ANN ARBOR, MI - Five days from now, Ann Arbor voters will decide a ballot proposal for a downtown central park and civic center commons, and its approval could halt a 17-story high-rise.

Longtime community activist Alan Haber, who has been advocating for the creation of a commons on the city-owned Library Lot for several years, is inviting residents to attend a public meeting Thursday night, Nov. 1, to learn more about "The Case for the Commons."

Haber says all questions will be answered from 7 to 9 p.m. or later at Hathaway's Hideaway, 310 S. Ashley St., the campaign headquarters for the Ann Arbor Central Park Ballot Committee.

A discussion of "better approaches to affordable housing than selling the Center of the City" also is expected, Haber indicated.

Meanwhile, opponents of the ballot proposal who are instead supporting the proposed Core Spaces high-rise development, which would include a developer-funded plaza area, are planning to gather Sunday for a "Plaza Party" at the Library Lot, and community members are encouraged to stop by.

The Library Lot is the parking lot atop the city's underground parking garage on Fifth Avenue, next to the downtown library.

The City Council voted last year to sell the development rights to Core Spaces for $10 million, but the sale hasn't been finalized yet.

"What would you do with a 12,000-square-foot plaza and $100,000 of funding to program it? Would you invite taco trucks? What about drag queens?" the Facebook page for Sunday's event states.

"On Sunday, November 4th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Ann Arbor YIMBY invites you to come out to the Library Lot to imagine what you would do with a public plaza, which is currently planned for the lot as part of a mixed-use development by CORE Spaces."

Ann Arbor YIMBY members plan to offer tours around the site, and representatives of the development team are expected to talk about the development plans and answer questions.

Children and dogs are welcome. Local performer Maxi Chanel is expected to lead a story time with kid-friendly books about buildings checked out from the library.

For those who want to further discuss the Nov. 6 ballot proposal and the vision for the commons, Haber says he'll be holding open-house hours at the campaign headquarters from 1-5 p.m. Thursday and Friday. He encourages anyone with questions, concerns or contributions to come and talk, have some coffee or tea, and "see the archives of the whole struggle since 2005," as well as pick up yard signs and campaign buttons if desired.

Haber notes the city charter already makes reference to the "center of the city" as being where the city's five wards come together. He said passage of Proposal A would add a new section "giving affirmative definition to 'the Center of the City,' as a place for everyone, forever, to be developed, as best we can, as a Central Park and Civic Center, a Commons, to be known as the Center of the City."

"Proposal A is an invitation into an opportunity to participate in the co-creation of the Center of our City as a beautiful place, attractive, and

welcoming to everyone, from around the world, all our visitors and immigrants and people from elsewhere, and from the Huron River Watershed and our County and all our Neighborhoods, Wards and Precincts," he wrote in an email to fellow community members.

"I hope you will accept the Invitation of Proposal A, and participate in the co-creative process."