3-News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 — 3
Recently, however, Wu and
several
of
her
neighbors
—
including the owners of Pita Pit
and Mia Za’s — were compelled
to sell their downtown lots to
the
Missouri-based
Collegiate
Development Group for a 13-story,
91-unit project targeted at student
tenants.
According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, the number of housing
units in structures with at least 20
units in Ann Arbor has increased
by 32 percent from 2010 to 2015,
nearly quadruple Ann Arbor’s
overall housing growth of 9
percent. Of the 4,132 housing units
added to the city in the past five
years, 73 percent of these units
have been in buildings housing 10
or more people.
Many of these housing units
are in the numerous high-rise
structures newly erected near
campus like Sterling Arbor Blu,
Landmark and Foundry Lofts.
One of the main incentives for
real estate developers to construct
more high-rise apartments — high
rent — also does not seem to be
abating. In the past five years,
median rents in the city have
increased 14 percent to $1,075 per
month, according to the Census
Bureau.
Collegiate
Development
Group, which is also in the
process of constructing a 229-
unit apartment off of South Main
Street, did not respond to requests
for comment.
The
insurgence
of
new
residential high-rises — often
displacing other businesses and
public spaces — has not been
without resistance from both
long-time Ann Arbor residents
and students.
A proposal to sell a vacant lot
adjacent to the downtown Ann
Arbor District Library to a high-
rise developer drew a year-long
petition drive by local residents,
many of whom wanted to have
a public park built in the space,
aiming to force the decision onto
the November ballot. In June,
5,779 signatures were submitted
to the City Clerk but were rejected
several
weeks
later
due
to
insufficient valid signatures.
At
September’s
Board
of
Regents meeting, David Schafer,
Central
Student
Government
president, told the board one of
his priorities for this semester
is coordination with the city
government to alleviate growing
off-campus housing costs.
As well, during this summer’s
primary election for City Council,
several candidates unsuccessfully
challenged
incumbents
with
platforms including skepticism
of
greater
urban
residential
development.
Local attorney Eric Lipson, who
ran against City Councilmember
Graydon Krapohl (D–Ward 4)
in the Democratic primary in
August, said poorly planned and
zoned high-rises come at the
expense of existing residents by
crowding out green space and
leading to excess traffic and
parking congestion.
“I think the majority of city
residents don’t want to see
excessive
development
that
impairs the quality of life in
town,” he said.
Lipson noted, however, that not
all high-rise developments have
met pushback from residents,
comparing the relatively positive
community
reception
to
the
Zaragon West building on 402
Thompson
St.
to
a
chillier
reception for the Foundry Lofts
tower on 413 E. Huron St. He
said he thinks Zaragon was
not opposed by most residents
because
it
blended
into
an
already dense area of downtown
with
adequate
infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Foundry Lofts drew
ire from citizens because of its
direct adjacency to a low-density
historical residential district.
“There are certain areas where
there are serious mistakes in the
zoning,” Lipson said. “Foundry
Lofts was a disaster for all of the
homes to the north of it … It’s
shading buildings, it’s causing
trees to die and it’s having a
serious
impact
beyond
the
expectations of when the zoning
was changed.”
Many of Lipson’s points were
echoed by local resident Ray
Detter, leader of the Downtown
Area Citizen’s Advisory Council,
which advises local government
on
downtown
planning
issues. Detter said downtown
development
would
ideally
allow
for
mixed
residential
and commercial use as well as
economic diversity in residents,
meaning he supports what he
calls “good” developments such
as the Liberty Loft condos off
Second and Williams Streets.
“We’ve
always
wanted
to
encourage as much diversity in
the downtown area as possible,
both in types of people and
income levels,” Detter said. “We
were rather surprised by the fact
that so much of the development
in the city has been moving in the
direction of students.”
Detter
charged
that
the
increase in student high-rises has
been straining the limited land
supply of downtown, as well as
driving away other residents who
cannot afford the rents charged
by luxury student apartments.
“If you’re a person such as an
artist, not making much money,
where would you move?” Detter
asked. “There are a lot of people
who can’t afford $1,200 a bed. In
the remaining space we’ve got
downtown, what should we have?
We’re always in support of more
housing. But what should the
housing be, who should it appeal
to and how should it be designed?”
City
Councilmember
Sabra
Briere (D–Ward 1) said concerns
over
increasing
residential
density is not unique to Ann
Arbor.
“There’s
been
a
lot
of
complaints about density in the
city. These complaints could be
transposed to nearly any other
city in the U.S.,” Briere said.
“Nobody seems to be really happy
about more housing being built
in the city, and to some extent we
all share that concern because
more housing means more people
means more wear and tear.”
Briere, who is the council’s
liaison
to
the
Planning
Commission,
noted
that
the
city government does not have
the power to directly limit new
development, outside of enforcing
pre-existing zoning and building
codes.
“Private
property
rights
are
very
strongly
supported
by local government because
they’re required by statewide
government,” Briere said. “It’s
difficult
because
sometimes
people think what that we are
going to stop a development,
but mostly our job is to allow
development
but
within
constraints.”
For
students
on
campus,
the advent of new housing has
brought
both
negatives
and
positives — especially when it
comes to projects that displace
businesses, like the South U.
developments.
LSA senior Julian Tabron said
he thought increased density
was necessary, but added that
he has been disappointed by the
trend of small businesses being
pushed further from campus
to make space for new housing,
particularly Lucky Kitchen.
“I’ve noticed a lot of restaurants
on South U and East University
shut down in recent years,”
Tabron said. “It’s just crazy.”
LSA senior Sydney Ohl said she
was disappointed by the closure of
Lucky Kitchen’s Central Campus
location due to its sentimental
value — she dined there on the
day she first moved to Ann Arbor
as a freshman — though she
understood the demand for more
housing.
“Of course we need places for
students to stay,” Ohl said. “But it’s
really unfortunate it has to come
in the way of small businesses,
especially ones students really
enjoy having around.”
HIGHRISE
From Page 1
supporters
on
campus
from
standing
by
their
candidate,
there is currently no operational
Students for Trump chapter on the
University of Michigan’s campus
after the leadership of an existing
chapter graduated last year and
were not replaced. The University’s
chapter of College Republicans
only recently endorsed the Trump-
Pence ticket, several months after
Trump
officially
became
the
nominee.
In comparison on campus, there
is currently an active chapter
of Students for Clinton and the
University’s chapter of College
Democrats endorsed the nominee
in July, right after she clinched the
nomination.
Engineering
senior
Kevin
Kuang is a supporter of Republican
presidential
nominee
Donald
Trump and was loosely affiliated
with Students for Trump last year,
saying he was on the email listserv
and attended a few group-affiliated
events,
though
he
stopped
receiving emails over the summer
after the leadership graduated.
“I think it was mostly like a
group of friends that set it up,”
Kuang said. “Most of them were
seniors last year and graduated. I
didn’t follow them too much, but I
went to a few of their events.”
Because of his general lack
of involvement in the group
while it was active, Kuang said
he was indifferent to the group’s
dismantlement. He noted that
he is not a member of College
Republicans, but considers himself
to be a conservative and still
supports the Republican nominee
because of his economic policies.
“Growing up in Detroit, lower-
middle class, I feel like a lot of his
policies help out the middle class,”
Kuang said. “I’ve read through
all of his visions and policies for
America and I feel like he’s for me.”
Engineering sophomore Jack
Kuchta was never a member of
Students for Trump, but considers
himself to be a supporter of the
candidate. Unlike Kuang, who
rarely feels impacted by the
generally
Democratic-leaning
campus climate, Kuchta said he
can feel hostility on campus when
telling people he is supporting
Trump in the presidential election.
“I was hesitant to join Students
for Trump, just because of the
bad vibe I had been getting from
liberals on campus,” Kuchta said.
“Last year I purchased a Trump
shirt as kind of a social experiment,
to walk around on campus and,
I guess, see what would happen.
The reactions were exactly what I
thought they would be, with a few
surprises.”
When confronted by people
with opposing political views on
campus, Kuang said he asks them
for reasons why they don’t approve
of Trump, finding that they
oftentimes can’t give him a straight
answer.
“They usually just say he’s a
racist or bigot and I ask them for
examples,” Kuang said. “They
usually tell me, ‘I don’t know too
much, it’s just what I hear.’ It’s
mostly media.”
For the most part, however,
Kuang said he doesn’t often notice
the political climate on campus or
among his peers.
“I feel like the majority of people
don’t really talk about politics
at all,” Kuang said. “Most of my
friends and the clubs I’m in know
I support Trump, but I don’t really
wear my ‘Make America Great
Again’ hat outside or anything.”
Kuchta pointed in particular
to his experience wearing his
shirt before a rally by Sen. Bernie
Sanders (I-VT) on campus in
March. Walking through campus,
he said he encountered a group
of students who harassed and
threatened him.
“They were just yelling stuff
like ‘What’s wrong with you?’ and
‘Why are you wearing that?’, just
being immature. Honestly, that’s
what I assumed would happen,”
Kuchta said.
He noted that he’s also had some
pleasant surprises, such as a polite
exchange with a Sanders campaign
volunteer
“She definitely saw my Trump
shirt, politely asked if I would
like a flier, I politely said ‘no,’ then
she smiled and went on her way,”
Kuchta said.
Among his peers and friends
with differing political opinions,
Kuchta said he’s also had a generally
more positive experience.
“I’ve
basically
picked
the
friends who are very liberal, but
who I know I can actually have a
good policy debate or actual good
conversation with, without there
being animosity,” he said.
Kuchta added that he feels
it’s disconcerting when he faces
personal
attacks
simply
for
expressing support of a candidate.
“Some see me as ‘Oh, you’re a
racist, you hate Black people, you
hate Muslims’ and I mean it’s really
demeaning,” Kuchta said.
Trump made some questionable
comments in the primaries, Kuchta
said, adding he is unable to stand
by everything the candidate says.
However, he said he would much
rather vote for Trump when faced
with the prospect of a Hillary
Clinton
presidency,
especially
when it comes to the nomination
to replace conservative justice
Antonin Scalia’s on the Supreme
Court.
“I was drawn to him when I saw
his Supreme Court justice list. A lot
of conservatives were very happy
with it,” Kuchta said. “Those picks
can last a generation, while Trump
or Hillary will only be there for
four to eight years; (Trump and
Clinton) don’t have as big of an
impact as the choices they pick for
Supreme Court justices.”
TRUMP
From Page 1
50 percent in comparison to what
they were last year,” she said.
Young people’s interest in
living in Detroit is also often cited
as a reason for market growth
and rising prices, particularly
in Detroit’s Historic District
and trendy neighborhoods. This
includes areas like Palmer Woods,
Lafayette Park and Grandmont
Rosedale, where property values
never dipped below $50,000, the
point at which lenders generally
stop issuing mortgages.
Houses in these areas can now
go for as much as a few hundred
thousand dollars. Ryan Cooley,
owner of O’Connor Real Estate,
said young people are the main
reason this area stayed fairly
stable and now has begun to
grow.
“We are starting to see people
want to move here just because of
the interest in Detroit right now,
where before it was always ‘I
grew up in the area’ or that kind
of thing,” Cooley said.
Though Detroit’s reputation
includes
negatives
—
there
remains a high unemployment
rate and lack of basic services
— some young people are still
attracted to the city for their first
homes, a logic that Mike Seger, a
music producer living in Detroit’s
east side, says comes down to
simple math.
“A young person can move
here with $10,000 and start up
a small flex space for artists or
artists’ studios,” he said. “It’s the
uprising of the youth being able
to have the opportunities to make
a future for themselves.”
Robert Fishman, interim dean
of the University of Michigan’s
Taubman College of Architecture
and Urban Planning, noted that
while these spikes in housing
prices represent a wave of
improvement for the city to come,
as of now they are contained to
these wealthier neighborhoods
like Midtown and Palmer Woods.
He added that Detroit cannot be
viewed as one singular market —
there is the housing market in this
small bubble of higher income
downtown, and then there is
everywhere else in Detroit.
“There are at least two housing
markets in Detroit, one of which
is the famous 7.2 square mile
Downtown and Midtown, which
is starting to show some life after
many years of being as stagnant
as the rest of the city,” he said.
“Many other parts of the city are
sadly still under the influence
of the foreclosure crisis and, if
anything, have not yet recovered
from it.”
Urban
Planning
Prof.
Margaret Dewar attributed the
dual market in Detroit to the
large number of residents who
have left poorer areas, leaving
behind few residents and many
abandoned homes.
“In
some
neighborhoods
prices are increasing, but in
other neighborhoods they are
not because population has
continued to decline,” Dewar
said. “I’m worried that those
will be neighborhoods that do
not realize price and demand
increases because there are just
not as many households.”
Interest in Detroit isn’t just
growing among young people —
many academic fields now use
Detroit’s trajectory as a sort of
case study upon which theories
and examples can be applied. In
2012, a lecture series called “The
Detroit School: Conversations
in Urban Studies” was started
in the Taubman College that
created a concentration within
the
college
specifically
on
Detroit.
This
establishment
makes
Detroit
the
third
American city, behind Chicago
and Los Angeles, to serve as
the concentration for a field of
study.
“Detroit is neither a dense,
industrial
Chicago
nor
a
sprawling,
fast-growing,
immigrant-rich Los Angeles,”
reads the program’s website.
“Yet Detroit is representative
of a host of cities that have
experienced
sustained
and
substantial deindustrialization,
depopulation,
and
disinvestment since World War
II”
Dewar, who serves as faculty
advisor to the program, said the
purpose of this program is to help
students not only understand
the city, but also to help improve
it through collaboration with
organizations
and
groups
invested in Detroit.
Fishman said he thinks the
recovery of Detroit has been a
long and strenuous process, but
now that it is underway, the city
will be back soon with more to
offer than ever before.
“It is my belief that the
recovery of Detroit has been
slower than the recovery of any
other major American city but
it’s definitely underway and I
think it will be one of the most
striking recoveries of any city in
recent years,” he said.
He said University students
can
benefit
from
seeing
Detroit both as an example for
understanding urban planning
and economics concepts, but
also as a hands-on learning
experience if students engage
with the city and get involved.
“There
certainly
are
a
great many opportunities for
University of Michigan students
that simply did not exist 10 or 20
years ago, such as being a part of
this growth and transformation,
and I think that’s a good thing,”
he said. “Healthy cities thrive
in part by people who have a
choice choosing to come there
and stay there.”
HOUSING
From Page 1