amount of land devoted
to parking lots. In many cases, these parking
facilities foster pedestrian dead-zones. Create a
framework for the transformation of vacant and
underutilized properties.
LEED points [toward achieving certification] may
include:
o Community connectivity
o Access to public transportation…
o Renewable energy/Solar power
o Storm water management
o Reduce heat island effect…
o Reduce potable water consumption
o Reduce light pollution
o LED lighting
o Use of materials with recycled content
o Recycle construction material waste
o Use regional materials
o Use low emitting materials
“A diverse and concentrated mix of land uses and activities Downtown Plan (2009)
is critical in drawing people downtown to create a lively
atmosphere and a profitable business setting. If these uses
are linked together by streets and open spaces which
accommodate and encourage pedestrian movement, the
activity generated by one use will provide support for others
and downtown’s street life will act as a magnet which draws

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more people.”

“Continue to invest in streetscape improvements … as part

of the strategy for enhancing downtown’s attractiveness as a
residential investment location.”

“[A variety of ] public spaces play an important role in

structuring the “image of the city” by creating focal points –
or landmarks -- which punctuate the urban fabric and
provide relief to the hard surfaces of the built environment.
They also create opportunities for social interaction; if they
are located and designed to attract use, they can add
substantially to the vitality of downtown’s street life. These
spaces are most meaningful when they reinforce locations
of special visual significance such as downtown entry points
and civic buildings [like the Downtown Library] and
functional importance [such as major “crossroads” of
pedestrian movement].”
2009 Nobel Prize in Economics Elinor Ostrom
Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for
Collective Action (1990)

Seventeen citizens, plus four ex officio members (1988) Library Lot Task Force

Principles of the Commons Linebaugh, Peter

Bing! Bing! the light bulb of an idea
Blah! Blah! talking it over with neighbors or colleagues
Pow! Pow! telling truth to power.
The Library Block, A Planning and Urban Design Study Luckenbach /
(1991) Ziegelman and
Partners Inc.
Coopers & Lybrand
Walker Parking
Consultants/Engineers

Central Business District Issues Parks, Recreation and

• … Better coordination of pedestrian amenities including Open Space (PROS)
light fixtures, furniture and planting would help improve Plan
the appearance and unity of the downtown and foster the 2006-2011
connection between Main Street and State Street.
• … There is a need to involve businesses and residents in
park planning and have them contribute to the
programming of parks. One way to participate is by
locating outdoor cafés and restaurants adjacent to or in the
parks.
• Downtown is increasingly becoming the site of special
events including the art fairs, the Summer Festival, the

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Ethnic Festival and most recently the Blues and Jazz

Festival. These festivities enliven the downtown and
every accommodation should be made to retain them.

Urban Parks/Plazas
Urban Parks and Plazas provide open space and
pedestrian oriented amenities in the downtown area where
the surrounding population includes high-density
residential and commercial districts. These areas are
defined by the presence of a significant infrastructure, a
greater formality and furniture to serve a greater density
of people at peak times. … Residents and downtown
employees utilize these areas as a gathering space for
eating and work breaks… [Parks and plazas] often serve
as a location for public art and performances. They ideally
function in concert with the surrounding businesses,
especially restaurants and cafes, where a cooperative
effort energizes the physical space.
Body of previous work in Ann Arbor Pollack Design
Proposed Pedestrian / Open Space Framework Plan
Illustration
Project for Public Space www.pps.org
Numerous studies and other resources.
Recommendations for successful civic places.
Ultimate Inspiration
Last here, but always first, we honor the inspiring traits of the
citizens of Ann Arbor.

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Appendix B – Sample Community Questions

The A2C2 also answers some outstanding questions:

Where is the public place where residents and users

of downtown may seek respite while remaining at the
heart of civic activity?
The A2C2 can become the calming place in trying times. Create Ann Arbor‟s Center
We may enter distracted or worried, to find balance in a for Peace at a peaceful
reassuring environment of choice. center of Ann Arbor.

What venue can make up for the civic loss of a

printed daily newspaper?
What if important local information were right there in We don‟t have town criers
front you, on your way? What if you saw a friend or heard either, but we are
about something unexpected just because you went depending more often on
through the A2C2? What if you needed a place to post word of mouth for local
information. Digital
information for a diverse audience? That place could be
communication may
the A2C2. extend the personal
network, but human
interaction is essential to a
healthy society.
What amenities improve the climate for local and
small businesses?
The A2C2 provides a place for customers to eat street Most people can get the
food, to get 10 minutes of sunshine and shop before recommended vitamin D
returning inside, to wait for a companion, to read during a naturally with 10 minutes of
work break, to park in shelter and find out how close local sunshine 3 times a week.
and small business are.
What can be added to the mix of institutions and
business that will encourage parking once to spend
several hours of the day or evening as a patron of
downtown Ann Arbor?
When a centrally located public place is strongly linked to The A2C2 may provide
the wide array of destinations of choice, nobody worries many conveniences to
about whether “that‟s just too far” or “the meter is about to downtowners and visitors.
expire”. We don‟t go downtown just to park. We go for
every other destination—if it is close enough. Both bicycle
and car parking can be sheltered.
What place can increase the convenience and The central location of the
attractiveness of coming to downtown Ann Arbor A2C2 makes it possible to
without a car? return on the way to
another destination.
As our digital age progresses, geography will change A „Bike Station‟ should be
relatively little, but choices of destination will increase. planned in the
The A2C2 can incorporate information kiosks to reinforce underground structure.

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the new Downtown wayfinding signage program. If you Time-limited lockers can
don‟t know where you want to go, you can decide once be installed near
you arrive at the A2C2. No matter how you arrive, you‟ll pedestrian access to store
find detailed information about all of the districts within the unexpected purchase
or heavy backpack.
walking distance.
How can the quality of life be improved for a diverse Downtown neighborhoods
population of downtown residents? need Third Places.

Downtown residents usually have fewer square feet of At less than two acres, the
both indoor space and outdoor places per person. The ratio of public open space
popularity of Third Place relaxation shows how important per capita is by far the
public meeting places are to people of all ages. In the lowest for downtown
residents.
Digital Age It is important to note that Age matters less
and Place matters more. With careful integration, the
A2C2 can be the place of choice for those who don‟t have
yards or simply want to enjoy the scene beyond home.
The A2C2 should be like a great big shared front porch.
Where does Ann Arbor celebrate in community?
Replacing the long-mourned Courthouse lawn, the A2C2 “There is no outdoor place
can be the joyous center of civic celebrations and to hold a civic ceremony or
ceremonies. for [local] elected officials
to make a speech.” (The
Library Block, 1991)

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Appendix C – Potential Community Partners A letter of invitation

Dear Community Partner,

Because you are active in the civic life of Ann Arbor, we invite you to join us in creating
and supporting a new Downtown public place. The site is our publicly-owned “Library
Lot” (391 S. Fifth Ave.) on top of the underground parking deck for which ground was
broken recently. We [and you?] are the Ann Arbor Committee for the Commons (A2C2).
The official parking deck design currently includes a „temporary‟ paved surface parking
lot of about 20 spaces upon completion of over 600 underground spaces. The official
ultimate plan is for private development of a multi-story building or buildings which
could be as tall as 15 stories. City Administration has issued a Request for Proposals
(RFP) regarding above-ground “infill development” for which foundations are being
designed as part of the underground parking deck construction. Responses to the RFP
are due at 2pm on November 13, 2009.
As an ad hoc grass-roots committee, we intend to propose a public place that addresses
decades of social and physical fragmentation in the area. We are responding with a
framework of programmed spaces and interconnections that can evolve with additional
civic projects over time, bringing benefit to all community partners. We are responding to
community needs that have been expressed in a variety of plans for about 50 years, since
Ann Arbor lost the County Courthouse grounds to new construction in 1953.
We recognize that this site is likely the last chance for the kind of downtown public space
that is essential to attractive downtown living and healthy society. We should not sell it.
We know that there will be many opportunities on other sites for compatible downtown
building development. In proposing the focal place of our community, we recognize
that success is only possible with public and private community partners. That is why we
are writing, asking you to imagine what your role could be, as an individual or as an
organization in realizing this future place of community, the essence of Ann Arbor.
We include a preliminary list of both public and private potential partners to whom we
are making this first invitation for participation. We have drawn on our knowledge of „the
usual suspects‟ as well as some we hope will be inspired by our efforts. We would be
honored by your supportive input, especially since your own projects require so much
commitment and determination. Join the evolution. Become a „charter member‟ of A2C2
by letting us know if will lend your name to support a public purpose proposal.
All we are asking, is give Place a chance.
Sincerely, on behalf of the Ann Arbor Committee for the Commons,
Alan Haber and Alice Ralph
Your ideas or your endorsement can be transmitted in writing by mail to PO Box 7213 /
Ann Arbor, MI 48107. Alternatively, send email responses to [email protected] using
„Place‟ in the subject line. Attachments (.doc) of modest size are especially welcome.

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Potential Partners—A Sampling

Our potential partners may play different roles both in creating and supporting a
Downtown public place that celebrates the essence of Ann Arbor. We hope this list is just
a sampling of future community partners.
Access International Business Institute
Allen Creek Greenway Conservancy
Ann Arbor Arts Alliance
Ann Arbor Art Center
Ann Arbor Chess Express
Ann Arbor Civic Theater
Ann Arbor Community Foundation
Ann Arbor District Library
Ann Arbor Summer Art Fairs
Ann Arbor Summer Festival
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA)
Center for Independent Living
Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibits Program
Downtown Area Citizens Advisory Committee
Downtown District Authority (DDA)
Ecology Center
First Martin Corporation
Germantown Neighborhood Association
Google
Gray Panthers
Keith Hafner‟s Karate
League of Women Voters
NEW Center
Neutral Zone
Public Art Commission
Parks and Recreation (includes Liberty Plaza and Kempf House)
Parks Advisory Commission
Segway
Transition Ann Arbor
UM Credit Union
UM Center for the Education of Women
UM English Language Institute
Herb David Guitar Studio
Seva Restaurant
Earthen Jar Restaurant
Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice
Jerusalem Garden Restaurant
Shelter Association
Washtenaw Bikers and Walkers Coalition
Washtenaw Historical Society
Women‟s Farm and Garden Club of Ann Arbor
Zingerman‟s Community of Businesses

And many individuals who know the value of a place to exercise community values.

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