New development could transform Maynard St.

ALEX WOLK/Daily

A building proposal for a mixed-use office building on the former McDonald's site on Maynard Street is expected to help rejuvenate the State Street area.

By Kristen Beaumont

For the Daily

A new building proposal that could mean the rebirth of the State Street area is exciting area business owners.

Jeffery Spoon, of Spoon Equities LLC, has submitted plans for a seven-story mixed-use office building.

The building will be located at 337 Maynard St., next to Nickel's Arcade between William and Liberty streets.

The first floor would contain retail stores, floors two through five would be offices, and the sixth and seventh floors floors would be condominiums.

Spoon commented on the benefits of a mixed-use building.

"These buildings are what the city of Ann Arbor needs. They are 24-hour buildings that have multiple purposes." Spoon's goal is to keep the building design compatible with the neighborhood design of Nickel's Arcade.

Spoon also said that the building will be technologically smart with T1, T3 and DS3 Internet line connections.

The plan will go before the City Council on Oct. 11, the Historic Commission on Oct. 12, and if approved could go before the Planning Commission as early as Oct. 17.

The State Street Association has already seen the plan and retail owners gave it a favorable response.

"It will definitely help the area. This plan will utilize the space and it may also bring more potential shoppers to the area, which will be good for all the businesses on State Street," said Ed Davidson, Spoon's partner on this project and the owner of the Bivouac outdoor equipment store on State Street.

Carl Pohrt, owner of Shaman Drum Bookshop and the State Street Association Board president, said the entire Association is looking forward to the new building.

"The street will be more vibrant with the increase of shoppers to the area, the offices will bring employees to the area for lunch, and the condos will increase the residential vitality of the neighborhood," Pohrt said.

Ann Arbor Mayor Ingrid Sheldon has examined the plans for the new building carefully.

"We want to utilize the space in the best way possible. There is a tremendous demand for office space as well as downtown living," Sheldon said.

She said the building proposal is "first class" and that it maintains community standards.

"While the proposal process is very exacting and time consuming, we will speed the process along as fast as possible."

Once the building proposal receives final approval from City Council, Spoon will start demolition of the old building, a former McDonald's.

Business owners said they hope the project will materialize.

Pohrt said, "There is an ecology of downtowns, and like any ecosystem, we need to look after it and maintain it."