Art Center proposes addition

Art Center proposes addition

By CATHARINE O'DONNELL

NEWS STAFF REPORTER_____________________

The Ann Arbor Art Center wants to load
art where workers once loaded oil and later
grain.

The center proposes to add a 5,900-
square-foot gallery and shop to its 17,500-
square-foot building on Felch Street. Once
a storage depot for Amoco Oil, later home
to The Daily Grind Hour mill, the 1924 build-
ing became a series of classrooms and stu-
dios after the center acquired the property
from Ann Arborite Don Butcher in 1996.

Art Center President Marsha Chamber-
1m said what's called The^ArtTactoiywouR
like to add a 16-by-lOO-foot gallery on the
east side of the building plus a tower at the
south end that would serve as the center's
main entrance.

"It'll look like a loading dock that got en-

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closed. We want to keep the flavor of a fac-
tory/' Chamberlin said. The building is lo-
cated in the Alien Creek floodplain, which
means any addition would have to be built
above the level of a 100-year flood. As part
'' s d work, a deck WOIF ^ ' kied to the
end of the buildinp ;e existing
parking lot would mfigured, resulting
in 17 spaces east 01 me building and three
north of it.

Damian Farrell Design Group and InSite
Design Studio Inc. are donating their
services.

The Ann Arbor Planning Comrhfesion ta-
bled the center's proposal at its June 15
meeting, citing the Washtenaw County
drain commissioner's request for a

gy study. Citv officials and develop . e
studying w< velop the Alien Creek
area but face i^.iiiicant problems, because
federal regulations limit what may be built

in floodways and floodplains. erty Street facility wor' ' ••"iin open, in-

Chamberlin emphasized that the gallery eluding its retail shop ii- Felch Street

addition is still in the ^ ____^ y.. »(g,s.»s-^^ building includes a

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developmental stage

and that construction is
probably three years
away. However, the
center has $60,000 from
a state grant and
$40,000 from an anony-
mous donor for site
work, including land-
scaping and a barrier-
free entrance. Work on
those could begin this
fall, even though the ad-
dition could still be
seeking city approval.

Chamberlin said that
while the gallery would satisfy the need for
exhibition space, the Art Center's East Lib-

studio and four ceramic
studios, soon to be
joined by a gas kiln.
Also, blacksmith T- 7
Connollywilloper . n.
dio this fall, offering
classes in ornamental
metalwork.

Cycle Cellar, a bicycle
shop, closed and moved
out of the Felch Street
building last fall, but
Rochman Design-Build
remains as a tenant.

Catharine O'Donnell
(734)994-6831.

can be reached at