Powerful for Ann Arbor
The powerful-for-Ann-Arbor (think Wonkette’s “famous for DC” celebrity sightings) residents at the top floors of the 11-story 101 N. Main building have banded together to stop a 10-story building from blighting their neighborhood. The chief NIMA (Not In My Airspace), University Bancorp President Stephen Ranzini, complains that the Michigan “M” at the stadium was once visible from the first floor of his condo; now with buildings like Ashley Mews extending into an airspace that should be the exclusive domain of local corporate and media bigwigs, he has to walk upstairs to see it.
“Collectively, the residents of this building are powerful in Ann Arbor and now is the time for us to exert ourselves to protect our investment,'’ Ranzini wrote in [an e-mail to building residents], of which The News obtained a copy.
In the e-mail, Ranzini estimated the limited view could cost them each of them $250,000 in reduced property values. Ranzini estimated the condos are worth up to $900,000 each, based on sales of other condos in the city. Real estate listings have one 101 North Main unit selling for about $700,000.
Well, their apartment buildings block my view of the city when I’m chilling on top of the parking garage. And really, isn’t that more of a for-the-good-of-the-city use?
posted by Anonymous on August 2nd, 2005 at 1:13 pmThe 101 North Main Building blocks my view of the North Main Party Store. I’m gonna sue!
posted by tom on August 2nd, 2005 at 2:01 pmThey’ve finally gotten the whole Onion thing down — the “obtained” email was a nice touch.
posted by Anna on August 2nd, 2005 at 2:06 pmFools. Don’t they know the first rule of obstruction is never admit, not even to yourself, that your motives are purely selfish and greedy? They either find themselves some salamanders, or start some hand-wringing about how all the water running off this new building will flood the “greenway”, or they’re doomed.
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on August 2nd, 2005 at 2:35 pmWhen you live in the ugliest building in the neighborhood, apparently you not only have the best view, but get really attached to that view…
posted by Murph on August 2nd, 2005 at 2:56 pmWait, this ISN’T an Onion story?
posted by Dave on August 2nd, 2005 at 3:13 pmI watched the Council meeting last night where Ranzini gave a short presentation, complete with handouts and giant flashcards. The best part was when he listed the various views as “the west view is the most valuable, because of the view of the sunset, with the east being almost as valuable, because of the view of the sunrise. The south is worth the least, except for the north, which is worth less, because the north doesn’t get any sunlight while the south always does.” There was another 101 N. Main resident who followed Ranzini, but he seemed a bit out of his league after the multimedia presentation that Ranzini gave. Anyone have it on tape? It was the best on the tube last night.
posted by JCP2 on August 2nd, 2005 at 3:42 pmAre people actually getting upset about losing a view of a giant tacky yellow “M”? I thought people only got upset when large ugly signs BLOCKED views of the landscape, not the other way around.
posted by Nick on August 2nd, 2005 at 4:43 pmWith binoculars you can watch the game on the Jumbotron.
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on August 2nd, 2005 at 4:46 pmCollectively, the residents of this building are powerful in Ann Arbor and now is the time for us to exert ourselves to protect our investment…
Sounds kinky.
posted by Alan Gutierrez on August 2nd, 2005 at 4:55 pmWTF? This is one of the lamest nimby efforts ever. How many apartments (oops, I mean condos) are involved in this? 10? Please. I don’t care how “powerful” they are…If they are complaining about the Mews (which is at least 1/4 mile away) this takes the cake.
posted by OFWinsurgent on August 2nd, 2005 at 4:59 pmMurph,
posted by tom on August 2nd, 2005 at 5:15 pmThe story goes that the first apartment sold in the John Hancock Bldg in Chicago was purchased by a grand old dame who was very vocal in her opposition to the building when it was going up. When asked why she bought an apartment in the building she loathed, she snapped, “It’s the only place in Chicago where I can look out the window and not see the damned thing!”
This is pretty funny. I used to work at a company in that building. In their defense (hey, somebody has to do it!), I do have to say that the sunset views out the 4th floor west-facing windows are pretty spectacular. Perhaps if I had known it was a $250K view I would have kept working in that company longer, even if it meant I was would still be working there late enough to see the sunset on a regular basis.
posted by Lisa on August 2nd, 2005 at 6:44 pmPoor fellow, the Montgomery Burns of Ann Arbor, had to go to the 2nd floor of his high rise condo to see the M. That’s priceless. Baby want his bottle ? bwaaaaaaaaaa!!! bwaaaaaaaaaa!!
posted by JD on August 3rd, 2005 at 1:39 amThese are the fucktards that will ruin Ann Arbor for ever. I doubt I could get entry to the building, but wish i knew where this guy might be hanging out someday, I have a surprise for him.
most certainly intent on blocking out the sun over ann arbor until his demands are met.
posted by Real Big on August 3rd, 2005 at 5:58 amMr. Ranzini regularly attends (Catholic) mass at St. Mary Student Parish on William St. on Sundays at 5:00 p.m…
posted by m on August 4th, 2005 at 12:43 pmHmmmm, I wonder how he’d feel about a rainbow sticker on the door of ONM?
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on August 4th, 2005 at 1:17 pmSit down, RANZINI, you are blocking my view of somebody who is not an ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.
posted by Buzz on August 4th, 2005 at 1:38 pmI wonder if the guy looks as much like a caricature of an evil rich person as he acts like one.
posted by Real Big on August 4th, 2005 at 3:14 pmSee for yourself here:
posted by m on August 5th, 2005 at 10:09 amhttp://www.university-bank.com/staff.htm
He really needs a moustache to twirl.
posted by Dave on August 5th, 2005 at 10:19 amOH, I KNOW that guy! He tried to rape me in the sauna at the CCRB!
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on August 5th, 2005 at 10:21 amI wonder if he has read his Bank’s Value Statementrecently.
posted by Anna on August 5th, 2005 at 10:47 amLooks like he’s as dedicated to his “Value Statement” as he is to quality web design.
posted by Real Big on August 5th, 2005 at 11:54 amI hope that picture from the bank website wasn’t taken at his million dollar condo! I’ve seen better cabinets and appliances in a double-wide!
posted by fleeble on August 10th, 2005 at 3:26 pmAbout 5 years ago I spoke to a woman who worked at a Chicago architectural firm. She was working on a project to develop a “world’s tallest building” about a block from the Sears Tower. I thought it was amusing that residents of two of the tallest buildings on earth would have their views obstructed by the building across the street.
(A different building was built.)
posted by A Different Jon on August 11th, 2005 at 5:14 amI know this is a long shot, but in researching something I believe I found reference to a man named Dennis Dahlmann who was involved in this business (he owns one of the condos with a nice view). Can anyone confirm this? Do you know anything else about him?
Specifically, I’m trying to figure out if this is the same Dennis Dahlmann that also owns property here in Ypsilanti. Any help would be most appreciated.
posted by brett on September 22nd, 2005 at 12:56 pmI think he’s the same guy who owns the Campus Inn and the Bell Tower Hotel. You can do a search on the name Dahlmann here http://www.bsasoftware.com/PRDWeb/BSAPRD.DLL?MfcISAPICommand=Dispatcher&command=0&user=annarbor&pswd=annarbor and see the many properties he owns in Ann Arbor. It doesn’t mention One North Main, theough he certainly owns a lot of land in the Huron/Main area. I don’t know if the Ypsi city website has a similar property search feature, but good luck on your search.
And if I may digress a bit, another thing that downtown Ann Arbor sorely needs (in addition to a supermarket, drugstore, hardware store, etc.) is another good sized hotel or two–maybe three. Do you know it costs something like $200 a night to stay at one of the Dahlmann Monopoly Inns? On a weeknight! Jesus, if anyone ever needed some competition….
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on September 22nd, 2005 at 2:42 pmThere are Ben and Dennis Dahlman who are brothers, I don’t think Dennis lives at 101.
posted by stella on September 22nd, 2005 at 3:11 pmThe apartment building at Huron and Fourth, where the Performance Network currently mounts their productions, used to be a hotel, but it bellied some time ago. It sat empty for quite a while until it was converted into subsidized housing for the elderly.
posted by tom on September 23rd, 2005 at 9:10 amHey man, you can always stay at the Embassy.
posted by Dave on September 23rd, 2005 at 10:42 amA few years ago an out of town visitor to our department booked a room at the Embassy, mistakenly believing it to be an “Embassy Suites”. I think he made it through one night, but slept in his clothes on top of the bedspread.
And yeah, I do remember that building being a hotel, but I think it closed down sometime in the 80’s. I’ve got to think you could make a go of it now with a hotel. Or is Ann Arbor land is so pricey and hard to build on that even at $200 a night you couldn’t make a profit? It’s just a damn shame that out of town visitor’s to the U. have to stay in a cookie cutter motel out by the freeway. What good is a hotel if you can’t stagger back to it drunk at 2:00 in the morning. I mean, who wants to stagger across State Street from the Ruby Tuesday–at 9:00?
posted by Parking Structure Dude! on September 23rd, 2005 at 11:51 amGiven the “no building over 5 stories” sentiment around here, it may not be economically feasible to build a new hotel downtown, unless attitudes change.
posted by tom on September 23rd, 2005 at 12:24 pmDennis Dahlmann has a brother Neil and a son Ben. He was responsible for constructing some of the best built student housing during the late 60’s and early 70’s on the campus of U of M; MSU and Western Michigan … in partnership with Hobbs and Black Architects.
posted by swatson on October 22nd, 2007 at 5:53 pmHe is a Michigan grad and has contributed in many ways to the Arts and community at large. He builds quality and maintains high quality in his real esate holdings from student housing, commercial office buildings and hospitality holdings. I have observed him up close and from afar since 1970. He is one of the city’s best assets and a true supportor of what is “good” about the city of Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is expensive because of the value added and quality that people like Dennis have continued to give during its growth since the 1960’s. If anything Ann Arbor is underrated.