The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

h ._ _ Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - 3F

BUSINESS
New restaurants to
open in Union

Several businesses
to lease vacant
locations
By ALICIA ADAMCZYK
Daily StaffReporter
NOV. 13, 2012 - The days of
Frosty desserts and Mrs. Fields
cookie cakes in the Michigan
Union may be numbered.
The leases for several busi-
nesses in the Union - includ-
ing Amer's Mediterranean Deli,
Subway, Pizza Hut, Wendy's and
the multi-restaurant space that
includes Mrs. Fields, Freshens
smoothies and Auntie Anne's
pretzels - will expire in April,
creating space for three new
businesses in the food court to
debut next fall.
The only current vendor that
will remain in the Union is Panda
Express, which signed a lease
that expires in 2018.
University Unions is currently
accepting requests for proposals
from local and chain restaurants.
The space currently occupied
by Amer's on the first floor of
the Union will be transformed
into a Marketcaf6 operated by
University Unions that will fea-
ture MHealthy food and drink
options, a deli, coffee and spe-
cialty drinks along with other
on-the-go options.
Susan Pile, the director of the
Michigan Union and the Center
for Campus Involvement, said
about 40 interested businesses
attended a pre-proposal meet-
ing held last week to learn more
about the opportunity.
After the Dec. 13 proposal
deadline, a committee comprised
of students and Union employ-
ees will assess the proposals and
contact approved businesses in
late January to discuss contract
negotiations.
Pile said she and the student
advisory board have identified
four dining concepts - chicken
and burgers, a deli/sandwich
shop, an international vendor and
8 "pizza plus," which includes
pizza, pasta and breadsticks -
that are of particular interest to
students and will take priority in
the decision process.
"Our goal is really to provide
a nice complementary set of
options down in the (basement of
the Union)," Pile said. "We don't
want to have a vendor that's com-
peting directly with another ven-
dor. I think that would actually
limit options for students."
Pile also said the seating adja-
cent to the food vendors in the
area near Wendy's and Subway
will be renovated. According to
her, improvements will be made
to seating, lighting, architectural
elements and flooring.
"If you go down there now
it's pretty dark ... it feels a little
dated, alittle enclosed,"Pile said.
"We can actually get ... a vaulted
ceiling and some lighting that'll
be much improved. Maybe some
different types of seating ... some
counter-top or high-top seating,
or a nice long community table."
Laura Seagram, a market-
ing communications specialist
for University Unions, said the
expected cost of the renovations
is still unknown because design
and engineering plans are not
finalized. She addedthatthe Uni-

versity's Board of Regents is not
required to approve the choice of

vendors in the Union, but will be
kept informed through E. Roys-
ter Harper, the University's vice
president for student affairs.
The Union has made healthy
eating a priority in the search.
Seagram said nutrition stan-
dards will play a prominent role
in the decision making process.
"Another thing we are ask-
ing all of the applicants to bring
forth is their healthy options,
even an expansion of what they
may have now, because that's
really important on campus,"
Seagram said. "The whole point
is to have a balance of options."
Keith Soster, the food ser-
vice director for the University
Unions, said student feedback
has indicated that the Unions
should provide more seasonal
selections, which he hopes will
come to fruition in the Market-
cafe.
"It's more than a coffee shop
or a cafe per se, and we want it to
have that market atmosphere,"
Soster said. "... Envision a deli
case with a fresh array of salads
fixings and then you can have
your salad prepared right there
for you. Or you can have a grab-
and-go type option."
LSA senior Archana Bharad-
waj, the chair of the Michigan
Union Board of Representatives,
said incorporating more locally
grown and nutritional produce
into Union food options was a
priority for the student board.
"I think these changes will
be really reflective of what we,
as students, want to see in the
Union," Bharadwaj said.
LSA senior Caroline Canning,
thevice chair ofthe Board ofRep-
resentatives and the president of
LSA Student Government, said
she and other committee mem-
bers want to make the Union
more unique to the University,
and they are excited about the
upcoming changes.
"The finishes that we're look-
ing at are things that are more
modernized but also a more
timeless sort of feeling," Can-
ning said. "If we wanted to ren-
ovate more of that downstairs
area, we could continue using
the tiles and using the same wall
fixtures ... to make it look cohe-
sive."
It is unknown whether the
food vendors in the Michigan
League or the Pierpont Com-
mons will also change. Seagram
said the changes are a model for
the Division of Student Affairs
to potentially follow in the resi-
dence halls.
"We're all trying to meet the
needs of students as best as we
can as the chances present them-
selves," Seagram said.
Kinesiology junior Alexandra
Putich said she never buys food
from Union vendors because
they aren't particularly accom-
modating to her nutrition needs.
"I'm gluten free ... so I know
they don't serve those options
here," Putich said. "If they
accommodated those kinds of
things I'd be more likely to eat
here."
LSA senior Ryan Marina said
he eats at the Union about once
every two months, but he would
be interested and more likely
to eat there if ethnic food were
available.
"I mainly get the feel that it's
fast food down here," Marina
said. "Maybe something else

would spice it up."

MARLENE LACASSE/Daily

Construction workers.

Borders space to be filled

New tenants to
move in by mid-
2013 on E. Liberty
By K.C. WASSMAN
Daily News Editor
JAN. 23, 2013 - Upon com-
pletion of a major remodel, the
former, original Borders store
on East Liberty Street will once
again have tenants.
Brendan Cavender, a real-
estate broker at Colliers Inter-
national, said the space is being
renovated to fit retail shops and
restaurants on the ground floor
and offices on the second floor.
The construction, which
started in late November, is
expected to be completed
this summer and will include
between five and seven new
storefronts on the East Liberty
side of the building, Cavender
said.
"Right now what's happening
is the landlord is demo-ing out
the whole building," Cavender
said. "They have plans to do
major upgrades on the outside

and completely update and redo
the interior."
The space is being devel-
oped by Hughes Properties,
which took control of the build-
ing in June 2012. Ron Hughes,
the company's executive, said
they have had many businesses
express interest in the property,
and he hopes to have tenants
move in by the middle of 2013.
"We've had tremendous
response for leasing the build-
ing," Hughes said. "We have in
various stages, about 80 percent
of the building pre-leased."
Cavender said Colliers is in
"final negotiations" with mul-
tiple businesses, but couldn't
disclose the names of the poten-
tial tenants. He added that they
hope to have a mix of local and
national businesses in the space.
Rich Bellas, board president
of the State Street Area Associa-
tion, said he hopes the new busi-
nesses will help the other local
shops more than Borders helped
in its final years.
"Borders was great in its hey-
day, but of course over the last
few years - even before their

demise - they had steadily gone
downhill," Bellas said. "We're
just glad to have that space
filled."
Sean Havera, senior project
manager at Hughes Properties,
said the initial construction is
going well so far, and they hope
to start phase two of the demoli-
tion in the comingweeks.
"Everything is going smooth-
ly," he said.
Havera, who last worked on
the Landmark apartment build-
ing with Hughes Properties,
said they are keeping the origi-
nal fagade but added windows,
multiple entryways and updated
fixtures in order to change the
look of the building.
Susan Pollay, executive direc-
tor of the Ann Arbor Downtown
Development Authority, wrote
in an e-mail interview that she
thinks the breaking up of the
building into smaller business
spaces is a wise decision in the
present economic climate.
"The continuing evolution of
downtown appears to indicate
that the marketplace right now
can support smaller store-front

sizes than we had previously,"
Pollay wrote.
Bellas said the construction
workers downtown have been
supporting current businesses
already, and he hopes the trend
will continue once the new ten-
ants move in.
"Having workers here every
day is very important to the
neighborhood," Bellas said.
"Having people shop and eat
where they live and where they
work - to have that number of
people here on a daily basis, just
benefits everybody."
Pollay is glad such an impor-
tant downtown building will be
filled again.
"It is a terrific thing to see
the former Borders building
filled with tenants, as it has
*been an anchor location for the
neighborhood for more than 40
years," Pollay wrote. "Down-
town is at its heart a commer-
cial district, and it's great to see
new businesses moving into the
building."

30-GALLON PAPER BAGS may be used
for the basic yard waste collection storage. Each
bag may weigh up to 50 pounds. Paper bags are
available from local retailers and may be used for
k - the basic yardwaste collection trimmings such as
leaves, plants, and branches.
4 rry r y# } °rtPaper bags may not be used for grass clippings
=.. or uncooked fruit or vegetable scraps in order
s to avoid attracting wildlife, producing odors, or
'r l creating unsafe conditions from wet, overweig ht,
trbroken paper bags at the curb. Residents interested
in participating in the expanded compost program
Smust usea city-approved compost cart.
rY, pBUNDLED BRUSH and TREE LIMBS must be cut
into 4-foot lengths or shorter. Please tie with natural twine into
' -----bundles up to 18-inches in diameter, and up to 50 pounds per
PL-GAE DONNCOTDAMP bundle, Tree limbs must be under 6-inches in diameter.
00 NATURAL. AREASI


Optional COMPOST CARTS in 35-, 64-, and 96-gallon sizes are available for aone-time
purchase price of $50 each and are picked up from the city's Customer Service Center, 99.GREEN
(734.994.7336). The center is open weekdays from 8-5 at 301 E. Huron in downtown Ann Arbor.
Branches may not stick out of carts-the lids must be closed.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS Ann Arbor residents may include grass clippings, fruits and
vegetables, uncoated paper plates, cups and napkins to their normal compost materials,
placed inside compost carts.

PROHIBITED MATERIALS
for compost collection:
NO: plastic bags, trash,
meat, fish, bones, oils,
dairy products, recyclables,
stones, dirt, sod, animal
waste, logs over 6-inchesg
diameter, stumps, painted
or treated wood.

CITYRESIENTi 0' 3 S
Ann Arbor residents may deliver up to one cubic yard (or 6 yard waste bags) of acceptable yard
waste materials per visit year-round at no charge during hours of operation to Recycle Ann Arbor's
Drop-Off Station, 2950 E. Ellsworth Road, 734.971.7400, www.recycleannarbor.org.
The DOS is open 3 days/week on Tuesdays andThursdays from 8:30 a.m. to6:30 p.m. and on
Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (non-holidays). Ann Arbor residents must show proof of residency
(a current water bill) to have the $3 DOS entry fee and allowable yardwaste drop-off charges
waived.
The optional fall leaf drop-off program for Ann Arbor residents and their designated haulers will
resume in the fall. Details will be provided later this summer at www.a2gov.org/leaves.