Building

.............TThe Daiy September5-
TheMichiganDaily - 5,1985- Page 3
JUg|2UA9e B2. 3l Holi-n cruERnch


I
7

boom
Ann A

3 eli ItQnwfkwp n""'.Tj forces
"4 ':::::T'" ' ' 7 '' t 1..+ r >fl* i::ry2f4t s4r: :::>=

sra t.b/ e W/
scramble'

r

LJI JJJJ

3skylin
By KERY MURAKAMI
A year ago, building developers
said a "window of opportunity" had
opened for the city. Now, developers
are saying the building boom is
progressing right on schedule.
e Across the street from the Nec-
tarine Ballroom, Tally Hall - a
seven-story parking structure which
will house several- restaurants and
~shops in its basement and first floor -
is nearly finished.
" At301. Liberty - a six-story office
;complex is being built at the site of the
,old Sun Bakery and should be com-
pleted by April 1986.
" Sloan Plaza, a 9-story
:predominantly residential building
that will also hold office and parking
space, is progressing "right on
schedule," said developer Donald
Chisholm.
* And in June, the Ann Arbor City
Council approved plans for a new
,convention center for 500 people on
the corner of Huron and South Fifth.
This boom, said John Swisher,
;chairman of the Downtown Develop-
ment Authority, can be attributed to a
combination of higher demand for
downtown housing and lower mor-
tgage rates.
The demand for housing is not en-
tirely new because "there are lots of
people who work on campus," but
*.4'nobody had the guts to build large
residential developments before,"
Chisholm said.
The newly-found interest by
developers, said Chisholm, came af:
ter the developers found that alumni
from around the country would like to
;live in a place in Ann Arbor for part of
the year.
CHISHOLM'S Sloan Plaza will
'house six floors of condominiums to
meet that demand.
A second reason for the building
'boom is what Charles Marcherian,
assistant planning director of the City
Planning Commission, calls the
,availability of "cheap money."
Marcherian explained that with the
improvement of the economy and the
lower interest rates, builders can now
borrow money at low rates for their
projects.
According to Swisher, this has
opened up several proposals for con-
struction, such as Tally Hall, which

AoBy HR
ifter a year
Pered in the dory

dwellings

[STY RIEDEL
or two of being pam-
m, many students opt

were put on hold until "building
became economically feasible." This
is the primary reason for the surge,
said Councilmember Doris Preston
(D-Fifth Ward).
JOHN COREY, who is developing
301 Liberty, said his project was put on
hold "until the economy picked up.
And suddenly the economy started
picking up." Corey said that 301
Liberty was originally slated to be
constructed during 1980-81.
Preston said that there is a concern
among some members of the city
council about how to preserve Ann
Arbor's "small town atmosphere.
"Ann Arbor has to grow," Preston
said, "but it has to grow in a respec-
table manner."
A prime reason for her concern, she
said, is a lack of overall vision for
growth. "When we're experiencing a
surge like we are now, we tend to be
tied up just with what's going on. And
when we are experiencing a drought,
like we have the last few years, we
think what's the use? We're not going
to have any growth ever again."
"What we have to do is bite the
bullet and come up with some long
range goals so that we don't harm the
quality of life," she said.
COUNCILMEMBER Lowell Peter-
son (D-First Ward) said that he also
supports development, but not at the
expense of "disrupting the quality of
life or of displacing people."
"We have to be concerned with the
impact of the building on the com-
munity," Peterson said.
For this reason, Peterson said he
opposed the council's decision to sup-
port the conversion of the seven-house
Braun Court for retail use.
The 74-year-old housing develop-
ment provided some of the few low-
and middle-income housing available
in the city, and is being turned into an
arcade of shops and office space.
Preston said that in any long-range
planning the council would do, she
hopes that more residential buildings
would be built in addition to
businesses.
"We have to provide housing for the
people who want to work here,"
Preston said. "What usually happens
is that if people live away from where
they work, theyusually shop where
they live. We want them to shop
here."

SI G ...........QY...
>:.:: .>:>;:::::..::.....:: ........... ..... .......:.......ms s ............
S~rv~ M~~rn ~keproprtyIStigte
i: i ::''O i:"3 .Miiiis':.:i':>>i: p a ' :ii: r2 t '' iSii' : n %>ii: W Ovii : i:::;;;i>?:.::°$% e i2ii:m :%? i'i: 'i "' ;: ?:::"irvk : 'i~
::S: STU:: DEN"'T.}C}.:is: . '::.:::'}:::}:}E..GA i,.":":.'L":,.$ ,::;L"".:;RV"";:I+'CES::{ ' :}?i:::i
....::": M ?^H,,.4 ..:. U n:::ii:: ? ".7 ". :. 9 :* i":}
...... { i..,. ~.:"':>:r$n ,$;: vi: ':ii: , t::. ;'};a :. ::.!.:;v.;::' :'..+,; ::-:: :::ii. ji;.

for off-campus housing in turn-of-the-
century houses, modern apartments,
or large apartment complexes with
access to swimming pools and tennis
courts.
But the fluctuating Ann Arbor
housing market is now experiencing a
housing crunch. The city's 1 percent
vacancy rate represents a drastic
decrease from the 13 percent rate of
three years ago.
"PEOPLE would say that there is a
shortage of affordable housing," said
Brenda Herman, director of
mediation services in the housing in-
formation office.
"The market has tightened up

significantly over the past two
years," Herman said, citing the im-
proving economy and increased
enrollment as contributing factors.
Average rental rates in Ann Arbor
are comparable to those in other large
college towns, Herman said. Ann Ar-
bor rent seems low to students from
large metropolitan areas like Boston
and New York and high to those
coming from small midwestern
towns, she said.
BUT JEFF Ditz of the Ann Arbor
Tenant's Union, said the housing shor-
tage in Ann Arbor keeps the rents
among the highest in the nation.
"The needs of students for housing
close to the University keep the rents
See AFFORDABLE, Page 8


M Go Blue
Former presidential candidate Walter Mondale speaks on campus on
October.

Daily Photo by DAN HABIB
the last leg of his, campaign trail in

CRIME PREVENTION TIPS
It is a myth that only young, attractive women are victims of rape.
Anyone can become a victim of sexual assault. Victims in Washtenaw
County have ranged in age from infancy to 90 years old.
Assailants often approach their victims in ways that seem harmless or
friendly at first, disarming their victims until it is too late for the victim
to avoid the assault.
The first step in protection is realizing that you can be a victim of
sexual assault.
On Foot:
" Do not walk alone;
" Walk near the curb or down the middle of a street if in dark areas;
" Wear comfortable clothing and shoes;
" Be wary of strangers asking for directions at night:
" Walk briskly and confidently;
" Do not follow a routine path;
At home:
" Install deadbolt locks, chains, and peep holes;
" Lock all windows, and use wood or metal rods to block sliding windows
and doors;
" Get proper identification, making a phone call if necessary before
allowing anyone into your home;
" Never hide your key outside of your house;
" Put extra names on your mailbox if you live alone;
" Report all suspicious activities in your neighborhood;
In your car:
" Check your car before you get in - make sure no one is hiding in the
back seat;
" Always lock your car doors - even when you are driving;
" If you're followed, drive to a busy, well-lit area,
Dial 123 or 763-1131 for the University Public Safety.
Information was provided by Leo Heatley of campus security.

Ann Arbor crime on the rise

By LAURA BISCHOFF
New students often believe that Ann Arbor is a quiet
college town free of crime, so many are lackadaisical
about crime prevention and end up as victims.
"If you're aware of the crime problem, the rest will
come - like thinking maybe I should lock my door or not
walk alone," said Jennifer Faigel, a Michigan Student
Assembly member.
"YOU HAVE to look out for yourself," Faigel said.
"People really do need to be more aware of what goes
on here," said campus security officer Gary Hill, a
veteran of the force for six years.
According to FBI statistics, crime is up in Ann Arbor
and Washtenaw County compared to the national
average, said Leo Heatley, director of campus security.
SEXUAL ASSAULT is one of the most serious crimes on
campus, but it often goes unreported, Heatley said.
The FBI estimate that for every rape reported there are
10 unreported ones, and between 20 and 30 rapes are
reported in Ann Arbor each year.
Statistics also show that 88 percent of women who are
raped know their assailants. This is called acquaintance
rape, or date rape.
Women who don't use self-defense have only a 20 per-
cent chance of escaping a rapist, but those who do use self-
defense have a 63 percent chance for escape, according to
a study.
The University recently approved $75,000 to open an
Assault Crisis and Prevention Center.
It is scheduled to open sometime in the fall, according to
Faigel, who helped create the center.
LARCENY IS another crime that students often fall
prey to. During the school year, officers take six to eight
larceny reports per day, Hill said.
Through the fall and winter terms last year, 143 larceny
cases were reported in the Graduate and Undergraduate

libraries alone, and 103 cases were reported in the Uentral
Campus Recreation Building (CCRB), and in the In-
tramural (IM) Building.
Backpacks left in libraries are prime targets - wallets
are taken from the packs and books are taken to be sold
back to a bookstore for cash.
BURGLARIES are another common crime, but if the
intruder cannot get into a room, apartment, or house
within 90 seconds, there is a good chance that he will move
on to a more easily accessible place, Heatley said. "If you
can take away the opportunity it will discourage the per-
petrator and he'll go some place else," he said.
A common method of entry is through unlocked doors
and windows, said police Sgt. Jan Suomala. People leave
windows open and screens are easily cut, he said.
Residents often forget to lock doors or leave them open
for a roommate or a friend. Spare keys are often hidden
outside and when residents return home they find that
their home has been burglarized.
AUTO THEFTS are also on the upswing in Ann Arbor.
Thieves from metropolitan Detroit come to Ann Arbor
looking for specific car models. They go shopping in the
parking structures on campus, knowing that most of the
cars are parked for the day, Heatley said.
Bicycles are a more popular mode of transportation
than cars for students, but are more easily stolen because
cable locks are easily cut.
An alternative to cable locks is the kryptonite U-
shaped lock, which thieves need a power saw to cut
through. Some companies even guarantee that the locks
are theft-proof.
"Most of the bikes stolen were locked with cables,"
Heatley said.
A city ordinance require-, that all bicycles be registered.
The registration proves ownership of the bike and helps
police locate the owner of recovered stolen bikes.

Parking'
means lots
of tiroubleT
to students
By MARLA GOLD
Scene in the family living-room
in mid-August:
"Aw Mom, everybody who is
anybody gets a car for college. I
need one."
"Wellnokay, dear. But don't forget
to always be sure to keep the gas tak
half full."
But that may be the least of Mom's
and Junior's problems...because
Junior is now entering "The No-
Parking Zone."
ANN ARBOR is well-known, and of-
ten not too fondly remembered, for its
profound lack of parking spaces. And
students are hit the worst by this shor-
tage.
The ideal parking for students in the
South and West Quad area is the 200
space old Coliseum lot on Hill Street.
Spaces are $115 for fall and winter
terms, but be warned - "the spaces
are usually gone the day they go on
sale," reports Bob Wagner, manager
of the Parking Operations Office. This
year spaces go on sale Sept. 3.
In addition, the "triangle lot" on
East Madison has spaces from
November until May. Before thatth
lot is used for basketball. A space in
the lot costs $57.50, and goes to 44
lucky lottery winners. Car owners
must register early at the Parking
Operations Office to get a spot in this
drawing.
One LSA senior who parked in the
Coliseum lot last year said the space
was convenient and she was always
assured a space, but it was "scary at
night because no one's around.
NEW THIS fall, the parking strue-
tures on Thompson and Hill Streets
will be open from 3 p.m. until 6 a.m.
for $1.
There is also a cavalcade of com-
muter and metered lots scattere#
through North and Central campuses.
The 600-car lot at Crisler Arena and
the 267-car lot on North Campus are
the only commuter lots right now, but
another 200-car lot is expected to open
on North Campus by the end of this
year, said John Neault, a designer for
the University's Engineering Ser-
vices.
The metered lots are 25 cents per
hour, but are not convenient for over-
night parking because the first coins
must be dropped in the meter by 6
a.m. There are a few lots on North
Campus and near the quads, but the
nearest to the hill dorms is behind the
Power Center.
THE PROBLEM, Wagner said, is
that "we just don't have space for
students."
His advice: Leave the cars at home.
"We cannot accommodate (th
students) because of lack of space.
The parking office is forced to
recommend to students not to bring
cars up to school with them," he said.
"There are 18,000 parking spaces
and there's faculty and staff (to
park)," Wagner said. "Wherever we
have extra space, we put in metered
parking for students."
But for many stuents, putting
money in the meters is cumbersome,
and it is easier to get the $3 ticket for
an expired meter. But what many
people don't realize is that an unpaid
ticket defaults in 14 days, and the cost

City politics lack student interest

From staff reports
Ann Arbor city politics often go
largely unnoticed by the over-
whelming majority of college studen-
ts and city residents. Weekly Monday
night meetings of the city council are
characterized by rows of empty spec-
tator seats and yawns from the few
special interest groups that bother to
attend. During pauses in council
debates, the only sound is often the
,.whir and buzz of public access cable

radical legislation it passed, including
the famous $5 fine for possession of
marijuana. The lively discussions of-
ten ran on to early Tuesday morning
and gave the council a reputation for
being a "circus."
In recent years, however, the coun-
cil has been less exciting. Last April's
triumph of a Democratic majority -
the first in 15 years - and the election
of a Democratic mayor have not
sparked a 1960s-style conflict.

a candidate for last April's election.
Lowell Peterson and fellow Democrat
Larry Hunter represent the ward and
work to promote more affordable
housing.
The Second Ward is a Republican
stronghold, and Dick Deem, a
Republican who reportedly was asked
to run for mayor, received nearly
twice as many votes as his challenger
in last April's election. James Blow is
the GOP's other Second Ward coun-

W