Now for a cheer, a developer is here and hopes to be triumphant.
It’s unclear if Austin-based LV Collective LLC knows the words to the University of Michigan fight song, but it is looking to build a 19-story, 350-unit apartment building on Church Street aimed primarily at housing university students, MLive reported.
If approved, the 525,000-square-foot building — which would be the tallest in that area of the city — will be constructed on a site that was originally planned to have a 108-unit townhome complex, the outlet reported. Now the four buildings currently on the site will be demolished to make way for the high rise just outside the downtown zone.
The city’s Planning Commission hosted a preliminary hearing on the proposal last week
Due to the site’s proximity to the university, the apartments would most likely be rented by college students, though not exclusively.
In keeping with sustainability goals, the plans call for just 100 parking spaces, as well as 350 bicycle spaces, the outlet reported.
Other sustainability measures include the building being all-electric, except for backup systems; solar panels, green certification, EV charging stations and water-saving plumbing fixtures.
The proposal comes at a time when the University of Michigan and other developers are also pushing to build more student housing, the outlet said.
Colleges and universities throughout the country are tackling housing issues. Florida International recently received approval to build a 22-story, U-shaped building that would have 1,200 beds in 932 units.
Having enough beds addresses one issue, but other municipalities are trying to address another: affordability.
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In New York City, two pilot programs primarily funded by the nonprofit housing group Trinity Church Wall Street — one in collaboration with the Borough of Manhattan Community College — are providing housing to up to 76 students for up to three years, the New York Times reported.
The program will house 36 college students in a seven-story rental building in Queens. Another 40 students will be provided dorm-like housing in Harlem, the outlet reported.
— Ted Glanzer