Housing may go off Y site: Another location sought for 40 of the 100 low-inc

The future of the former YMCA site in downtown Ann Arbor appears to be up in the air.Excerpt:Ann Arbor’s history with housing at the old YMCA on Fifth Avenue and William Street is long and complicated.Two decades ago, city officials promoted an expansion of the Y’s dormitory-style residence to 100 units – a move that led to financial failure.More recently, the city bought the property when the Y relocated to new quarters. The goal was to ensure that the 100 single-room-occupancy units were preserved and ultimately replaced.But four years after the $3.5 million purchase, there’s a parking lot on the corner instead of housing. And city officials are still looking for other locations for at least some of that very low-income housing.”We’re still interested in having that kind of affordable housing at the former Y site,” said City Council Member Chris Easthope, who was among the advocates for city ownership of the property.But for now, city officials are also interested in putting as many as 40 new units of low-cost housing elsewhere in or near the downtown area.Read the rest of the story here and how the latest volley in the debate over building heights in downtown here.