dime go toward these projects,” 
he said.

Now, in 2016, two projects 

are competing for the space. A 
memo was sent to Interim City 
Administrator Tom Crawford 
on Dec. 3 containing two dis-
tinct proposals from competing 
real estate firms in Chicago for 
the establishment of multi-mil-
lion dollar high-rise develop-
ments in the city-owned library 
lot. 
These 
proposals 
have 

been under consideration for 
months, but until now no direc-
tion has been given as to which 
one will ultimately be chosen.

One proposal, from 

real estate firm Core 
Spaces 
contains 
two 

possible 
schemes. 

Scheme B, a $10 million 
proposal, 
suggests 
a 

building that is 352,496 
square 
feet. 
Scheme 

C proposes a building 
that is slightly smaller 
— 22,524 square feet, 
which costs $3 million 
less. Schemes B and C 
of this proposal have 
purchase prices of $10 
million and $7 million 
respectively.

Alternatively, 
a 
proposal 

from real estate firm CA/
Hughes, calls for a building 
that is 273,334 square feet and 
will come with a purchase price 
of $5.11 million. It proposes an 
updated design by removing 
the majority of the retail on 
the ground floor of the covered 
plaza. It also calls for remov-
ing a staircase but keeping the 
upper level terraces, with addi-
tional added rooftop terraces.

Though the council’s vote 

will ultimately decide which 
proposal is activated, Craw-
ford’s office has consolidated 
information 
from 
relevant 

departments within the city 
and is making a final recom-
mendation that the council sup-
port the Core project.

Discussion as to how to 

develop this lot has been ongo-
ing since the establishment of 
the Library Lane underground 
parking garage, the construc-
tion of which took place from 
2009 to 2012. One thing, how-

ever, is certain: The land will 
likely be a retail development, 
not a park.

According to councilmember 

Zachary Ackerman (D–Ward 1), 
various city departments have 
debated the merits of using 
the land as an urban park, but 
Crawford’s office is encour-
aging City Council to vote in 
support of the construction of 
a high-rise building instead. 
Ackerman 
noted 
that 
Ann 

Arbor already contains over 
2,200 acres of parkland, which 
is difficult and expensive to 
maintain.

He said officials in the Ann 

Arbor Parks Advisory Com-
mission do not recommend 
building a park in this location. 

The damage the land incurred 
during the construction of the 
underground parking garage 
connecting Division and 5th 
streets between William and 
Liberty streets is such that the 
ground is no longer capable 
of sustaining trees, which for 
Ackerman makes the idea of a 
park unrealistic.

“This space was not designed 

with a park in mind,” said Ack-
erman. “To the north are the 
backs of buildings, to the south 
is a pretty solidly walled side of 
the library and to the east and 
west are one-way streets, creat-
ing very little visibility for the 
park.”

Previous 
councilmembers 

have expressed similar sen-
timents, Rapundalo said the 
inclusion of open spaces that 
would serve as public domain 
were shot down in earlier dis-
cussions based on the ultimate 
cost to the city.

“While [the parks] are idyl-

lic, the fact of the matter is that 

they do cost money,” Rapunda-
lo said.

The money required for park 

maintenance would have to 
come from the city, a financial 
burden the council was unwill-
ing to adopt in the past.

The two proposals currently 

in play for the property include 
different 
recommendations 

as to how much land would 
be reserved as common space, 
but both meet the minimum 
requirement set forth by the 
resolution.

Councilmember Kirk West-

phal (D–Ward 2) said the idea 
of utilizing the land entirely as 
a public park would never have 
gotten off the ground.

“The amount of open space 

has been a tug of war 
over 
the 
past 
few 

years,” Westphal said. 
“A park covering the 
full site was never an 
option.”

Ackerman 
said 
he 

sees the proposed plans 
making use of the land 
in an innovative and 
productive way.

“There is the option 

to see retail, commerce, 
hotel and residential all 
interplay at once, acti-
vating the area in a very 
unique way,” Ackerman 

said.

Because the city of Ann 

Arbor currently owns the land 
in question, Ackerman said 
through the influence of other 
city departments, the council 
will be able to utilize the space 
in a way that suits the needs of 
this city.

“We own the land, so there 

is a lot of flexibility about what 
we can do,” Ackerman said.

To reap the most benefits 

from the project, the city is con-
sidering selling the air rights 
to the land above the Library 
Lane Parking Structure, with 
Core serving as the potential 
buyer.

“The vote tally on Tuesday 

might give an indication if there 
is enough support to eventually 
sell the land,” Westphal said.

Half of the sales price of the 

lot would go to a trust fund des-
ignated for affordable housing 
in Ann Arbor. Up to $5 million 
could be placed in this fund, 

2 — Friday, January 15, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

THREE THINGS YOU 
SHOULD KNOW TODAY

For the first time in 
almost 40 years, a 
winter 
hurricane 
is 

present in the Atlanic, 

going by the name Hurrican 
Alex. The storm is expected 
to hit the Azores Islands 
in Portugual, according to 
CNN.

2

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES

Career expo 
preparation

WHAT: Drop-in advising 
and mini clinics will be 
available throughout the 
day to offer advice on 
resumes, cover letters 
and preparation for 
the Fall Career Expo. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

WHO: The Career Center
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Student 
Activities Building, room 
3200

Drug discovery

WHAT: CDNM’s lecture 
will focus on new medi-
cine strategies to attack 
chronic kidney disease. 
The focus will be on 
molecular target inden-
tification and the newly 
identified biomarkers.
WHO: Center for the Dis-
covery of New Medicines
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
WHERE: Palmer 
Commons, Forum Hall

British 
actor 
Alan 

Rickman died Thursday 
at the age of 69 due to 
cancer, according to the 

Independent Talent Group. 
Some of Rickman’s biggest 
roles include Professor Snape 
in the “Harry Potter” films 
and his role in “Die Hard.”

1

A capella 
auditions

WHAT: WaterColors 
Acapella student 
organization will be 
hosting auditions for the 
winter semester.
WHO: Maize Pages
WHEN: 6 p.m to 10 p.m.
WHERE: Mason Hall, 
room 3427

ISIS 
claimed 

responsiblity 
for 
the 

Thursday 
attack 
in 

Jakarta, Indonesia. The 

attack took place in the middle 
of a central commerical hub, 
killing two and wounding 19. 
This attack follows previous 
terrorist attacks in Paris 
and the suicide bombing in 
Istanbul, NBC reported.

3

Chinese folk 
dance

WHAT: This talk will 
explore the styles of 
contemporary Chinese folk 
dance currently practiced 
in China. Included will be 
explanations, preformance 
demonstrations and video.
WHO: Confucius Institute
WHEN: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Michigan Union, 
Pendleton Room

Astronomy 
open house

WHAT: The Student 
Astronomical Society will 
offer free planetarium 
shows, observatory tours 
and viewings through the 
telescopes located on the 
roof of Angell Hall.
WHO: Department of 
Astronomy
WHEN: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
WHERE: Angell Hall, room 
5190

Preparing 
historians for 
the future

WHAT: The Symposium 
will discuss whether 
historians today are 
prepared for future careers 
outside of jobs at research 
universities.
WHO: Eisenberg Institute 
for Historical Studies
WHEN: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Tisch Hall, room 
1014

Feel Good 
Fridays

WHAT: Feel Good 
Fridays provide a space 
for University students to 
relax and interact. Food and 
activities will be provided.
WHO: Trotter 
Multicultural Center
WHEN: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 
WHERE: Trotter 
Multicultural Center

Writing with 
Power

WHAT: LPD will host a writ-
ing seminar to improve busi-
ness writing skils and learn to 
create reader-friendly layouts.
WHO: Learning and Pro-
fessional Development
WHEN: 8:30 a.m. 
to 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Administrative 
Services Building

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to 
be honored in series of events

Panelists, musicians 

and lecturers to 

celebrate his legacy at 

symposium

By RIYAH BASHA

Daily Staff Reporter

Though classes will be can-

celed this Martin Luther King 
Jr. Day, campus will be far from 
inactive. The U-M Reverend Dr. 
Martin Luther King Jr. Sym-
posium, which began Wednes-
day night with activist Alicia 
Garza’s lecture on #BlackLives-
Matter, will be in full swing 
this weekend as panelists, musi-
cians and lecturers take part in 
over 40 events that both com-
memorate Martin Luther King 
Jr.’s legacy and tackle issues 
centered around the theme 
#WhoWillBeNext.

“#WhoWillBeNext 
repre-

sents two questions that arise 

when injustice continues,” the 
Office of Academic Multicul-
tural Initiatives’ theme state-
ment reads. “Who will be next 
to suffer, and likewise, who 
will be next 
to lead and 
carry 
the 

waters of jus-
tice as King 
and 
others 

did 
dur-

ing the civil 
rights era?”

The ques-

tion of look-
ing forward 
is especially 
relevant 
when applied 
to the near-
ing presiden-
tial election, organizers said as 
the symposium’s planning pro-
cess began last February, OAMI 
Associate 
Director 
Lumas 

Helaire said election season and 
national 
conversations 
were 

important factors in deciding 
on a theme.

“As soon as we heard it, we 

knew it would probably be a 
great theme with everything 

going on social-
ly and nation-
ally with issues 
around 
police 

brutality,” 
Helaire said.

Multiple 

panels and dis-
cussions 
are 

centered around 
the 
upcoming 

election,which 
has seen can-
didates 
take 

controver-
sial stances on 
issues of diver-

sity, race and immigration. The 
Department of Afroamerican 
and African Studies is hosting 
a panel in conjunction with the 
National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored Peo-
ple on the impact of race and 
ethnicity on voters, featuring 
speakers like Ann Arbor Mayor 
Christopher 
Taylor, 
several 

professors and Rackham stu-
dents including activist Austin 
McCoy and some undergradu-
ate students.

DAAS 
Program 
Assistant 

Elizabeth James noted that 
because 
the 
symposium 
is 

before Michigan’s presidential 
primaries, students and attend-
ees have the opportunity to 
build awareness before voting.

“With all the racial tension 

in the country, it’s still impor-
tant that we have some sense of 
solidarity as we all have to live 
under whoever gets elected,” 
James said. 

The symposium, in its 30th 

year, also aims to be a space for 
campus to reflect on Martin 
Luther King Jr.’s legacy and the 
state of social justice at large 
through various lectures. The 
keynote Memorial lecture, tak-
ing place Monday in Hill Audi-
torium, is the traditional focal 
point of the weekend and has 

TUESDAY:

Campus Voices

THURSDAY:
Twitter Talk

FRIDAY:

Photos of the Week

WEDNESDAY:

In Other Ivory Towers

MONDAY:

This Week in History

LEFT: Ford senior Hattie McKinney 

demonstrates her talent of apple pie 

making at the Miss Phi Beta Sigma 

Scholarship Pageant in the Union 

Ballroom on January 8, 2016. (LUNA 

ANNA ARCHEY/Daily)

RIGHT: 
University 
alum 
Jessie 

Lipkowitz, owner and director of aUM 

Yoga Studio, leads the Michigan Yoga 

Club’s first class of Winter 2016 on 

Monday.(KRISTINA PERKINS/Daily)

NEED MORE 
PHOTOS?

See more Photos of the 
Week on our website, 
michigandaily.com.

420 Maynard St.

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327

www.michigandaily.com

ROSE FILIPP
Business Manager

734-418-4115 ext. 1241

rfilipp@michigandaily.com

Newsroom

734-418-4115 opt. 3 

Corrections

corrections@michigandaily.com

Arts Section

arts@michigandaily.com

Sports Section

sports@michigandaily.com

Display Sales

dailydisplay@gmail.com

News Tips

news@michigandaily.com

Letters to the Editor

tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Editorial Page

opinion@michigandaily.com 

Photography Section

photo@michigandaily.com

Classified Sales

classified@michigandaily.com

SHOHAM GEVA

Editor in Chief

734-418-4115 ext. 1251

sageva@michigandaily.com

EDITORIAL STAFF
Laura Schinagle Managing Editor schlaura@michigandaily.com

Emma Kerr Managing News Editor emkerr@michigandaily.com

SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Allana Akhtar, Alyssa Brandon, Jacqeline Charniga, Katie 
Penrod, Emma Kinery

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Riyah Basha, Marlee Breakstone, Desiree Chew, Anna 
Haritos, Camy Metwally, Lydia Murray, Caitlin Reedy, Alexa St. John

Claire Bryan and 
Regan Detwiler Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com 

SENIOR OPINION EDITORS: Jeremy Kaplan, Ben Keller, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason 
Rowland, Stephanie Trierweiler

Max Bultman and
Jake Lourim Managing Sports Editors 
 sportseditors@michigandaily.com

SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Kelly Hall, Simon Kaufman, Jason 
Rubinstein, Zach Shaw, Brad Whipple
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Betelhem Ashame, Chris Crowder, Sylvanna Gross, 
Leland Mitchinson, Ted Janes, Kevin Santo, 

Kathleen Davis and 
 
 arts@michigandaily.com

Adam Theisen Managing Arts Editors 
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Caroline Filips, Melina Glusac, Jacob Rich, Ben Rosenstock 
ARTS BEAT EDITORS: Matthew Barnauskas, Christian 
Kennedy, Rebecca Lerner, Natalie Zak

Amanda Allen and 
 
 photo@michigandaily.com 

Grant Hardy Managing Photo Editors 

SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Zoey Holmstrom, Zach Moore, James Coller
ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Claire Abdo, Robery 
Dunne, Sam Mousigian, San Pham, David Song

Anjali Alangaden and 
 
 design@michigandaily.com 

Mariah Gardziola Managing Design Editors 

Karl Williams Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com 

DEPUTY STATEMENT EDITORS: Nabeel Chollampat and Tori Noble
STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Zoey Holmstrom
STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Shane Achenbach

Emily Campbell and 
 
 copydesk@michigandaily.com

Alexis Nowicki Managing Copy Editors 

SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Taylor Grandinetti and Jose Rosales
Nivedita Karki Managing Online Editor nivkarki@michigandaily.com

SENIOR WEB DEVELOPERS: Dylan Lawton and Bob Lesser

Levin Kim Managing Video Editor

SENIOR VIDEO EDITORS: Michael Kessler, Abe Lofy, Emma Winowiecki 
Michael Schramm Special Projects Manager
Emma Sutherland Social Media Editor
BUSINESS STAFF
Hussein Hakim Finance and Operations Manager 
Claire Ulak Production Manager
Jordan Yob Marketing Manager
Matt Pfenning UAccounts Manager
Asja Kepes Local Accounts Manager
Chris Wang Classifieds Manager
Colin Cheesman National Accounts Manager
Anna He Special Guides and Online Manager
Claire Butz Layout Manager

The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by 

students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may 

be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. 

Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates 

are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must 

be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.

News

See SYMPOSIUM PAGE 3

LIBRARY
From Page 1

“With all the 

racial tension in 
the country, it’s 
still important 
that we have 
some sense of 

solidarity.”
“There is a lot 
of flexibility 
about what we 

can do”

See LIBRARY PAGE 3

