Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

University Battens Down Hatches for Art Fair

13. July 2006 • MarkDilley
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via email comes this:

As we all know it is that time of year again in Ann Arbor when the streets around campus get jammed by the exhibitors and crowds of the various Art Fairs. To attempt to minimize the security issues of large numbers of unauthorized folks wandering through our buildings and the sanitary impacts on the building rest rooms we plan to close most entrances to LSA buildings during Art Fair (July 19th through July 22nd). We do, however have classes, events and normal business operations that occur in our buildings that have to continue during Art Fair. Our plan is to keep the below listed autolock doors open for normal business hours. We will also provide the Key Ads a template to use to post on building doors that states that no public restrooms are available in our buildings. Please make sure your instructors, students and potential visitors are notified how to get into the buildings to minimize any negative impact to our daily operations.

  • Angell/Haven/Mason/Tisch complex: Haven Hall east (Fishbowl) doors
  • Chemistry: North entrance doors (across from Michigan League)
  • CC Little: West entrance doors
  • Dennison: High rise doors under connector to low rise
  • East Hall: Northwest doors by Psych
  • Kraus: South entrance door
  • Lorch: Northeast entrance doors
  • LSA: West lobby entrance doors
  • MLB: Southwest entrance doors
  • Randall: Southwest entrance doors
  • Tappan: West entrance doors
  • Thayer: East entrance doors
  • USB: Northwest entrance doors (to top of parking lot)
  • West Hall: North entrance doors


  1. When I worked in the Institute for Social Research (located in a University building at 426 Thompson Street), I was appalled and embarrassed every year when the “no public restrooms” signs went up for Art Fair.

    The ISR is a public building, normally open to the public during business hours, and it struck me as bizarrely petty and vindictive to try to regulate visitors’ potty privileges. More than that, it detracts from the ISR’s aspiration to a grand public mission.

    It would be another thing entirely, I argued, if the ISR building was routinely closed to the public. And subsequent to my complaints about the signs, the ISR made moves in that direction: the side and rear doors of the IRS have been locked and key-carded.

    But the front door is still open during business hours, and there is no sign-in for visitors. Visiting members of the public are presumably allowed to use the toilet facilities except during a few days in July.


       —Larry Kestenbaum    Jul. 13 '06 - 06:11PM    #
  2. Yeah, the security paranoia at ISR. You’d think they were doing research on anthrax spores in there. Even the Perry building is in a constant state of lockdown—just one open door and there’s a guy guarding it. Sweet bathrooms in there, though.


       —Parking Structure Dude!    Jul. 13 '06 - 06:22PM    #
  3. The University Library will, as usual, be open and welcoming to the public during Art Fair.


       —Juliew    Jul. 13 '06 - 06:39PM    #
  4. The one time of year I’m glad to be on North Campus.


       —ann arbor is overrated    Jul. 13 '06 - 07:37PM    #
  5. The one time of year I’m glad to be in the U.P.


       —Edward Vielmetti    Jul. 14 '06 - 05:03AM    #
  6. Its not art and its not fair.


       —Just a Voice    Jul. 14 '06 - 06:06PM    #