Dearborn ― The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the purchase of 140 acres of land belonging to Concordia University in Ann Arbor, despite opposition by six area state lawmakers against the acquisition at their Thursday afternoon meeting in Dearborn.
The Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti-area lawmakers argued in their letter to the Board of Regents that the university’s “continued expansion” has “real consequences” for housing affordability, the local tax base and the long-term sustainability of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County.
Democratic Reps. Jason Morgan of Ann Arbor, Morgan Foreman of Pittsfield Township, Jennifer Conlin of Ann Arbor Township, Carrie Rheingans of Ann Arbor and Jimmie Wilson Jr. of Ypsilanti, along with state Sen. Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor, added that the university hadn’t provided sufficient justification for the purchase.
“Acquiring one of the largest remaining undeveloped properties in Ann Arbor without a clearly defined public purpose raises serious concerns about land banking and continued institutional expansion without accountability to the surrounding community,” the letter read.
The purchase, expected to cost the university $60 million, passed in a unanimous vote. Regent Jordan Acker, D-Huntington Woods, was absent.
President Domenico Grasso briefly addressed the controversy in his initial comments at the meeting.
“Our plans for the Concordia site are still to be determined,” Grasso said. “We do know that there will be a strong emphasis on potential community use.
President Domenico Grasso briefly addressed the controversy in his initial comments at the meeting.
“Our plans for the Concordia site are still to be determined,” Grasso said. “We do know that there will be a strong emphasis on potential community use. We also intend to preserve signature beautiful physical and natural facilities, such as the historic Earhart Manor and the campus chapel.”
Grasso said the university will contribute $32 million to Ann Arbor for capital improvements, public safety and transportation upgrades. He added that the university supports the local economy through spending $332 million in goods and services.
UM Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs and Internal Communications Paul Corliss said in an emailed statement that Concordia reached out to the university first to ask if it would consider buying the property. He said Concordia told UM it wanted the campus to continue to be used for educational purposes.
Concordia University Director of Communications Susan Suleski said in an emailed statement earlier this week that the decision to sell the property came after more than a year of “careful prayer, discernment, and consultation with university leadership, stakeholders, and representatives of the broader church community.”
Universities acting as individual bodies
The Ann Arbor City Council and Mayor Christopher Taylor also spoke out about the proposed acquisition. At the Ann Arbor City Council meeting on May 18, the council voted to pass a resolution expressing its concerns that were also sent to the Board of Regents.
However, local pushback can’t legally change the university’s plans. Each of Michigan’s 15 public universities can buy land anywhere in the state and determine what it will be used for ― without the approval of the local government where the land is located. Michigan’s universities are autonomous, self-governing institutions protected by the state Constitution from state intervention, according to the Citizens Research Council of Michigan.
This is the most recent example of UM pushing through developments and land purchases that the local community opposes. An ongoing controversy between Ypsilanti Township and UM over the university’s plans to build a “high-performance computing facility” in the township has led to community pushback and resolutions passed by the township board trying to slow or stop the development.
As of May, the university still hasn’t said where they plan to build the site.
satwood@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Lawmakers slam UM’s $60M Concordia property deal, but regents approve it
Reporting by Sarah Atwood, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
