The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 4, 1986 - Page. 17
City examines
By MARY CHRIS JAKLEVIC
The city began looking at ways this summer to
prevent crimes in off-campus areas, heavily
populated by students.
A committee, formed by the City Council in
May, planned to begin meeting in mid-August and
is expected to recommend improvements in crime
prevention in January.
The committee was formed, said Councilman
Seth Hirshorn (D-Second Ward), in response to
students' complaints about thefts and rapes off-
campus.
Composed of University and city officials,
students, and a Detroit Edison power company of-
ficial, the committee will examine the effec-
tiveness of existing University crime prevention
measures such as the Night Owl bus service and
the newly-installed emergency phone system.
The panel will also examine current city police
patrol strategies and city street lighting.
Hirshorn said the committee may consider im-
provements in current practices as well as new ef-
forts such as an escort service.
Pron
By calling fo
representatives t
shorn hopes thet
together to invest
together to find so
He said the con
environment in w
positive and cons
we all share. The
University to wor
concern."
The University
President for Stu
to serve on the co
including the Mi
Greek system an
all have represent
D
Jen Faigel, forn
Women's Issues c
would help fund o
forts. She feels th
o -campus crime
motes co-operation the bill alone.
r both city and University "Just because (the city and the University)
o serve on the committee, Hir- have a study saying "These are the things that are
two groups will not only work wrong', that doesn't mean they have a commit-
tigate the issue, but also work ment to do anything about it," Faigel said.
lutions. Jack Weidenbach, director of University
amittee will provide "a positive business operations, said the University would
hich we can work together in a refuse to bear the cost of any possible committee
tructive way on a problem that recommendations, including improved lighting in
re is a need for the city and the off campus areas.
k together in common areas of The off-campus area is the city's respon-
sibility," Weidenbach said.
has appointed Associate Vice Hirshorn said he "makes no such assumption"
dent Services Thomas Easthope that the University will not help institute commit-
mmittee. Student organizations tee proposals.
chigan Student Assembly, the "I think that if we can demonstrate that there is.
d the Inter-Cooperative Council a need and we can document what the costs are,
atives on the committee. that it is sellable-to the University and to Detroit
oubts about cost Edison and to the city," he said.
ner Michigan Student Assembly Councilmember Larry Hunter (D-First Ward)
chair doubts that the University said, "We've got a lot of work to do in the whole
off-campus crime prevention ef- city with crime prevention. This is a good start
he city may be reluctant to foot and I think we can go further."
. .
City growth may worsen housing
crunch
Daily Photo by CHRIS TWIGG
DeeLynn Overmyer prepares a steak sandwich at the Steak Escape, a
new restaurant located in Tally Mall on Liberty St.
" New resl auranls
flavor campus
By MARY CHRIS JAKLEVIC
New office buildings- are spurting up around
Ann Arbor, as the city experiences its biggest
development boom since the early 1960s. Some
local officials fear the new businesses may attract
more young professionals to the city, who will
compete with students for off-campus housing and
further worsen the already tight housing market.
"As the downtown area becomes more attrac-
tive for professional people it is bound to result in
competition for students," City Planning Director
Martin Overhiser said.
"There are more jobs coming to down-
town ... Some of these employers are going to
want to live near where they work," Overhiser
said. .
He added that even workers at the many office
buildings under construction on the outskirts of
the city may move near campus because of the
cultural facilities and stores in the area.
Landlords prefer non-students
Jo Rumsey, Assistant Director of the Univer-
sity's Housing Information Office, said some lan-
dlords may prefer renting to non-students,
because they stay longer, wear less on the proper-
ty, and are less likely to oppose their landlords, as
many students fo through the Ann Arbor Tenants
Union.
"They can pay more for rent: and they are
considered a more responsible group in the lan-
dlords' eyes," Rumsey said.
Rumsey said an influx of new residents would
force students to double up in the rooms they can
rent, instead of taking singles, or move a mile or
two away from campus, where housing is more
plentiful. Also rents may rise because of the in-
creased demand.
University residence halls were filled to
capacity last year, and some double rooms were
converted to triples to accommodate the demand
for rooms.
Off-campus housing was also tight. A survey by
the University Housing Office showed a two per-
cent vacancy rate in off-campus rental housing.
"I still hope someone will add to the housing
market," Rumsey said. "The demand for
residence halls is intense and it has been for quie
some time."
No new 'U' housing
But a new University residence hall is not likely
to be built in the near future.
"Ann Arbor is becoming more attractive to
people who are 'non-University', which may take
away from the housing available to students. But I
don't think that at this point it's a crisis situation. It
would have to be a pretty extreme case for the
University to build a new dorm," said Regent
Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor).
Several years ago the Board of Regents refused
a request from the Housing Office to build a new
dorm with the help of a low-interest federal loan
program because board members anticipated a
drop in the student population at the tail end of the
baby boom. The drop did not come, but now the
chances of building are even less because the loan
program has been discontinued.
Housing director Robert Hughes said the
University may conduct a study of the student
housing situation if students have problems fin-
ding housing in the fall.
"We anticipate things are going to get tighter;"
Hughes said.
Building boom
The city development boom began around the
Briarwood area in the early 1980s with the con-
struction of office buildings. Residential
developmental proposals followed, and Overhiser.
said the Planning Department is now starting to
see proposals for commercial projects, such as
shopping centers.
Most of the growth has taken place in the out-
skirts of the city because the campus and down-
town regions are already developed. But there ares
a few projects underway near campus, such as the
Tally Hall shopping and parking center on Liberty
Street, which is near completion.
Evidence of the explosion is a doubling of the
number of building requests which the city
reviews.
But Julia Goode of the Ann Arbor Tenants Union
said she has not yet seen evidence of an influx in
non-student renters in the campus area.
"I think some developers are talking about a
boom that may not happen," Goode said.
Daily staff writer Philip Levy filed a report
for this story.
'We anticipate things are going to get
tighter.'
-Robert Hughes, director
of University housing
By MARY CHRIS JAKLEVIC
Hope you're hungry Ann Arbor.
That's what many restauranteers
are thinking this year, as a horde of
new eateries joins the campus area's
culinary bandwagon.
The numberof food establishments
near campus has been rising steadily
over the last few years, but this year's
boom seems to be the biggest ever.
For example, several food counters
have opened in Tally Hall on Liberty
Street. When completed later this
year, 'Tally Hall will contain a cluster
of more than 20 small restaurants and
a dozen retail stores.
Old Ann Arbor favorites such as
McDonalds and Mrs. Peabody's
cookies, which already have outlets
on the northern edge of Central Cam-
pus, will open stores in a building on
South University and Forest streets.
The same site will also house a Little
Caesar's Pizza stand.
Molly Resnick, leasing agent for
Tally Mall, said the new restaurants
will just be keeping up with demand.
"Like anywhere else, when there is
competition the weak are going to suf-
fer. But most of these new stores are
national chains. They don't come into
an area unless the demographics are
right," she said.
And the demographics are right,
according to Susan Stoney, assistant
director of the Ann Arbor Conference
and Visitors Bureau.
"Ann Arbor is a town that likes a lot
of diversity," she said.
Stoney said the increase in
restaurants, a city-wide phenomenon,
keeps pace with enormous booms in
development and tourism in and
around Ann Arbor.
Many established restauranteurs
say the increased competition does
not bother them. They are confident
their regular costomers will come
back, even after trying the new
places.
Carol Frank, manager of Cafe
Fiore on State Street, said she isn't
afraid of the new Tubby's around the
corner.
"The type of people who buy subs
don't come in here," she said.
Likewise, the Bagel Factory is con-
fident it will stay afloat, even with a
McDonald's and Little Caesar's
moving in across the street.
"Our product is completely dif-
ferent. (Bagel sandwiches) are not
your average food," said Assistant
Manager Beth Kampner.
Stoney said the increased com-
petition will bring better service, bet-
ter atmospheres, and higher quality
food. For instance, the Bagel Factory
is remodeling and expanding its
seating area to attract customers.
Stoney said, "Those who can im-
prove their service will, and those
who can't . .. Some people won't
make it. That's what happened to the
Pretzel Bell." The Pretzel Bell folded
several years ago when comparable
restaurants moved into the Main
Street area.
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