First residents begin moving into 618 South Main

The first residents began moving into the luxury apartments at 618 South Main late last week as one of downtown Ann Arbor’s newest construction projects comes online and on time.

"We currently have 40 units occupied with more moving in each day," says Meg Murphy, community manager for 618 South Main.

While a number of other high-rise apartment buildings in downtown Ann Arbor have fought to keep up with their construction schedules, 618 South Main is opening its first phase in August, a predicted, and is set to open the rest of the building a month from now.

"It's a matter of a lot of people working well together," says Dan Ketelaar, president of Urban Group Development, co-developer of 618 South Main. "Our whole focus is on our tenants. That drives us."

The $27 million development is building a six-story apartment building on the southern edge of downtown Ann Arbor. It replaces the old Fox Tent & Awning business. The new building will feature 164 apartments, including studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. Prices range in price from $1,395 per month to $2,905 per month and the building is 82 percent leased now.

618 South Main comes with a lot of extras. It has a common deck with a pool, outdoor grills, fire pits and lounge areas both inside and outside of the building. It also has 132 underground parking spots. 618 South Main also has some big-ticket green features, including a rain garden that filters all of the water runoff from the building, is estimated at 900,000 gallons annually, and sends it back into the Huron River.

"It's pretty unique," Ketelaar says. “"t captures 100 percent of the water runoff and filters it."

Ketelaar and his team are putting the final touches on the common areas of 618 South Main this month. Murphy expects to have the building fully leased and occupied by the end of September.

Source: Meg Murphy, community manager for 618 South Main; Dan Ketelaar, president of Urban Group Development
Writer: Jon Zemke

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