Demolition to begin on old YMCA building in downtown Ann Arbor
Now that Ann Arbor’s old YMCA building is cleared of asbestos construction workers are set to start tearing into the downtown mid-rise this week. The building will be turned into a temporary surface parking lot until city leaders decide what to build on it.
Now that
Construction workers finished removing asbestos from the building last week and shut off its utilities over the weekend. Heavy equipment will begin flattening the structure this week and are set to have it levelled by June. Asbestos removal and razing the building will cost a little more than $500,000.
The city then plans to turn the space into a temporary surface parking lot before deciding what to do next. The parking lot is set to open before the Fourth of July while city officials consider whether to replace the low-income housing that once sat there or go in another direction. A final decision is expected later this year.
Until recently, a developer planned to build a high-rise called the William Street Station on the spot, combining a new transit center, hotel and low-income housing. Those plans fell through, however, and officials are now gauging public opinion on what to do next with the site.
The YMCA occupied the space for most of the 20th Century until 2005 when it moved to a new building at 400 W
Source: Adrian Iraola, project manager for the old YMCA demolition
Writer: Jon Zemke
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