Ann Arbor's Opportunity for a Downtown Central Park on the Library Lot

Ann Arbor’s 2009 Downtown Plan
shows the near complete absence of
public parks in the city’s center.
2Monday, April 29, 2013

Many years ago, the lawn of the
County Courthouse served as
Ann Arbor’s town square.

The University of Michigan has its Diag,
but Ann Arbor lacks adequate, public
open-space for the people who live,
work and shop in the downtown.

In the middle of the city is a place that could become
Ann Arbor’s “central” park.
The Library Block is bounded by Fifth Avenue,
William, Division and Liberty Streets.

The Library Block is anchored by the Downtown
Library. It is home to the Center for Education of
Women, the Christian Science Reading Room, the
UM Credit Union and the Inter Cooperative Council.

The Library Block is also home to small businesses
including Jerusalem Garden, Earthen Jar, Seva, and
the former Herb David’s Guitar Studio.

On the northeast corner is Liberty Plaza -
the only public park in downtown Ann Arbor.
Liberty Plaza is a modest open space, connected
by a ramp and foot path across private property to
the Library Lot.

The Library Lot is a publicly owned site
at the center of the block - recently
transformed by a new, underground
parking structure and street.

How should the City use the surface space on top of the
new, 770 space Library Lot parking structure?
The Ann Arbor community recommended a city plaza
during the 2006 Calthorpe process.
“Pursue and design a Town Square or central civic area that incorporates an outdoor meeting
place, an art center, underground parking, an indoor facility, and mixed-use buildings.”

(Calthorpe Downtown Development Report, 2006)

This idea is not new. Fifteen years
earlier, a City study imagined a public
park on the Library Lot.*
* LUKENBACH STUDY 1991

A hotel/conference center was proposed for
the Library Lot, but this idea was rejected as
unfeasible in spring 2011.

Proposals for a park on the Library Lot were also
dismissed because, it was claimed,
a park couldn’t create economic beneﬁts for the City.

But other cities have created lively
urban parks that serve as engines for
economic development - bringing more
people downtown and boosting the
value and life of their neighborhoods
Campus Martius and RiverWalk in Detroit
Post Ofﬁce Square in Boston
Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids
Millennium Park in Chicago
Discovery Green in Houston

Ann Arbor isn’t the same as Detroit,
Boston, Grand Rapids, Chicago or
Houston… but we can learn from
the successful parks in these cities.
We can create our own downtown
centerpiece on an Ann Arbor scale!
What elements of these parks
should we incorporate in our vision?

Campus Martius hosts frequent
outdoor performances in Detroit

Ice skating is another popular feature at
Detroit’s Campus Martius

RiverWalk is a family-friendly walkway
connecting public spaces in Detroit

Post Ofﬁce Square is located above
underground parking in Boston

The Rosa Parks Circle is a lively,
versatile space in Grand Rapids

Millennium Park in Chicago has popular
water features and “must see” art

Discovery Green offers a variety of
year-round activities in Houston

All these parks generate
economic beneﬁts through
Placemaking.
“Placemaking is the creation of a dynamic,
attractive public space to revitalize and bring
new investment to a downtown
neighborhood.”

(Project for Public Places, Placemaking Pays Off)

Economic Beneﬁts from
Placemaking occur in several
ways:
Existing Buildings
New Construction
More Customers
Increased Tax Revenue

Existing Buildings near the Library Lot
could be “reborn” with new, expanded
uses - reoriented toward the new public
space, adding to the vitality and energy.

The Proximity Principle says land near a public
park goes up in value. Successful placemaking
rejuvenates neighboring buildings. This can occur
on the Library Block despite, or perhaps because
of, nearby historic structures.

New Construction would
occur to take advantage of
the green views.

More Customers would be
drawn to nearby businesses.

Quality of Place
“The more attached an area’s residents are, the
better the region’s growth... the three quality of
place characteristics that matter most are...”
(Michigan Future Inc. 7/7/11)
social offerings - places for people to meet and the feeling
that people in the community care about each other.
openness - a sense that the community is welcoming and
open to all.
aesthetics - physical beauty including parks and green
spaces.

Liberty Plaza is the City’s only signiﬁcant downtown
green space.* A pedestrian link from Liberty Plaza
to a Library Green would enhance both parks. It
would be Ann Arbor’s downtown Diag.
* According to the City’s own 2009 Downtown Plan, page 10

The Ann Arbor District Library draws thousands
of people downtown. Like libraries in other cities, the
Ann Arbor public library could extend itself in relation
to an adjacent park.

Ann Arbor doesn’t need to rely on big cities for good
ideas. We can ﬁnd attractive public features for a
Library Green in our own backyard. For example…
Outdoor Ice Skating at Ann Arbor’s Buhr Park...

Interactive, playful sculptures like the
Wave Field on U-M’s North Campus and the
Cube on Central Campus

Play structures would be welcomed by
families with young children.

Ann Arbor’s sculpture plaza is a
transitional open space that relates to
nearby businesses

Town Square gazebo concerts are
popular in Dexter and Manchester

In the Downtown Development Authority’s 2012
survey, respondents said that parks - or open
public space - is “an extremely important goal.”

Ann Arbor spent over $50 million to
put 770 parking spaces underground in
the new Library Lot structure.

Despite the investment in underground parking, the
City put about 40 surface parking spaces back on top
of the Library Lot temporarily. Ann Arbor can do better!

The Library Green Conservancy
commissioned conceptual drawings to
help people imagine the possibilities.
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In July 2012, the Library Green organized a daylong
celebration of the potential for a Library Lot park.

We don’t agree with the DDA’s vision for open
space. We shouldn’t wait to see what a private
developer will offer as a public plaza. Ann Arbor
should decide for itself about its downtown parks.
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The choice now is a
Park or a Parking Lot?
FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: A2CENTRALPARK.ORG

Ann Arbor's Opportunity for a Downtown Central Park on the Library Lot

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