A developer is temporarily shelving and adjusting plans to build a Sports Illustrated-themed hotel, condo building and conference center in downtown Ann Arbor after opposition from some residents to the location and others to the entire concept.
The hotel complex, as recently proposed, was to contain about 215 hotel rooms, 85 to 100 condos plus about 70,000 square feet of events and conference space, and be built on a city-owned parking lot at 309 S. Ashley St., known in Ann Arbor as the “Kline’s lot” for the old Kline’s Department Store.
The project also called for public support in the form of about $200 million in tax-exempt bond financing as well as a Brownfield future tax-capture.
But the project ran into significant criticism from residents at an informational meeting Monday night in a packed room in Ann Arbor’s city hall. A series of speakers argued the project wasn’t appropriate for the site and said they preferred to see the site remain a parking lot or be developed as affordable housing.