Arbor Hills Crossing

Client: Campus Realty
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Size: 95,000 sf; 4 acres

This boutique, retail center comprised of locally-owned stores, sought-after national brands, and top-rated restaurants, is one of the city’s newest shopping anchors. Located along a major arterial road, and on a long-abandoned car dealership, the site was master planned and designed to convey a distinct, urban shopping experience while balancing the needs of parking and circulation.

The complex’s four buildings were sited to set the stage for a hybrid adaptation and overall site concept that would create a distinct departure from the standard retail concept. To create a definable, urban edge condition, three of the buildings were pushed directly to the site boundaries. The fourth building was set deeper into the site and operates as a ‘billboard’ device to frame the backdrop of the center. The staging and placement of the buildings allowed the spaces in between to become individual vignettes, each with their own program and parking arrangements.

The shopping center also provides office space. Located above the retail anchor, access is via its own entry with a vertical component to help delineate the different space.