In the latest in a line of property acquisitions, the University of Michigan finalized the purchase of two buildings in Ann Arbor in February. Located at 403 Church Street and 617 E. Huron Street, the sites include a local house and Harris Hall, a former auditorium listed on the 1982 National Register of Historic Places.
On Feb. 20, the University’s Board of Regents approved the Authorizations to Purchase Real Estate for both buildings, citing hopes that the properties will support the University’s need for additional space. Acquiring properties in Ann Arbor, especially those of historical significance, is not a new trend for the University. The initial 40-acre piece of land granted for the University has increased to 3,200 acres today. As a result of this growth, the sites of many historical buildings across Ann Arbor have been incorporated into the University’s campus.
These incorporations have occurred through demolition or repurposing of existing structures. In addition to Harris Hall, other buildings include the Planada Apartments, which were destroyed in 2003 to create a parking structure, and the old Ann Arbor High School, which is now the site of North Quad Residence Hall.
In an email to The Michigan Daily, LSA freshman Brynne Smith wrote that these historic properties help shape Ann Arbor’s identity. Smith, who’s mother works in historical preservation, wrote she has witnessed the University’s treatment of historic buildings over the years, such as the Frieze Building.
“I think this is shameful,” Smith wrote. “UM’s ability to buy up and transform properties in Ann Arbor fundamentally impacts the town. Historically significant buildings like the Frieze Building are torn down to build more classrooms. The University demolishes homes and buildings alike, with little regard to the impact it has on the community it exists in.”
Patrick McCauley, local historian and U-M alum, told The Daily many buildings listed in his co-written book “Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide” are now gone. Having lived in Ann Arbor for more than 20 years, McCauley said he has watched the city’s landscape transform from both a preservationist and economic perspective.
“(The University) has demolished several buildings in the Old Fourth Ward Historic District over the past decade,” McCauley said. “The part that we in the preservation community, and I think the city as a whole should be concerned about, is that the (University) does not have to follow the local ordinances. And so even though Ann Arbor has said we think that Harris Hall is an important architectural landmark that’s worth preserving, (the University) can really do whatever it wants with it.”
The University was granted constitutional autonomy in 1850, which recognized it as a governing body that does not have to follow local ordinances such as historic district design guidelines and city codes relating to preservation. According to the Michigan Association of State Universities, this allows the University to make quicker, more efficient decisions for itself.
Ann Arbor has 15 historic districts, which are maintained by the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission. In an interview with The Daily, associate planner Mariana Melin Corcoran said any work proposed in these districts is regulated by the commission, but due to its constitutional autonomy, the University has no obligation to follow local guidelines and can purchase and transform any property without the commission’s oversight.
“We have heard some concerns from residents, especially people who live in the Old Fourth Ward,” Melin-Corcoran said. “The University can just buy land and the Historic Commission can’t regulate what they do with it.”
Despite these complaints, the University provides significant economic support for the city. According to McCauley, the relationship between the University and Ann Arbor citizens is a double-edged sword.
“I think the city obviously would like to be consulted more as (the University) buys up more and more property, takes it off the tax rolls, etc.,” McCauley said. “But … I think we’re all so connected with (the University) that it’s hard to complain too much, because we sink and swim with (the University).”
Smith expressed concerns that with record high enrollment at the University for 2023 and 2024, the city of Ann Arbor faces the need to adapt to the college’s ever-increasing need for space.
“The University is making Ann Arbor grow, but often at the expense of the community it is situated in,” Smith wrote. “As the University continues to expand, the line between the university and the city of Ann Arbor shifts. If the University continues at its current rate of growth, where will that leave Ann Arbor?”
Daily News Contributor Quinn Mittlestat can be reached at qlouise@umich.edu.
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