For the last several years, one of City Council’s recurring annual goals has been to update the City’s aging buildings. Currently in final design is the W.R. Wheeler Service Center. It will replace the structures at 415 West Washington and 721 North Main. Those two facilities were constructed in the early part of the last century and are long past their expected, useful lives. Construction on the new maintenance facility, to be located south of Ellsworth and east of Stone School in Pittsfield Township, will be complete in summer 2007.
A larger, more difficult issue is the updating of municipal spaces in the downtown. In 2008, the lease with Washtenaw County for space that houses the 15th District Court will not be renewed. The City of Ann Arbor is the government unit that supports the 15th District Court and we must accommodate the future court space needs. For many years, the building space provided for Ann Arbor Police in the Larcom Building (City Hall) has been glaringly inadequate. If you venture into other offices in the Larcom Building, you find hallways stuffed with file cabinets and work cubicles as nearly every space is over occupied.
To get an objective view of the current space needs, the City hired the consulting firm of Plante & Moran CRESA to evaluate those needs. On October 11, Plante & Moran CRESA formally presented their report to the City Council in a work session. The essence of the Plant & Moran CRESA study is this:
· The City currently owns or leases approximately 121,000 sq. ft. of office space.
· 2007 space needs are shown to be about 221,000 sq. ft.
· The Larcom Building has about 76,000 square feet of office and storage space.
· The Police currently have about 23,000 sq. ft. of space but need 73,000 sq. ft.
· The 15th District Court has 21,000 sq. ft, but needs about 42,000 sq. ft.
· Other City uses currently have about 71,000 sq. ft. but need about 107,000.
The Plant & Moran analysis provides a reasonable definition of the problem to be solved. The problem is essentially this: We have space needs of approximately 221,000 square feet but own only about one third of that amount in the 76,000 square foot Larcom Building. Constructed in the early Sixties, the City Hall would need substantial remodeling to meet current construction code requirements. In addition, the building’s structural steel is sprayed with asbestos that must be removed before any significant remodeling can be done.
Will it be cost-effective to remodel the Larcom Building? Is it feasible and appropriate to locate 221,000 square feet of office space on the existing City Hall site? Can parking be added to the site? What other alternatives exist to address these needs? What will it cost? How can we pay for all of our space needs at a time when the City is financially stressed?
These and many other questions will soon be addressed. Stay tuned!
Roger Fraser
City Administrator
City of Ann Arbor
Office: (734) 994-2650
Fax: (734) 994-8297
E-mail: rfraser@a2gov.org