Big Ten cities plan similar development projects

East Lansing isn’t the only Big Ten town looking to give residents a better view of its skyline.

Madison, Wis., home of the University of Wisconsin, and Ann Arbor are pursuing development projects similar to East Lansing’s City Center II, which calls for the creation of a 10-story building along Abbot Road and Grand River Avenue. The building will contain a restaurant, an upscale hotel, a performing arts theater and residential units.

Although the proposed $116.4 million development project is geared toward bringing in more permanent residents, Madison and Ann Arbor are focusing on developing high-rise housing for students.

Movin’ on up

Two student housing developments, one of which could be between 20 and 25 stories, are in the process of going through Ann Arbor’s City Council.

“While many are supportive of bringing in more dense development, this is a lot more in one small area,” said Sabra Briere, an Ann Arbor council member.

The council has deferred making a decision on the project until Oct. 6, similar to how the East Lansing City Council deferred a decision on the site plan for City Center II several times. However, unlike City Center II, the project fits within the city’s zoning codes. East Lansing altered its existing codes, which determine what kind of buildings can be put in an area.

There is no buffer between the Ann Arbor development and single-family homes nearby, which are currently being used as student rentals, Briere said. But if many students move into the high-rise, it will leave these houses empty, and many hope they will convert back to houses occupied by families, she said.

Heightened fears

Madison officials also are dealing with what to do with houses that were previously used as student rentals. The city has a 14-story student apartment building being constructed and just opened a 12-story mixed-use student apartment building.

“Now, the student market demand is for higher-end units, and students are starting to turn their noses up at other buildings,” said Tim Parks, a Madison planner. “The question has been what to do with these units.”

Some of the property owners are upset because the high-rises take away their renters, and now they’re struggling to survive, he said.

There are several reasons that the high-density units are becoming more popular near college campuses, said Rex LaMore, director of the Center for Community & Economic Development at MSU. High-rise developments help reduce gas consumption, develop mass transit systems and decrease the loss of farm land.

“There’s some evidence that supports that students in the 21st century seek more dense environments, and a more urban-like lifestyle,” he said.

Quaint, but content

Premedical freshman Cory Miller said if City Center II catered to students, he would be interested in it.

“There’d be a lot of other people living there, (and) it’s definitely close to everything else, like all the shops,” he said. “And gas consumption would definitely influence me.”

West Lafayette, Ind., home of Purdue University, isn’t developing high rises, said Chandler Poole, director of development for West Lafayette.

The city’s historic district is adjacent to the area where many students live, and officials want to make sure it is not swallowed up by skyscrapers, Poole said.

“We’ve had some proposals, but they’re so dense in the number of beds per units,” he said. “They completely go off the charts that they’re not really even part of the community — they just wouldn’t fit.”

If City Center II is developed, it might not stay geared toward permanent residents, LaMore said.

“Realistically, the probability that, at some future date, that property would convert to student housing is really high,” he said. “Even though (they) present it as a family development … I would be surprised if it didn’t convert to student housing in a five- to 10-year period.”

Published on Sunday, September 7, 2008