A new condo development reflects changes that have come to a Midwest college town known in the past for cheap student housing, not unlike its counterparts across the country.
The priciest condos ever to hit Ann Arbor, Michigan, are costlier than many luxury single-family detached homes in the area.
The 15 units at the not-yet-built J. Sinclair project are priced between $2.8 million and $4.9 million. Designed by local firm Hobbs+Black Architects, the units range in size from 2,700 to 3,600 square feet with high-end finishes and all with four bedrooms each. The building's dramatic atrium pulls inspiration from train stations across the country, such as New York's Grand Central Terminal to Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, and Ann Arbor's 1866-built Gandy Dancer station.
The highest-priced J. Sinclair unit is the second-most expensive listing in all of Ann Arbor right now, beat only by a 15,364-square-foot house on 16 acres listed for $9.49 million, according to Homes.com data.
Residents will have access to private outdoor space between 500 and 2,400 square feet. “Nobody’s ever done a 15-unit building of penthouses with such large square footage and such large terraces,” said listing agent Lisa Stetler of The Charles Reinhart Co. “We are trying to redefine the market.”
The development comes amid a shifting, growth-intense time for the picturesque town that’s home to the University of Michigan. It's something of a test too in a market that saw its population expand by nearly 9% between 2010 and 2020, according to U.S. Census figures. One of the 15 units is reserved but developers J.D. Lindeberg and Jim Frey, a pair of longtime Ann Arbor business owners, will need to sell 10 units before construction begins, ideally this summer, according to Stetler.
Plans also include geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, private elevators, electric vehicle charging, private parking, and smart home technology. Construction is expected to take 18 months.
High density
For decades, residents of Ann Arbor opposed high-density development, according to Stetler, but in late 2023, the city eased downtown zoning requirements for taller buildings, and the city’s Downtown Development Authority is now in talks to expand downtown boundaries for even more density.
While new rental high-rises are underway in Ann Arbor, some aimed at students and some not, the market for condo development has been promising. Smaller projects than J. Sinclair include 330 Detroit Street, a luxury building with units priced up to $1.7 million that are nearly all sold out. A proposal across the street at 303 Detroit St. could add 14 condos.
“The City Council is very committed to developing not only affordable housing in the downtown area but allowing higher density in many of the areas. That’s a big move for Ann Arbor,” said Stetler.
The University of Michigan is continually expanding its footprint and workforce, inching up the population. The university currently employs 55,000, and the institution expects five new buildings to be completed on campus in Ann Arbor between 2025 and 2027.
The university says construction of an innovation center in Detroit about 40 miles to the east will help boost job creation and economic growth in the region.
The J. Sinclair condos are planned a mile from the University of Michigan Hospital, and some inquiries on the listings have come from medical professionals, according to Stetler. Other inquiries have come from University of Michigan alumni looking to spend their retirement years back in Ann Arbor.
New green space
The condos are slated for a neighborhood called Lower Town, off the Huron River, next to the location of a major mixed-use redevelopment. The project, Broadway Park West, seeks to convert unused land from a now-relocated energy company.
Work began in 2024 and is expected to run through 2025, adding trails, river access, a large outdoor lawn for events and markets, and an outdoor music pavilion across 7 acres. Plans call for new commercial spaces, a 96-unit condo building, and a nine-story hotel, according to City Council documents.
J. Sinclair's Lindeberg and Frey have owned their land since 2005 and run Resource Recycling Systems, a sustainability and recycling consulting firm, next door.
It’s why the planned condos feature eco-friendly amenities, such as natural energy sources, and will strive for net zero, meaning it produces more energy than it consumes.
“Their main focus has been on the recycling business, and this building is being built very sustainable and green, unlike other buildings built in the Ann Arbor area,” said Stetler. “They are really committed to the environment.”
