Library Green Presentation to the Ann Arbor PAC, April 23, 2013

1Monday, April 29, 2013

Ann Arbor’s 2009 Downtown Plan shows the near complete absence of public parks in the city’s center.


Many years ago, the lawn of the County Courthouse served as

Ann Arbor’s town square.


The University of Michigan has its Diag, but Ann Arbor lacks adequate, public open-space for the people who live,

work and shop in the downtown.


In the middle of the city is a place that could become Ann Arbor’s “central” park.

The Library Block is bounded by Fifth Avenue, William, Division and Liberty Streets.


The Library Block is anchored by the Downtown Library. It is home to the Center for Education of

Women, the Christian Science Reading Room, the UM Credit Union and the Inter Cooperative Council.


The Library Block is also home to small businesses including Jerusalem Garden, Earthen Jar, Seva, and the former Herb David’s Guitar Studio.


On the northeast corner is Liberty Plaza - the only public park in downtown Ann Arbor.

Liberty Plaza is a modest open space, connected by a ramp and foot path across private property to

the Library Lot.


The Library Lot is a publicly owned site at the center of the block - recently transformed by a new, underground parking structure and street.


How should the City use the surface space on top of the new, 770 space Library Lot parking structure?The Ann Arbor community recommended a city plaza during the 2006 Calthorpe process.

“Pursue and design a Town Square or central civic area that incorporates an outdoor meeting place, an art center, underground parking, an indoor facility, and mixed-use buildings.”

(Calthorpe Downtown Development Report, 2006)


This idea is not new. Fifteen years earlier, a City study imagined a public park on the Library Lot.*

* LUKENBACH STUDY 1991


A hotel/conference center was proposed for the Library Lot, but this idea was rejected as

unfeasible in spring 2011.


Proposals for a park on the Library Lot were also dismissed because, it was claimed,

a park couldn’t create economic benefits for the City.


But other cities have created lively urban parks that serve as engines for economic development - bringing more people downtown and boosting the value and life of their neighborhoods

Campus Martius and RiverWalk in Detroit

Post Office Square in Boston

Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids

Millennium Park in Chicago

Discovery Green in Houston


Ann Arbor isn’t the same as Detroit, Boston, Grand Rapids, Chicago or Houston… but we can learn from the successful parks in these cities.

We can create our own downtown centerpiece on an Ann Arbor scale!What elements of these parks should we incorporate in our vision?


Campus Martius hosts frequent outdoor performances in Detroit


Ice skating is another popular feature at Detroit’s Campus Martius


RiverWalk is a family-friendly walkway connecting public spaces in Detroit


Post Office Square is located above underground parking in Boston


The Rosa Parks Circle is a lively, versatile space in Grand Rapids


Millennium Park in Chicago has popular water features and “must see” art


Discovery Green offers a variety of year-round activities in Houston


All these parks generate economic benefits through

Placemaking.

“Placemaking is the creation of a dynamic, attractive public space to revitalize and bring new investment to a downtown neighborhood.” (Project for Public Places, Placemaking Pays Off)


Economic Benefits from Placemaking occur in several ways:

Existing Buildings

New Construction

More Customers

Increased Tax Revenue


Existing Buildings near the Library Lot could be “reborn” with new, expanded uses - reoriented toward the new public space, adding to the vitality and energy.


The Proximity Principle says land near a public park goes up in value. Successful placemaking rejuvenates neighboring buildings. This can occur on the Library Block despite, or perhaps because of, nearby historic structures.


New Construction would occur to take advantage of the green views.


More Customers would be drawn to nearby businesses.


Quality of Place

“The more attached an area’s residents are, the better the region’s growth... the three quality of place characteristics that matter most are...” (Michigan Future Inc. 7/7/11)

social offerings - places for people to meet and the feeling that people in the community care about each other.

openness - a sense that the community is welcoming and open to all.

aesthetics - physical beauty including parks and green spaces.


Liberty Plaza is the City’s only significant downtown green space.* A pedestrian link from Liberty Plaza to a Library Green would enhance both parks. It

would be Ann Arbor’s downtown Diag.

* According to the City’s own 2009 Downtown Plan, page 10


The Ann Arbor District Library draws thousands of people downtown. Like libraries in other cities, the Ann Arbor public library could extend itself in relation to an adjacent park.


Ann Arbor doesn’t need to rely on big cities for good ideas. We can find attractive public features for a Library Green in our own backyard. For example…

Outdoor Ice Skating at Ann Arbor’s Buhr Park...


Interactive, playful sculptures like the

Wave Field on U-M’s North Campus and the Cube on Central Campus


Play structures would be welcomed by families with young children.


Ann Arbor’s sculpture plaza is a transitional open space that relates to

nearby businesses


Town Square gazebo concerts are popular in Dexter and Manchester


In the Downtown Development Authority’s 2012 survey, respondents said that parks - or open public space - is “an extremely important goal.”


Ann Arbor spent over $50 million to put 770 parking spaces underground in

the new Library Lot structure.


Despite the investment in underground parking, the City put about 40 surface parking spaces back on top of the Library Lot temporarily. Ann Arbor can do better!


The Library Green Conservancy commissioned conceptual drawings to help people imagine the possibilities.

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In July 2012, the Library Green organized a daylong celebration of the potential for a Library Lot park.


We don’t agree with the DDA’s vision for open space. We shouldn’t wait to see what a private developer will offer as a public plaza. Ann Arbor should decide for itself about its downtown parks.

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The choice now is a Park or a Parking Lot?

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: A2CENTRALPARK.ORG


News & Politics

Library Green Presentation to the Ann Arbor PAC, April 23, 2013