An architectural rendering showing Indianapolis-based developer The Annex Group's preliminary conceptual plan for a 252-unit workforce housing apartment building at 2050 Commerce Drive in Ann Arbor.BKV Group
ANN ARBOR, MI — Plans are in the works for a large-scale workforce housing development on Ann Arbor’s west side.
Indianapolis-based developer The Annex Group unveiled preliminary plans this week for 252 apartments on a 4.38-acre site at 2050 Commerce Drive, across from Hillcrest Apartments between Maple Road and Stadium Boulevard.
Ann Arbor officials have expressed interest in seeing more dense workforce housing in the city, with the Maple and Stadium area now a focus, and what’s proposed by the developer would have a density of 57.5 housing units per acre.
The 2050 Commerce Drive development site in Ann Arbor where over 250 workforce housing apartments are proposed on Aug. 12, 2022.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News
City Council four years ago approved a Chicago developer’s plan to build a four-story building with 267 market-rate apartments on the site, but the project never came to fruition.
Coming out of the pandemic, The Annex Group is taking over the project and proposing some revisions that will require approval from the city’s Planning Commission.
The new concept is a development seeking tax-credit financing through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority for 252 affordable housing units.
An architectural rendering showing Indianapolis-based developer The Annex Group's preliminary conceptual plan for a 252-unit workforce housing apartment building at 2050 Commerce Drive in Ann Arbor.BKV Group
It’s envisioned as workforce housing for people with incomes ranging from about $50,000 to the mid-$70,000s, said Tyler Knox, The Annex Group development manager.
The project design team — including lead architect Renato Gilberti of BKV Group in Chicago and local architect Brad Moore, along with civil engineer Scott Betzoldt — gave an overview of some of the features during a citizen participation meeting over Zoom on Wednesday night, Aug. 10.
It’s still envisioned as one large building with four above-ground stories wrapping around a middle courtyard with an eastern wing extending from the main square, but the layout has been retooled slightly and parking relocated, while unit sizes are changing.
An architectural rendering showing Indianapolis-based developer The Annex Group's preliminary conceptual plan for a 252-unit workforce housing apartment building at 2050 Commerce Drive in Ann Arbor.BKV Group
Plans show 149 one-bedroom units, 72 two-bedroom units and 31 three-bedroom units — or 386 bedrooms total, up from 335 in the previously approved version that was a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Building amenities include a club room, fitness room, lobby, bike room, a pool in the courtyard and a rooftop lounge.
In addition to building-footprint modifications, the new design creates additional breaks in the facade, Gilberti said, explaining there will be several types of material used, including white, gray and rusty-orange panel siding and some mahogany and cypress panels, with a base of orange-brown brick.
The former Select Ride office building on the 2050 Commerce Drive development site in Ann Arbor where over 250 workforce housing apartments are proposed on Aug. 12, 2022.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News
The plan is to dedicate 95% of the apartments for people with incomes up to 60% of the area median income, 2.5% up to 80% AMI and 2.5% up to 50% AMI, Moore said.
AMI this year is $82,500 for a single person, $94,300 for a two-person household, $106,100 for a three-person household and $117,800 for a four-person household.
New numbers show growing wealth in Ann Arbor, housing official calls it frighteningly bad
City code currently requires 252 car parking spaces for the development and 411 are proposed, including 390 in a garage and 21 surface parking spaces.
The development site is the former location of the corporate office for Select Ride, a taxicab and limousine service that moved out several years ago. The office building on the site is vacant and to be demolished.
No rezoning is proposed, so the project does not require City Council approval at this point. The commercial zoning for the property allows both residential and commercial use.
Residents from the neighboring Eagle Ridge condos were generally supportive of the project at Wednesday’s meeting but had questions and concerns about the loss of trees that provide a buffer from the site and a fence that’s there. Some of the trees are a century old and it’s sad to lose them, Cathy Wilkinson said, while expressing support for the affordable housing.
There still will be a landscaped buffer along the site edge and the developer vowed to work with neighbors on options.
The design team intends to refine and submit plans to the city for review later this month.
Read more Ann Arbor development stories.
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