Northeast Site Covers 40 Acres

Being Planned

Northeast Site Covers 40 Acres

By Ron Cordray

A huge shopping center, covering more than 40 acres, is being contemplated for the north east Ann Arbor area.

The City Planning Commission was informed of the proposed shopping center at its regular meeting last night.

Bernard F. O’Brien, a Detroit real estate property management representative, told the commission by letter  that his clients have 80 acres under option. He said the title holder of the property is Albert Wright.

The parcel is on the northwest corner of Nixon and Plymouth Rds.

The route of the Huron River Parkway would presumably cut the parcel in half. Plans call for erecting "very prominent colonial apartments...lying north of the proposed Huron Parkway."

The land in question now lies in Ann Arbor township. O'Brien said developers would like to have the land zoned commercial and annexed to the city.

"There will be nothing definite until we get a zoning on the property," O'Brien said. "There are a lot of ups and downs before anything is certain." He said the Ann Arbor City Council "had turned down a lot of stuff" but said, "We're going to get a shopping center there regardless." He indicated if the city would not approve the zoning change the center would be built in the township and the developers would install their own water and sewage systems.

"Ann Arbor should have a shopping center such as this," O'Brien said today. "We know that more than one-third of Ann Arbor's residents go to Detroit to shop." O'Brien said his clients "would be happy" to donate land for the proposed Huron River Parkway. "We'll do anything for them if they'll work with us," he said.

He said clients from Connecticut and New York have been to Ann Arbor to view the property and are pleased with the location. 

"We are contemplating a regional shopping center consisting of all AAA leases, and ...one of the stores will be Sears Department Store. However, this will not be the main department store in the center as we have been informed by our investor the main store will be one of three large retail department stores out of New York and most of the lesses will be from New York..."

O'Brien explained a "AAA lease" is one that is held by a "large reputable firm."

In his letter to the commission, O'Brien said, "The acreage that may be used for the above mentioned center would be 40-acres or better, the reason for more acreage (being) considered is that...there may be more leases acquired than we suspected."

He said all the ground work has been completed "and at this present time the Planning Commission regarding zoning of the...property can either make or break our future project."

The next step, O’Brien said, would be the drawing of plot plans. “I might add that this is not a project that is being felt out, as we have already flown in from the East the representatives of the mortgage companies involved in order to receive our present mortgage commitment.”

O’Brien said he was told by the Planning Department an informal meeting would be held in the near future to discuss the project. "We hope to get some type of tentative approval," he said.

When and if the land is zoned commercial, O'Brien said "we would start immediately" on construction. "We already have enough leases to cover a large area," he said.

Under the Planning Commission's Northeast Area Study the proposed project land is zoned residential. The plan was adopted at last night's meeting.

Residents of the area early this year vehemently protested a multiple family development which had been proposed for this general area. The council rejected the R3 multiple classification following a public hearing.

If the shopping center were to be constructed, it would be the largest in the area. Arborland occupies about 28 acres.

No date has been set for the informal meeting to discuss the project.