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Downtown Construction Update July 21: Sidewalks Are Open from the North and the South on Fifth Avenue But Temporary Closures from the North Remain Likely

by aadl-news

The renovation of the front entry Downtown has begun, and the Library is open regular hours during construction. Access from the north walking south on Fifth Avenue or approaching from Library Lane is not possible during this final phase of the project. Signs re-directing pedestrians will be up during open hours at various intersections around the block surrounding the Downtown Library. The parking on Fifth Avenue will be unavailable. We expect the work to result in a great deal of noise and to produce quite a bit of dust during the excavation of the sidewalks.

The Library will be open and accessible through the front doors regular library hours of operation going forward. All other library locations are open regular hours during the renovation Downtown.

The following will be accomplished in this project:
The sidewalks will be removed and repoured, eliminating the step at the curb on Fifth Avenue.
New inclines will be poured from the south and from the north eliminating the steps at the north end of the porch.
New steps will be added in front of the library entry leading down to the sidewalk on Fifth Avenue.
New, lighter doors will replace the rusted out doors at the front entry.
Handrails will be added on both sides of both inclines and at the steps.
The rusted ceramic coated metal tiles that form the fascia around the 1958 portion of the building will be removed and replaced.

We appreciate the support of the City of Ann Arbor, the DDA, and particularly members of the City of AA Commission on Disability Issues for their input and support on the design of this renovation.

We expect this to be a dusty and loud mess and thank you in advance for your patience, and apologize for the inconvenience. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me directly at josie@aadl.org or post them to this message.

Josie

Comments

I was hoping you were going to reinstall the lovely planter box you had before all the parking construction necessitated tearing it out! At least I assumed that was why it was dismantled. Loved it!

Submitted by edwardvielmetti on Fri, 06/12/2015 - 1:36pm

I'm glad this has been done, and hopefully some of the lovely blue panels (false copper patina panels) will be shown close up for us to appreciate.

Submitted by Jen Chapin-Smith on Sun, 06/14/2015 - 8:51pm

May I suggest consulting with the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living (CIL) to ensure that this construction meets ADA guidelines? This is an excellent opportunity to make our great library even better by making it more accessible than ever.

Submitted by karenmitzel on Mon, 06/15/2015 - 10:22pm

Glad to hear lighter doors are on the horizon. Getting in the building is currently a good core workout for some, and a near impossible barrier for others!

Submitted by jgetty on Wed, 06/17/2015 - 8:01am

The new front of the library looks great. I do like the lighter doors, thanks! Will be glad when the work is finished and things are back to normal.

Submitted by RichardHausman on Sat, 06/20/2015 - 8:41am

I thought the downtown library was still closed because of all the construction in front, but it is open now. You just have to enter from the north (parking lot) side.

Submitted by kathscot on Tue, 06/23/2015 - 4:56pm

Any idea when the construction will finish? I'd like to know if I should wait to come get the codes or brave the detour and noise.
Thanks.

Submitted by keebs23 on Wed, 07/08/2015 - 5:49pm

Can I suggest a sign directing pedestrians around the back of the building? If you are walking towards the library on the east side of S. Fifth, you don't see the sign that says "sidewalk closed; go to entrance around corner" until it's too late... because you can't walk around the corner... because the sidewalk is closed.

Submitted by kbowden on Tue, 07/14/2015 - 11:32pm

I also appreciate the support of the City of Ann Arbor, the DDA, and particularly members of the City of AA Commission on Disability Issues

Submitted by RichardHausman on Mon, 07/20/2015 - 12:12pm

The entire 5th Avenue sidewalk is now open. You can approach the library from both the north and the south.

Submitted by 23lisq on Tue, 07/28/2015 - 9:55pm

The front entrance looks great. They have flowers ready to plant. We are lucky to have such a great library.

Submitted by willow on Sat, 08/01/2015 - 10:54pm

Thanks for the detailed update! The downtown library has undergone so many changes recently.

Submitted by doctorfang on Sat, 08/01/2015 - 11:35pm

The front entrance is looking and feeling much more inviting, in additional to being more accessible. Thank you, AADL, for the continuous improvements.

Submitted by Fevvers - STAR473 on Mon, 08/03/2015 - 8:27pm

The new ramps and having handrails on both sides of them and the stairs will be much appreciated!

Submitted by poptart887 on Fri, 08/07/2015 - 9:04am

it looks really nice so far and is done enough that the banners for the summer game were put up recently...YAY!!

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