Jefferson Apartments To Be Torn Down

‘U’ Seeks More Recreation Space For Students:

Jefferson Apartments To Be Torn Down

The University-owned Jefferson Apartments at 520 Jefferson St. will be torn down this summer as the initial stage in a project aimed at providing more open space and recreational area for students living in the West Quadrangle.

Considerable landscaping also will be done to beautify the approach to the rear entrance of the Administration Building, according to James F. Brinkerhoff director of U-M plant extension.

Demolition of the Jefferson Apartments will enable the University to expand its system of utility and healing tunnels. The tunnel which now terminates at the Student Activities Building will be linked with the tunnel at the West Quadrangle. This, BrinKerhoff explains, will improve the efficiency and flexibility of the Southwest Central Campus heating system.

At the same time, he continues, a tunnel will be installed north of the Student Activities Building between Maynard St. and the west side of Thompson St. to provide utilities for the new Institute for Social Research building now under construction.

When these tunnel projects are completed, the roadway to the Michigan Union from Thompson St will be moved about 25 feet north of its present location.  Locust trees will be planted along the road to improve the area's appearance.

The area now occupied by the Jefferson Apartments and part of the adjacent metered parking lot will be partially landscaped with trees and grass and partially black-topped to provide recreation area for students residing in the West Quadrangle.

All tunnel construction should be completed in the fall, Brinkerhoff says, when the tree planting and some of the landscaping also will be done. The entire project should be completed early next summer, he adds.

Bids for demolition of the Jefferson Apartments, six University-owned houses in Ann Arbor and three quonset huts, will be taken July 2, Brinkerhoff says. Actual demolition work at all sites will get underway shortly thereafter and will be completed in early fall.

The six houses are located at 215 Observatory, 136 Fast Hoover, 1426, 1428 and 1442 Washington Heights, and 532 Thompson.  In each case the space will be used initially to increase parking and recreation facilities for nearby University units, Brinkerhoff explains.

The three quonset huts to be razed are located at the corner of North and East University.  Landscaping will be done there to improve the appearance of the corner, he says.

[image]:  Jefferson Apartments Building Will Be Razed