Defeat

The postmortem of the Ann Arbor District Library's campaign for a new downtown library began early Tuesday night, as soon as election results showed the proposal failing in key precincts. Supporters of the Our New Downtown Library committee who gathered at the Real Seafood Co. acknowledged their message obviously didn't resonate with voters. By the end of the night, they had accepted defeat, but they weren't budging on their position that a new downtown library is needed. Read the story.

One For The Books

The downtown Ann Arbor library opened at the corner of Fifth Avenue and William Street in 1958. An expansion doubling its size was completed in the 1970s. A third addition was completed in 1991, again doubling its size. Hoping to cement the public library's future in the downtown, the Ann Arbor District Library is asking voters on Nov. 6 to approve a $65 million bond proposal for construction of a new library. Read the story.

Above The Surface

A shot of the Library Lot on a recent evening, as viewed from the fourth-floor board room of the downtown Ann Arbor library. I was there attending a meeting of the AATA, which is planning on demolishing and rebuilding the Blake Transit Center across the street from here. Meanwhile, library officials are asking voters on Nov. 6 for approval to demolish and rebuild the library. City officials also are talking about redeveloping the surface of the Library Lot as part of the Connecting William Street initiative. Underneath the surface here is where the city and the DDA recently built a $50 million underground parking garage. Let's not forget the talk of a new train station, all the new high-rise apartments going up downtown, the countywide transit expansion, etc., etc., and so on. A lot happening in Ann Arbor, for sure.

Building A New Library

In addition to deciding on a $65 million bond proposal for a new downtown Ann Arbor library, local voters get to elect four library board members on Nov. 6. Five candidates are competing for four seats on the seven-member board of trustees that governs the Ann Arbor District Library. Read the story.

Sustainable Ann Arbor

From new recycling initiatives to management of the city's urban forest to preservation of natural areas, the city of Ann Arbor is doing a lot on the sustainability front. "There probably are a handful of other cities across the country that are doing things as fabulously as we are, but not very many," said Chris Graham, chairman of the city's Environmental Commission and one of the featured speakers Thursday night. More than 80 people were in attendance at the Ann Arbor District Library for the first of four forums being held as part of the Sustainable Ann Arbor discussion series. Read the story.

Jason Tallant of the city of Ann Arbor's Natural Area Preservation program, left, and Tom McMurtrie, the city's solid waste coordinator.
Kerry Gray, the city's urban forestry and natural resources planner
Matt Naud, the city's environmental coordinator
Tom McMurtrie, the city's solid waste coordinator
Jason Tallant of the city's Natural Area Preservation program
Richard Norton, an urban planning professor at the University of Michigan
Chris Graham, chairman of the city's Environmental Commission
Norton and Laura Rubin, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council