The Ann Arbor City Council tonight will consider hiring a commercial broker for the sale and development of the Kline’s Lot space.
The city has been looking for ways to develop the parking lot at Ashley and William Streets in downtown Ann Arbor for decades. Previous plans have included multi-use projects, a parking garage and, most recently, a Sports Illustrated hotel and resort.
With the city’s poor track record of developing its own properties, some on Council want to give the private sector a shot.
First Ward councilmember Lisa Disch, who introduced the resolution, says there has been too much of a grab bag of proposals for what to do with the site.
“Everybody’s idea is a good idea, but my idea doesn’t fit with your idea, and we stall and it remains a parking lot. I can’t imagine that anyone thinks that that is the best use.”
The resolution states that in the private sector a common approach is for the owner to draft a vision for a property, who then hires a broker to identify a developer who can make it happen. It says the city is in a good position to run a similar process.
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