Angelica Maybe ([info]memwe) wrote in [info]ann_arbor_ypsi,
2005-09-22 15:57:00
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A2- FWD= ?

Little Birdy says the city has finally approved the developments that would turn the 300 block of South Ashley into 100 condominiums, removing the current Fleetwood Diner.

How do you feel about this?

What are you willing to do?

x-posted to [info]ann_arbor_area
Tags: development, diners, fleetwood

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  • 27 comments

[info]crankyasanoldma

September 22 2005, 19:34:44 UTC 6 years ago

I like the idea of increasing downtown density, but losing the Fleetwood?!? Unthinkable!

[info]jadecat

September 22 2005, 19:44:45 UTC 6 years ago

Losing the Fleetwood? Say it ain't so!

[info]emilytarot

September 22 2005, 19:58:32 UTC 6 years ago

!

That would SUCK! Argh,d owntown Ann Arbor, increasingly becoming just as bland as downtown Royal Oak...

Know of any place to read the details of all this?

[info]holyrood

September 22 2005, 20:03:52 UTC 6 years ago

um, any supporting evidence for this?

not that you're not trustworthy-- but the demise of the fleetwood due to that block being re-sold is a rumor that resurfaces about every 6 months, and i've never seen a shred of actual evidence. until i see a press release, a story in a newspaper that employs editors & fact-checkers, a bill of sale, etc., it's a bit hard to believe.

[info]memwe

September 22 2005, 20:10:40 UTC 6 years ago

no, that's why i only referenced a "little bird."

For at least the past year, the block has been for sale. For nearly that long, there has been an interested buyer, a developer from Chicago who wants to clear the block to make way for new... when he came by a few weeks ago to measure the place, I asked him if the deal was through yet, he said "not quite, but nearly"...

Today, it was confirmed that the city has supposedly agreed to his terms and the sale is going through.

I don't care if you believe it. What I'm wondering is, what does it mean to the community, will the community be willing to take action to wrench these plans, and HOW?

[info]emilytarot

September 22 2005, 20:39:43 UTC 6 years ago

AHhhh.

I'd believe that, I passed by the guys doing the surveying around that time, was definitely wondering what was going on.

Deleted comment

[info]memwe

6 years ago

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[info]holyrood

6 years ago

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[info]panaphobic

6 years ago

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[info]holyrood

6 years ago

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[info]the_river_below

September 22 2005, 20:08:35 UTC 6 years ago

I've been going to Fleetwood since I was a little kid. I only recently realized it's not a homey place but full of druggies, but I loooove it. If they killed it I'd be pretty sad.

[info]madmarchie

September 22 2005, 20:14:12 UTC 6 years ago

That's a really rough trade.
We really need to get more people LIVING down town... but we also need things for those people to DO that don't require cars.

a grocery store would be nice.

I would suspect a developer would be attempting to put commercial on ground level... we need more information about the plans... if there are any plans.

[info]pyrafire

September 22 2005, 20:20:21 UTC 6 years ago

A GROCERY STORE! We really want one to go in on First Street where that old warehouse is. I doubt it will happen though. I think they're making apartments.

[info]qmrf

September 22 2005, 21:05:41 UTC 6 years ago

The developers are converting the main building to lofts (60-some of them), and are looking at attacting a grocery store to the one-story section (closer to Liberty).

Getting a "full scale" grocery store downtown is, of course, market dependant, and one of the things that most analysts say is that you need a heck of a people to support a Kroger or Busch's or Meijer-sized grocery store. Which means you either need a lot of people living close to it, or a lot of parking spaces.

[info]anny86

September 22 2005, 23:02:40 UTC 6 years ago

That would be kind of nice. They need to think about the carless people

[info]crankyasanoldma

September 22 2005, 20:26:03 UTC 6 years ago

Yes, it slays me how they're upping residency downtown (yay) but people are still pretty much required to drive to get to a decent source of groceries and sundries.

I realize you can't force a grocery story to put up a location downtown, but wouldn't that be nice if we had one?

[info]dadandgirl

September 22 2005, 22:40:20 UTC 6 years ago

More people would live downtown if it weren't so goddamn expensive! That's why we moved out to the townships - I can afford to buy a three bedroom place out here for what I'd pay to rent a one bedroom apartment in town.

Luxury condos aren't going to fix that problem.

[info]dionysus1999

September 22 2005, 20:59:50 UTC 6 years ago

Cynical

The people who can afford to live in a condo in downtown A2 probably will still be driving their gas gussling SUV's everywhere, clogging up the streets even worse.

Meanwhile, a landmark will be removed. I think the Fleetwood should petition for a historical landmark, so they CAN'T get rid of them. Its a sure thing developers wouldn't give a rat's ass about the Freakwood.

[info]qmrf

September 22 2005, 21:22:10 UTC 6 years ago

I'm calling bullshit, with a fairly high degree of certainty. I can find out for sure this evening. (And, if it's true, it will be splashed all over ArborUpdate with a high degree of outrage and sorrow.)

* The Fleetwood (and the row of brick buildings south along Ashley) are part of a Historic District. Any demolition (or even visible change to the exterior!) would require the Historic District Commission's approval. I kinda doubt they'll give it; they're kinda miffed about all this "downtown density" talk lately.

* Putting 100 condos there would probably require rezoning, considering the density that would involve and the current zoning. Rezoning involves a public hearing and vote by the Planning Commission and a public hearing and _two_ votes by the City Council. Which we would have heard about.

* A site plan approval would be required (I think 6 units is the cutoff), which would also require Planning Commission and Council hearings and votes.

Even if a developer had worked out purchase agreements for all of the land, I'm very certain that no such development has been "approved". It's quite possible that they did just buy the land - but I think it would be front-page news if a site plan had been even _submitted_ to the city, let alone approved, and there's plenty of time after that to express outrage in ways that count.

Even aside from that, I'm betting my little birds could beat up your little birds. :)

Don't Panic!

[info]carve_me_a_rose

September 22 2005, 21:27:15 UTC 6 years ago

interesting.

Deleted comment

[info]funpuff

September 22 2005, 22:56:09 UTC 6 years ago

If the HDC denies it, then anything further would have to be taken to the state court.

[info]ashesbear

September 23 2005, 01:20:47 UTC 6 years ago

Just what this world needs, more condos.

Would they relocate? Wasn't there a Fleetwood out in ypsi a while back?

[info]mrfishes

September 23 2005, 02:33:29 UTC 6 years ago

Fleetwood briefly had a franchise attached to a gas station at Michigan and Carpenter, but it wasn't "Fleetwood"---it was way clean, like shiny, and just lame. It didn't last long.

I call bullshit on this whole thing, btw---Fleetwood's building is owned independently, from what I've heard, and while he was looking to sell the building, it was going to be explicitly contingent on Fleetwood being allowed to remain.

[info]ashesbear

September 25 2005, 18:00:58 UTC 6 years ago

There's a Fleetwood out in Lansing. It's clean and shiny and just plain WEIRD.

[info]michaelofoz

September 23 2005, 01:41:18 UTC 6 years ago

With any definite word, I say petition time! We can't just let the fleetwood go like that.

[info]leighton

September 23 2005, 03:58:07 UTC 6 years ago

Del Rio muerte II?

What's it going to be now a McDonald's?

That Fleetwood II was lame. I fear the loss of the original site would be the end of its soul.

[info]qmrf

September 23 2005, 04:36:55 UTC 6 years ago

So, the Fleetwood (and other Nally properties) may or may not have been sold to Freed, the developer in the news recently for Glen Ann Place and Ashley Terrace (both, basically, new large buildings on parking lots). If not, then it's probably "not yet". However, "sold" does not mean "about to be developed".

I spoke with several members of the City Planning staff and Planning Commission this evening - no plans have even been submitted to the City for any part of that block yet, let alone approved. And approval involves all of those messy steps I mentioned above.

Don't Panic. There's plenty of time yet to say, "hell no!" (And its good to see people are already thinking about it...)
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