City officials severa! months ago exI pressed reservations about the permaI nent location of AATA outside the city. He emphasized I that costs exceeding federal and state grants would have to be borne locally. Drake'also stressed that escalating construction costs could ínflate the cost of providing an alí-new facility far beyond the cost of a comparable site at 3700 Carpenter Road. corporated.) AATA attornef"3érold'.Lax 'said last nighthe would recommend a court challenge fo any attempt to tax the authority, should the tax-exemption not materialize. (State Iaw now rendérs AATA exempt only in Ann Arbor, the city in which it was. ther similar aütorities, tax-gxempt status outsidè thfjii '.'honië" cities. ExpandinL the cur■ rent site, he argued, would be the cheapest way. AATA chairman-William D, Drake, a I voeál supporter of the.purchasë, stressed its ultimare"' "cbst-eÖectiveness" in maximizing tax dollars. Another objection wax that MTA awnership of the site coúíd make AATA subject to I í.pay.ing real. An appraiser hired by AATA in May put the market value of the land anoVpuildings at $450,000. No other sites were seriously considered for purchase, I although board members had debated for months abóut whether to attempt to lócate within the pity lhnits.i? One objection to the pjtóchase was the $600,000 price. Stein absent, ended months of I deliberation by the board. The AATA action, with board memI bers Robert L:Bring Üissènting and Ed[ ward R. ImI provements and additions 'tó the site could cost an-estïmated $940,000 to $1.3 'miliiori and af é Bxpectëd tote financed through a $1.3 million federal grant awarded in February and $242,000 of the [ funds':CQmmittedMn mid-1974. of Wixom sinceMarch-, The pufchase 'pr'ice is $600,000. The aüthorïty, to no one's surprise, voted 5-1 iast night to exercise a purchase 'option - for -? 10 acres ■ and two, buildings which it-has lèased f rom Hollöway ConstructtoiTOo. It's official- Ann Arbor Transportation uthority's permanent address will be 3700 Carpenter Road, -Pittsfield Township.
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