The nothingness of a boarded up gas station on Detroit Street in Kerrytown is likely to make way for a building that a local architect sees becoming a landmark for the city.
Though small, the proposed flat iron style building - roughly a triangular shaped structure with a nose that faces the convergence of two streets, will stand out, says Marc Rueter of
Rueter Associates Architects. And true flat iron structures in Ann Arbor are rare - though there is one down the street near Zingerman's deli at Fifth and Detroit.
Rueter is the architect on the project that's being developed by Dan Williams of Maven Development.
"He recognized this was a really cool site..It's a hard site to develop because it's such a small footprint, but it could be very much a landmark, something to be seen when you cross the bridge over the river, something people will notice and remember."
The building would be three stories and about 4,000 total square feet. The ground floor would be office space, and the second and third floors would each be condominiums of about 1,650 square feet. The top condo would have access to a rooftop patio and a view of the Huron River. Parking would be located underground.
And the location to Kerrytown market makes it attractive.
"I think it's one of the nicer areas to live in Ann Arbor if you want the urban lifestyle," Rueter says. "It's a short walk to a lot of the things you need and great places."
The project, which involves demolishing a Clark service station that was boarded up about 30 years ago, is supported by city officials but most go before the historic district commission because of its location in a historic area. The commission meets Thursday.
If it is approved, as expected, the project would go for other approvals and likely be done by year's end. Construction could start in the spring, Rueter says.
Source: Marc Rueter, Rueter Associates Architects
Writer: Kim North Shine
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