Loving Library To Get New Purpose As Music Facility
Loving Library to get new purpose as music facility
New owners say they'll convert building for piano instruction
BY JO COLLINS MATHIS
News Staff Reporter
The Loving branch of the Ann Arbor District Library has been sold for $605,000 to a couple who will convert it to a building for music instruction.
“We’re very pleased someone is going to use the building as it exists, with some renovation, I’m sure, for such a worthy venture,” said Library Director Josie Parker.
The new owners are Randy and Nancy Faber of Ann Arbor, who are internationally known musicians and educators. The former Nancy Trithart is a 1975 graduate of Pioneer High School and an award-winning composer.
The building, on Packard Street east of Platt Road, will become the Faber Piano Institute and the Faber Foundation for Music Education and the Arts.
“It’ll basically be a pianoteaching studio,” said Randy Faber. “We expect to do some community concerts. And also, we’ll be involved with some teacher training.”
The couple moved back to Ann Arbor two years ago after living in Nashville for 10 years. Before that, they lived and worked in Ann Arbor, where they ran the Trithart-Faber Piano Studio with four teachers and 100 students. During that time, they developed a piano method and since then have published about 200 works.
Faber said he likes the new location, which is convenient to Ypsilanti as well as Ann Arbor.
“Our goal with the foundation is to attract some scholarships and reach a broad socioeconomic spectrum of students, rather than the usual group who can afford lessons,” he said.
The Nellie Loving branch was built in 1965 and served residents of the city’s southeast side until it became far too cramped. The building closed last year as the nearby Malletts Creek branch neared completion. Malletts Creek opened in January, a $5 million ecologically friendly building with state-of-the-art features.
The Fabers plan to open the studio in January following renovations in the fall.
Closing on the sale is set for Tuesday.
Jo Collins Mathis can be reached at jmathis@annarbomews.com or (734) 994-6849.