Stories indexed with the term ‘renovations’

The Ann Arbor District Library board has authorized a $93,598 contract with Schindler Elevator Corp. to repair the public elevator at the downtown library, located at 343 S. Fifth Ave. The unanimous vote came during the board’s July 21, 2014 meeting.

The elevator has been broken and out of commission since this spring. AADL director Josie Parker had reported the situation at the board’s May 19, 2014 meeting, estimating it would cost about $100,000 to repair. It’s the same problem that took the freight elevator out of commission a couple of years ago. Leaks had developed in the hydraulic piston, causing it to fail a weight test.

The resolution authorizing the contract designates $57,988 for elevator repair, plus $35,610 for “well drilling (after-drill) … [Full Story]

Another major dormitory renovation – this time for West Quad and the adjacent Cambridge House at the Michigan Union – was approved by University of Michigan regents at their Feb. 21, 2013 meeting. The project, estimated to cost $114.5 million, is part of the multi-year Residential Life Initiative, which has included “deep” renovations to Mosher-Jordan, Stockwell, Couzens and Alice Lloyd residence halls, as well as work that’s underway at East Quad and South Quad.

West Quad and Cambridge House, built in 1937 and located at 541 Thompson St., house about 1,100 students. The renovations will cover 370,000 square feet and include infrastructure upgrades as well as creation of new community spaces. In describing the project, Royster Harper – UM’s … [Full Story]

Moving ahead on a project initially authorized at their Sept. 20, 2012 meeting, University of Michigan regents approved a schematic design for a major $60 million renovation of South Quad, a nine-story dormitory located at 600 E. Madison. The unanimous vote was taken at the board’s Feb. 21, 2013 meeting.

The project entails renovating 106,700 square feet of the building’s first two floors, and includes expanded student dining facilities, updated bathrooms, refurbished student lounges, music practice rooms, group study spaces, and infrastructure upgrades. South Quad, built in 1951, houses about 1,180 students as well as the university’s honors program.

SmithGroupJJR is the project’s architect, and a representative from the firm was on hand to give a brief presentation. The major change … [Full Story]

Taking another step on a project originally approved at a Nov. 15, 2012 meeting, University of Michigan regents have signed off on the schematic design for a $2.6 million renovation of the UM College of Pharmacy building. The action took place at the regents Feb. 21, 2013 meeting, when the board also authorized staff to issue the project for bids and award construction contracts.

The project will add more offices and cubicles to the basement and first floor, and create a small lobby entrance. It will cover about 12,000-square-feet in the building, located at 428 Church St. in Ann Arbor. The design work is being handled by the architectural firm SHW Group. Jim Luckey of SHW made a brief presentation … [Full Story]

A $27.45 million project to move offices and “dry” research collections of the University of Michigan departments of anthropology, paleontology and zoology was approved by the UM board of regents on Feb. 21, 2013. The collections, labs and offices are now in three locations: at the Ruthven Museums building (1109 Geddes), Campus Safety Services building (1239 Kipke, near the Crisler Center) and the Clarence Cook Little Science building (1100 N. University Ave.).

The new location will be at the university’s Varsity Drive building (3600 Varsity Drive, off of Ellsworth Road), where about 71,000 square feet of space will be renovated to accommodate these departments and collections of bones and other objects. The project will be … [Full Story]

At the first of three work sessions scheduled on next year’s budget, the Ann Arbor city council was briefed on about $95 million worth of capital improvements to be undertaken over the next two years. That amount is roughly evenly split over fiscal years 2014 and 2015.

Generally, about 58% of funding for these projects comes from utility fees and dedicated millages, and 39% from state or federal funds, leaving about 3% to be covered by the city’s general fund. In dollar figures, the amount of improvements that will tap the city’s general fund – or for which funding is otherwise not yet identified – is greater for the second year of this two-year budget cycle. For FY 2015, about $3.4 million of the needed capital improvements will either need to come from the general fund or have some other yet-to-be-determined funding source.

For FY 2014, the amount needed from the general fund or as-yet-undetermined sources is closer to $1.3 million. The city of Ann Arbor’s total general fund budget is around $80 million.

The projects range across the broad categories of: (1) municipal facilities (buildings, parks); (2) transportation (streets, sidewalks, paths, parking decks, train station); and (3) utilities (sanitary, storm, and drinking water).

Cresson Slotten – a city engineer and manager for the city’s systems planning unit – gave the capital improvements briefing to the city council on Feb. 11. The presentation was based on the city’s capital improvements plan (CIP), which was approved by the city planning commission on Dec. 18, 2012.

Slotten also briefed the council on three significant study initiatives related to water systems – a city-wide stormwater study, a more focused study on the Malletts Creek watershed, and a sanitary sewer flow study. Those studies are part of the current year’s work.

In the course of Slotten’s presentation, councilmembers had questions about specific projects, including the footing-drain disconnection (FDD) program. Stephen Kunselman (Ward 3) noticed the FDD program has no funding indicated beyond the $2.5 million that’s called for next year, in FY 2014. Craig Hupy, the city’s public services area administrator, explained that the contract recently authorized by the council to study sanitary sewer flows would inform possible funding in future years.

Another project that drew scrutiny from councilmembers was a $540,000 for interim parking to support a possible commuter rail demonstration project. The city of Ann Arbor has told the Michigan Dept. of Transportation that it expects MDOT to pay for that parking. And Mike Anglin (Ward 5) asked for clarification of the $2.6 million slated for FY 2015 for the design of the “Ann Arbor Station.” City staff clarified that the location of a possible new Amtrak station is currently still the subject of a council-approved $2.75 million study, 20% of which the city is funding, with the remaining 80% covered by a federal grant.

A new station has been controversial in part due to an initially proposed location on Fuller Road near the University of Michigan hospital – on land designated as city parkland. In the CIP, the construction of such a new station is $44.5 million, slated for FY 2016. That cost was not included in the figures presented by Slotten, which went only through FY 2015.

The city council chambers appear in the CIP in connection with two capital projects. A renovation to the chambers – pegged at $300,000 in FY 2015 – seemed to meet with scant enthusiasm from councilmembers. Likely to have a bit more traction with the council is the remaining asbestos abatement in the city hall building. Asbestos abatement was partly completed when renovations were done in connection with construction of the adjoining Justice Center. For the city council chambers portion of city hall’s second floor, abatement would cost about $200,000, and is included in the CIP for FY 2014.

A query from Christopher Taylor (Ward 3) about Barton Dam projects drew out the fact that two projects listed for the concrete and steel portions of the dam  – a two-year total of about $1.65 million – could be joined by additional work that might be required on the adjoining earthen berm. The berm is part of the dam that holds the water in Barton Pond, the main source of the city’s drinking water. The possible berm project depends on the outcome of investigatory work that’s being done at the behest of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

A runway extension at the municipal airport – included in the CIP for FY 2014 at a cost of $2.14 million – was met with the observation from Sabra Briere (Ward 1) that an environmental assessment (EA) had not yet been acted on by the Federal Aviation Administration. The council had approved the last bit of funding for that study on Aug. 20, 2012. Without the finalized EA in place, Briere ventured, it would be difficult for her to vote for a capital budget that included the runway project.

The budget on which the council will vote this year will include a separate breakout of capital spending. The substantive conversation about the capital budget as it relates to the council’s established priorities is expected to begin to unfold at the council’s March 11 work session. Before then, a second work session is scheduled for Feb. 25, with an additional session slated for March 25, if necessary. Other topics discussed at the Feb. 11 work session included the 15th District Court and the Ann Arbor Housing Commission. Presentations on those topics are covered in separate Chronicle reports.

City administrator Steve Powers is required by the city charter to submit his proposed budget to the council by the second meeting in April, with any council amendments required by the second meeting in May. The city’s fiscal year begins July 1. [Full Story]

A $4.375 million renovation project for the University of Michigan Electron Microbeam Analysis Laboratory was authorized by regents at their Dec. 13, 2012 meeting. The renovation will take place in UM’s North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), the former Pfizer facility on Plymouth Road.

Specifically, the lab will be located in 8,900 square feet on the ground floor and first floor of Building 22. Currently the lab is housed in the Space Research Building and the Carl A. Gerstacker Building on UM’s north campus.

Renovation is expected to be finished in the winter of 2014 and will support about 10 construction jobs during the work, according to a staff memo. The project will be funded with resources from UM’s College of … [Full Story]

A $4.4 million renovation of Mason Hall – focused on upgrades to the Angell Hall Courtyard computing site and three computing classrooms – was approved by the University of Michigan regents at their Dec. 13, 2012 meeting.

Mason Hall, located at 419 S. State, is connected to Angell Hall. The renovation will cover 32,000 square feet and include expansion of the computing site, improved accessibility, and infrastructure upgrades. The project will be funded through investment proceeds and the provost’s office. The work is expected to be finished by the fall of 2013 and will provide about 14 construction jobs.

Regent Andrea Fischer Newman asked whether the changes would affect the “Fishbowl” – a reference to the glass-walled computing center. Tim Slottow, … [Full Story]

A major renovation to the entrance of Schembechler Hall at 1200 S. State moved forward, with University of Michigan regents authorizing staff to issue bids and award construction contracts on the $9 million project. That action occurred at the board’s Dec. 13, 2012 meeting. Regents had previously approved a schematic design at their July 2012 meeting, and had signed off on the overall project in January.

The building was constructed in 1990 for UM’s football program. It contains locker rooms, meeting rooms, medical treatment rooms, training areas, weight rooms, and administrative offices. The project will add about 7,000 square feet to the building, renovate an additional 7,000 square feet, and integrate the Margaret Dow Towsley Sports Museum area. The main entrance will … [Full Story]

The schematic design for a $9 million renovation to the entrance of Schembechler Hall, which will integrate the Margaret Dow Towsley Sports Museum area, was approved by the University of Michigan board of regents at its July 19, 2012 meeting. Regents had initially signed off on the overall project in January.

The building at 1200 S. State St. was constructed in 1990 for UM’s football program, and contains locker rooms, meeting rooms, medical treatment rooms, training areas, weight rooms, and administrative offices. The project will add about 7,000 square feet to the building, and renovate an additional 7,000 square feet. The main entrance will be moved to the north of the building, off of a parking lot, and will include a statue of Bo Schembechler, … [Full Story]

A $2 million”backfill” renovation project for the University of Michigan Cancer Center was approved by regents at their June 21, 2012 meeting.

According to a staff memo, the project includes renovating about 6,300-square-feet of space that was vacated when the pediatric hematology and oncology units – and both pediatric and adult bone marrow transplant teams – were relocated from the Cancer Center to the new C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital. The renovation involves converting pediatric infusion spaces to adult infusion services, and offices to exam rooms. The work also will “provide additional staff team spaces, upgrade and expand public waiting areas, and make other minor changes to improve patient access to educational and support services,” according to the … [Full Story]

At its June 19, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor park advisory commission recommended approval of a $115,309 contract with JB Contractors Inc. to construct barrier-free pathways at the Leslie Science and Nature Center. The recommendation includes a 10% contingency, for a total project cost of $126,840.

JB Contractors provided the lowest of two bids. Funding will be provided from the city’s park maintenance and capital improvements millage.

PAC had been briefed on this project – the first phase of a larger renovation – at a Feb. 28, 2012 park commission meeting. The center, located at 1831 Traver Road, was previously part of the city’s parks system, but since 2007 has operated as an independent nonprofit. However, the city still owns and … [Full Story]

Upgrades to the fire alarm systems at the University Hospital and Taubman Health Care Center were approved by University of Michigan regents at their May 17, 2012 meeting.

The upgrades, which are expected to cost $3 million, will connect the systems in both buildings to provide flexibility for future expansions, according to a staff memo. The two buildings, located on East Medical Center Drive on UM’s medical campus in Ann Arbor, were constructed in 1986 and cover a total of 2.3 million square feet for inpatient and outpatient medical services. The project is expected to be finished by the summer of 2013.

This brief was filed from the Fairlane Center at UM’s Dearborn campus, where regents are holding their May … [Full Story]

Major renovations and a 20-year lease for a Survival Flight hangar were authorized by University of Michigan regents at their May 17, 2012 board meeting.

UM leases space for its Survival Flight unit at the Livingston County Spencer J. Hardy Airport, in space that’s considered inadequate, according to a staff memo. The airport plans to make a range of improvements, including the construction of a new 66,500-square-foot, three-story building which will incorporate a helicopter hanger, office space, emergency vehicle garage space and common areas adjacent to Hardy Airport. Improvements to the hangar are estimated to cost $2.599 million. When the project is finished, UM will lease hanger space and office space for a total of 12,369 square feet. The lease … [Full Story]

A $163 million overhaul of the former C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital was approved by University of Michigan regents at their April 19, 2012 meeting. The new C. S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital opened late last year.

According to a staff memo, the renovation project covers roughly 163,000 square feet and will include a new eight-room adult operating room suite; a new imaging suite; 95 general patient care beds; and 25 intensive care beds to serve primarily neurosciences programs. About 104,000 square feet will be renovated for faculty and staff offices. Areas that have been vacated in University Hospital bed units and operating rooms will be renovated for growth and improved access in other adult inpatient programs and … [Full Story]

University of Michigan regents approved a $7 million renovation to vacated space in Hutchins Hall and the William W. Cook Legal Research Library, following the opening of South Hall in 2011. The project will encompass about 30,000 square feet and be designed by SmithGroup. It will be a phased project with construction coordinated to minimize disruption of the academic schedule. The project is expected to be complete by the summer of 2013.

Hutchins Hall, located at the northeast corner of South State and Monroe streets, is the main classroom and administrative building for the UM law school. The Cook Legal Research Library is part of the Law Quad.

This project adds to other recent changes in the law schools’ campus on South … [Full Story]

At its April 19, 2012 meeting, the University of Michigan board of regents authorized a $55 million renovation of the building that now houses the A. Alfred Taubman Health Sciences Library, located at 1135 E. Catherine St.

According to a staff memo, a large portion of the library’s less frequently used collections will be moved off-site. That will free up about two floors of the building to house a smaller library collection and increased health sciences instructional space, including a clinical skills and simulation suite, and spaces for computing, study, and faculty and student services. A total of about 137,000 square feet will be renovated. TMP Architecture Inc. and Ballinger will design the project.

This brief was filed from the Michigan Union’s Rogel ballroom, where the … [Full Story]

Two items involving a total of $20.5 million in renovations at the A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center were approved unanimously by University of Michigan regents at their March 15, 2012 board meeting.

Regents authorized a $13 million project on the first and second floors of the center, which were vacated after the opening of clinics in the C. S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospitals earlier this year. The 35,000-square-feet of space will be used for a multidisciplinary transplant clinic, an outpatient non-cancer infusion center, and a same-day pre-op clinic. In addition, clinical services will be expanded for neurology, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, and radiology. The outpatient pharmacy also will be relocated and expanded into a shared retail space with MedEQUIP.

The architectural firm … [Full Story]

University of Michigan regents authorized a $2 million increase in the budget for renovations at Yost Ice Arena, with the additional funds to cover more detailed historic window replacements and higher-than-expected costs for steel and new bleachers. The approval came at the regents’ March 15, 2012 meeting.

The project’s original $14 million budget had been approved by regents at their June 2011 meeting, with a schematic design authorized in October 2011. In January 2012, regents authorized issuing bids and awarding construction contracts within the $14 million budget. At that time Tim Slottow, the university’s chief financial officer, had indicated this request for an increased budget was in the offing, dependent on securing more donations for the project.

The project includes replacing seating on the … [Full Story]

At its Feb. 28, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor park advisory commission unanimously recommended approval of a $865,190 contract for road, parking and other exterior renovations at Buhr Park and Cobblestone Farm. The contract, which requires approval by city council, would be awarded to Fonson Inc.

Fonson submitted the second lowest of 10 bids. The contract includes a $786,536 base bid plus a $78,654 (10%) contingency for possible change orders. Funding would come from the park maintenance and capital improvements millage, as well as the park rehabilitation and development millage. According to a staff memo, the lowest bid received was from Pranam Global Tech for $499,000. However, no paving subcontractors were listed and no testing fees were included, which were both requirements of … [Full Story]

A $35,200 contract for restroom renovations at the Ann Arbor Senior Center was recommended for approval by the Ann Arbor park advisory commission at its Feb. 28, 2012 meeting. If approved by the city council, the contract would be awarded to L.C. Construction, which submitted the lowest of eight acceptable bids. The facility will be closed in May while the project is completed, and activities will be scheduled at other locations.

The $35,200 includes a $32,000 base bid and a $3,200 (10%) contingency fund to cover possible change orders. Funds would come from proceeds of the park maintenance and capital improvements millage.

According to a city staff memo, the restrooms don’t meet the state’s Barrier Free Code. The center’s two existing restrooms – each … [Full Story]

At their Feb. 16, 2012 meeting, University of Michigan regents authorized moving ahead on several building projects – including two major housing renovations initially approved last year.

Regents authorized staff to issue bids and award construction contracts for the $116 million renovation of East Quad. The overall project had been approved at the board’s July 21, 2011 meeting.  Subsequently, regents signed off on a schematic design at the Nov. 17, 2011 meeting.  The 300,000-square-foot residence hall – located at 701 E. University, between Hill and Willard – houses about 860 students and the Residential College. The renovation is expected to be finished by the summer of 2013.

Authorization for issuing bids and awarding construction contracts was also given by regents for a … [Full Story]

The University of Michigan board of regents took action on two items related to university athletics at its Jan. 19, 2012 meeting.

A $9 million renovation to the entrance of Schembechler Hall, which will integrate the Margaret Dow Towsley Sports Museum area, was approved by the board. The building at 1200 S. State St. was constructed in 1990 for UM’s football program, and contains locker rooms, meeting rooms, medical treatment rooms, training areas, weight rooms, and administrative offices. The project will add about 7,000 square feet to the building, and renovate an additional 7,000 square feet. Funding will be provided from athletic department resources.

In a separate vote, regents authorized issuing bids and award construction contracts for a $14 million project at Yost Ice Arena. The overall … [Full Story]

A $1.7 million renovation to the auditorium of the University of Michigan’s Edward Henry Kraus building was approved by the board of regents at its Jan. 19, 2012 meeting. The Kraus building is used by biology departments and was constructed in 1915. Its auditorium – one of the largest on central campus – was last updated in 1990.

The current project would renovate about 5,100 square feet and include accessibility improvements, new seating, power for laptops and other devices, and other upgrades. The renovation will be funded by the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and the provost’s office. The work is expected to be complete by the summer of 2012.

The brief was filed from the colloquium room at UM’s Stephen M. Ross … [Full Story]

University of Michigan board of regents meeting (Dec. 15, 2011): The December regents meeting reflected campus activism and the arts – nearly in equal measure.

As UM president Mary Sue Coleman began her opening remarks to start Thursday’s meeting, about two dozen “Occupy UM” protesters, who’d been sitting in the boardroom, stood up and shouted, “Mic check!” For the next five minutes, in a call-and-response delivery, protesters outlined their grievances against the university’s leadership – primarily, that once-affordable public education has been turned into an expensive commodity. [A video of the protest is posted on YouTube.]

When the group finished, they left the boardroom chanting “Instruction, not construction!” Neither the regents nor Coleman responded to them or alluded to the protest during the rest of the meeting.

Another group of students gave a decidedly different performance just minutes later. The a cappella group Amazin’ Blue sang five holiday songs, prompting board chair Denise Ilitch to don a blue Santa’s hat – embroidered with “Michigan” – and sing along.

The meeting included two issues related to the Ann Arbor community and parking. During public commentary, Chip Smith of the Near Westside Neighborhood Association highlighted problems with a UM parking lot that’s surrounded by homes on the Old West Side. And in a staff memo accompanying a resolution to issue bonds for capital projects, Fuller Road Station was on the list in the category of projects that would require final approval by regents prior to being funded with bond proceeds. The regents had approved the controversial project – a joint UM/city of Ann Arbor parking structure, bus depot and possible train station – in January 2010, but a formal agreement between the city and university has not yet been finalized.

Other items on the Dec. 15 agenda included: (1) presentations by three UM faculty who were named MacArthur Fellows this year; (2) approval of the Michigan Investment in New Technology Startups (MINTS) initiative; and (3) approval of several renovation projects, including work on the Law School’s historic Charles T. Munger Residences in the Lawyers’ Club and the John P. Cook Building. [Full Story]

A $3.33 million renovation for the University Hospital’s Trauma Burn Unit was approved at the Dec. 15, 2011 meeting of the University of Michigan board of regents. Renovations of the roughly 6,600-square-foot facility include improved lighting for care within the patient rooms, improved treatment rooms, creation of a dedicated physical therapy and occupational therapy room, and creation of a faculty on-call room.

Project and Design Management LLC, an architectural firm based in Ferndale, will design the project. According to a staff memo, a phased construction schedule is planned to minimize disruption to operations and patient care, with construction to be completed in the fall of 2012.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the Fleming administration building on the UM campus in … [Full Story]

At its Dec. 15, 2011 meeting, the University of Michigan board of regents approved the schematic design for a renovation of The Charles T. Munger Residences in the Lawyers’ Club and the John P. Cook Building.

Regents had previously authorized the overall project at their March 2011 meeting. That meeting had included  a unanimous vote to name The Lawyers Club dormitory in honor of Charles T. Munger, who gave the university $20 million toward renovations of the building. The March 2011 meeting also included a vote to approve a $39 million renovation of The Lawyers Club and the John P. Cook buildings – part of a larger expansion and renovation effort at UM’s law school.

Hartman-Cox Architects, working with SmithGroup, is handling the project’s design. … [Full Story]

At its Sept. 15, 2011 meeting, the University of Michigan board of regents authorized several building renovation projects.

A $47 million renovation was approved for the 220,000-square-foot G.G. Brown Memorial Laboratories, which was built in 1958 on UM’s north campus and houses the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The project is part of the fiscal year 2011 capital outlay request to the state, which is expected to provide about $30 million in funding for the renovation. Two years ago, regents had signed off on a $56 million, 66,000-square-foot addition to building.

Regents also approved a $1.5 million upgrade to the electrical substation and related equipment at the Med Inn, which was built in 1953 and is part of the UM Health System. Renovation projects at … [Full Story]

At its March 17, 2011 meeting, the  University of Michigan board of regents approved a $39 million renovation of The Lawyers’ Club and the John P. Cook buildings – part of a larger expansion and renovation effort at UM’s law school. The project will entail complete renovation of the John P. Cook building, which was constructed in 1939, along with renovations of the dormitory wing of The Lawyers’ Club, which was built in 1924 and houses nearly 260 students.

The project’s design will be handled by Hartman-Cox Architects and SmithGroup. Regents will be asked to approve a schematic design for the project at a later date.

This brief was filed from the UM regents meeting, held this month at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel in downtown Detroit. A more detailed account of the meeting will follow: [link] [Full Story]