New Chapter House Design Update

Based on input from the design team and actives, Leo Babcock, our project architect, prepared the next version of the concept drawings from the ones shown at the September reunion.

Major changes included:

-a larger front porch

-revised lower level layout

-revised 1st floor with larger kitchen and study area

-revised 3rd floor to eliminate the triple and add a double

-changed west stairwell to incorporate the elevator

John Levinson ’73 (Alumni Building Corporation), Alpha Management and Leo Babcock held another design review November 25th in preparation for an informal review with the Ann Arbor Planning Department. The main purpose of the Planning Department review was to see if there were any new code or ordinance requirements since the last review some 3+ years ago.

The review was successful and no new requirements were identified. The team plans to hold a formal review with the Planning Department on March 18th with City Council approval expected 60 days later. Immediate next steps are continued review and tuning of the concept drawings with input from actives and a mandatory “neighborhood” meeting on January 17th. Net, the project remains on schedule for start of construction May 2015 assuming we can raise the required one million dollars in a timely fashion!

John Levinson ’73
Alumni Building Corporation