D Is Such a Very Fine Letter, Each Election A2 Likes it Better
It’s Anglin and Briere: the First 100 Days! Only — they’re going all reasonable on us? “Newly elected Council Member Sabra Briere, D-1st Ward, cautioned about asking the DDA to spend the money” on the Y building demolition. Caution, eh? (The News, by the way, could save some ink by leaving out all those superfluous D’s.) And Anglin “wanted more time for public input to see if demolition was what the residents wanted. ‘We can knock it down anytime we want,’ he said.” In keeping with his campaign promise to make government less decisive, but still. This election was supposed to be the best thing that ever happened to A2 bloggers; they’d better not let us down now!
Why don’t we renovate the old Y building and open it up for all the Ann Arbor Artists who were displaced (forced out of town) by the destruction of the Tech center to build the new clean, safe (+no homeless people/bus station) YMCA. Oh yeah, Ann Arbor only cares about DDA, Main Street association, city counsel approved artists or U Of M funded art. Money rules, and people with out it or who dwell outside of the mainstream need not apply.
posted by Ann Arbor = honkey town USA on December 12th, 2007 at 12:06 pmi do not find this building to be an eyesore as council and the mayor keep saying, but perhaps I am in the minority of AA residents.
posted by christina on December 12th, 2007 at 12:36 pmAh, you’re just jealous you’re not on City Council yourself…
posted by David Boyle on December 12th, 2007 at 9:06 pmThere seems to be a lack of common sense operating here. Let’s see, an unoccupied building in poor condition, with no current productive use, sitting in the middle of Ann Arbor’s tiny downtown — what could go wrong?
the faster it’s bulldozed, it’s better. Put a park there until someone has a better idea.
posted by Fred Zimmerman on December 13th, 2007 at 9:26 amAAIO begins the negative drumbeat for the demise of Anglin and Briere. Give me a fucking break! Unlike all the doomsayers before the election it appears that they actually are thoughtful and attempting to work from within the structure and not destroy it! Maybe some of us recognized Mike and Sabra as thoughtful people not tied to the power structure?
The sooner the Y comes down, the less money City council will spend attempting to do something “useful” with it. Now, what is Jayne Miller going to do with the displaced Y residents? Another couple of $mil or 3?
posted by mucho gusto on December 13th, 2007 at 10:24 amHey Fred, here is an idea. Tear down the old Y and build low income housing for actual residents instead of more over priced condos for the rich scumbags and student population. Or better yet, tear down the old Y and build affordable studio space forall the artists and musicians forced out of town because of the destruction of the Tech Center.
posted by Ann Arbor = honkey town USA on December 13th, 2007 at 12:06 pmNaaa. What was I thinking, What we really need are more coffee shops and condos and sports bars. Why do I still live here… ?
Hey “honkey town”,
fine with me if you can find the money for your projects! as far as I’m concerned, anything is better than leaving the building up to rot. abandoned buildings are a disaster for any city. this one is big and in a crucial location.
Fred
posted by Fred Zimmerman on December 13th, 2007 at 5:17 pmWhat A2 needs is more bars and restaurants! not enough places to drink in this town. Better yet refurbish and turn it into city hall.
posted by sandy on December 13th, 2007 at 10:15 pmI worked for Tidy Tom’s janitor service at the old Y back in 1973. The women’s locker room was always worse than the mens. If we got done early (most nights) we used the sauna. The night watchman’s name was Walt and he would get drunk and sleep.
posted by mucho gusto (I'm back) on December 14th, 2007 at 8:03 pmSorry, people, you’ll get a surface parking lot:
Resolution Requesting that the Downtown Development Authority
Demolish the City-Owned Building and Establish a Temporary Surface
Parking Lot at 350 S. Fifth Avenue
Sponsors: Greden, Lowenstein and Hieftje
A motion was made by Councilmember Greden, seconded by Councilmember Lowenstein, that the Resolution be Approved. On a voice vote, the Mayor declared the motion carried, with one no-vote by Councilmember Anglin. Enactment No: R-07-566
http://www2.a2gov.org/legistar/meetings/2007/11/898_M_City_Council_07-11-19_Meeting_Minutes.pdf
posted by Rage on December 17th, 2007 at 9:42 amWow, a temporary parking lot! Brilliant.
How much more would it cost to put in some sod and a few benches to make a temporary park?
posted by Fred Zimmerman on December 17th, 2007 at 3:01 pmHow about a temporary dirt parking lot? Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?
(I can’t see Briere’s name without thinking of the Marvel superhero Sabra. It’s like having Silver Sable elected to city council!)
posted by js on December 17th, 2007 at 6:57 pmif you add a few rubber bumpers to the dirt parking lot, you’ve got a mountain bike/motocross park …
posted by Fred Zimmerman on December 18th, 2007 at 2:37 pmMotocross park sounds much cooler than a golf course. I’ll ride my 29′er single speed there every day. Gnarly!
posted by mucho gusto on December 18th, 2007 at 10:43 pm1 vote Miniature Golf Course. with windmills and a giant screaming clown head.
posted by Nitro on December 19th, 2007 at 11:04 am