121 Catherine St (4th & Catherine Parking Lot)

Site Description and History

^{Image courtesy of Landon Bone Baker Architects (LBBA)}

121 Catherine is located on the northwest corner of 4th Avenue and Catherine Street.

The site is located adjacent to the Old Fourth Ward and Ann/Fourth Historic Districts. The site is currently a surface parking lot managed by the DDA as a paid public parking lot, containing 49 parking spaces serving neighborhood businesses. Additional public parking is provided on-street and in the Ann Ashley Structure two blocks to the west. There are 5,268 off-street and 607 on-street parking spaces within a 1/4 mile of the site.

Key adjacent uses include the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, Kerrytown Shops, Zingerman's, Community High School, and Washtenaw County municipal buildings. Immediately to the north is Braun Court. The county owns the surface parking lot to the south of the site.

For most of the twentieth century, the area was a predominately Black neighborhood centered around several Black-owned businesses at Ann St. and N. 4th Ave. The Kayser Block building, just south of the site, was home to the Colored Welfare League which housed Black-owned businesses and community organizations such as the early Dunbar Community Center. In 1959, the city council adopted an Urban Renewal Plan for the area, but it was vetoed by the Mayor. The area also narrowly escaped plans for a Packard-Beakes Bypass in 1972. The “old neighborhood” would ultimately be shaped by the civil rights and fair housing policies of the 1960s and 70s, the desegregation of the Ann Arbor Public Schools in the 1970s, and issues of parking. In 1980, the predominantly Black Second Baptist Church moved to a new location on the West Side to better accommodate its ever growing 700-member congregation. New investment in the late twentieth century sparked the growth of an eclectic commercial district and brought with it the double-edged sword of revitalization and gentrification.

The site is currently zoned as D2, Downtown Interface District which allows a building height of 6 stories and 400% Floor Area Ratio (FAR) with affordable housing premiums. From a financial perspective, the site is suitable and scores competitively for a 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) deal. The Ann Arbor Housing Commission is developing this site as 100% affordable housing.

Project History

November 18, 2019: R-19-514 City Council directed the AAHC to develop as 60-85 units of affordable housing for households up to 60% AMI, including due diligence, hiring of development team, securing site plan approval and applying for financing
April 19, 2021: AAHC added site to the Community Engagement process being reported, shares results of community engagement process with City Council
October 2022: A request for proposal for a co-developer was issued and Avalon Housing was selected
December 2023: The City Planning Commission gives site plan approval.
April 2024: Groundbreaking and start of geothermal installation.

Next Steps: AAHC finishes construction by 2026.

Groundbreaking Ceremony

Watch a video of the project's April 2024 groundbreaking ceremony, where community members gathered to celebrate the collaboration and efforts that went into bringing this project together.

^{Video by Breyko}

Design Proposal and Concepts

Co-Developer: Avalon Housing

Architect: Landon Bone Baker Architects (LBBA)

Green Consultant: Elevate

Civil Engineer: Macon Engineering

Art Consultant: ArtSpace

Development Consultant: DMC Real Estate Services

General Contractor: O'Neal Construction

121 Catherine Street Floor Plans - 05.2024

The development proposal is designed to be a harmonious and beautiful addition to the existing Ann Arbor community, while also being a forward-thinking model for design, community engagement, affordability, the arts, and sustainability. The proposal includes a 64,529 square foot L-shaped building that is designed to maintain the urban fabric along the sidewalks. The building steps back at the upper residential floors, breaking up the overall mass of the building. At this level the material changes as well - the lower floors are clad in red brick to engage with the surrounding architecture, while the upper floors are a more modern, but no less durable rainscreen system. The building includes 63 residential units include 62 one-bedroom and 1 two-bedroom apartments. This development includes significant green infrastructure. 18 units of public parking will be provided, including electric vehicle charging stations, a pedestrian pathway through our site to the Farmers Market and local businesses, and EV carshare for residents.

^{Image courtesy of Landon Bone Baker Architects (LBBA)}

The ground floor is divided into two (2) separate spaces. The first space directly supports the 5 residential floors and includes on-site property management and resident services as well as a flexible community space, including a kitchenette for residents. Tenants will be able to access computers, internet, phones and faxing services in the community center as well as create and participate in community events and activities.

The second ground-floor space has a separate entrance and will be a community and cultural space. It is anticipated that a non-profit will be created to activate and manage the space. InToto Studio, led by local Black architect James Singleton, is working with the CLC, AAHC, and Avalon on the design and programming of this community space. Below is a glimpse at the work in progress to bring the CLC's vision to life.

^{Images courtesy of InToto Studio}

Community Leadership Council (CLC)

The AAHC and Avalon formed a Community Advisory Board called the Community Leadership Council (CLC) whose members are multi-generational Black former and current residents of the neighborhood and local Black artists and entrepreneurs. The CLC-led community process determined that the public purpose of the first floor space is to: educate the public about the history of Black residents and the historically Black neighborhood; support Black artists and entrepreneurs; and provide a welcoming community space for all residents. The CLC continues to meet to create this space that will honor the unique history of this site.

The CLC named the building in honor of the Dunbar Community Center, which served as an important community space for the area's Black residents until the 1960’s at 420 N Fourth Ave. Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872—1906) was a renowned American poet whose most famous poem “Sympathy” ends with the line “I know why the caged bird sings”.

CLC Vision Statement "Coming Home"

CLC Members

Sharon Gillespie	Shirley Beckley
Teesha Montague	Diana McKnight-Morton
David Malcolm	Jenny Jones
Reverend Christina Dennis	Jamall Bufford
Angela Davis	Larry Young
Anyse Malcolm	Curtis Davis