Update 9/4/26
Missing exhibits were added to the purchase agreement late yesterday, but the rest of the purchase agreement appears unchanged. Unfortunately, the late addition of these and any other updates, plus the holiday weekend, does not give enough time for appropriate public review and response before the September 8th Council meeting. Therefore, The Ark’s original request stands:
The Ark continues to request that a) that City Council remove the Kline’s Lot purchase agreement from the September 8th consent agenda for separate discussion, and b) that Council schedule a separate vote for a future meeting after the Exhibits and other missing details have been included and made publicly available with reasonable time for advance review.
The Ark’s 9/4/26 memo to the City is here.
Update 9/2/26
City Council to vote on the purchase agreement for the Kline’s Lot on September 8th
On Friday, August 28th, the City of Ann Arbor posted the agenda for the Tuesday, September 8th City Council meeting. Approval of the Kline’s Lot Purchase Agreement is included on the Council’s “Consent Agenda” for that meeting, along with 20 other resolutions. As part of the consent agenda, unless a Council Member moves to remove the Kline’s Lot resolution at the outset before the agenda is approved, the resolution will be automatically approved without discussion or a separate vote. (See the full council agenda on the City website here)
The Ark had previously requested that the purchase agreement address ongoing access to parking, sidewalk, alley, and utilities. While the draft refers to these items, it lacks a number of Exhibits and other details that are crucial to clarifying how these areas of concern will be impacted. Without all of this information, neither Council, The Ark, nor the citizens of Ann Arbor can properly complete their due diligence prior to the sale. (Find the Purchase Agreement here)
Given the importance of this sale and its consequences, in a memo to City Council on September 1 The Ark requested:
- a) that City Council remove the Kline’s Lot purchase agreement from the September 8th consent agenda for separate discussion, and
- b) that Council schedule a separate vote for a future meeting after the Exhibits and other missing details have been included and made publicly available with reasonable time for advance review.
Request for Action from Ann Arbor Residents 9/2/26
The Ark’s latest memo to City Council on 9/1/26 requesting that the purchase agreement be removed from the consent agenda and a separate vote scheduled is linked here. You can help by writing to the Mayor and your Council Members to urge them to support The Ark’s request. Feel free to cut and paste this sample letter to the Mayor and your Council Members, or write your own:
I am writing in support of The Ark’s request to City Council regarding the sale of the City-owned Kline’s Lot. To ensure thorough due diligence and transparency, please remove the Kline’s Lot purchase agreement from the September 8 consent agenda for discussion and schedule a separate vote for a future meeting after all Exhibits and other missing details have been included and given appropriate time for public review. Full transparency and opportunity for public review of all Exhibits and documents are vital to assure a positive outcome for our community. Thank you.
Contact information for City Council is at the bottom of this page. Thank you!
See below for additional background information on the Kline’s Lot.
Background
The Kline’s Lot is the public parking lot located behind The Ark at the corner of Ashley and William streets. The parcel is owned by the City of Ann Arbor and has been targeted for development for years.
In 2024, City Council voted to pursue the sale of the Kline’s Lot and a broker was hired to market the lot for development. In September 2025, City Council authorized the sale of the lot to the recommended developer, Hines. The sale will be final once a purchase agreement is authorized by City Council, originally targeted for May 18, 2026 but currently still pending. The City has now told us that they’ll let us know when the purchase agreement is scheduled for an upcoming City Council agenda.
The Ark’s Position
The Board and staff of The Ark have always understood that the development of the Kline’s Lot was inevitable. The Ark has not taken a formal position on the sale or the specific merits of the project. Our goal has been to work with the City to assure that the project formally provides for basic needs that The Ark and other businesses in the neighborhood require to operate, including:
- Public parking on Ashley Street: adjacent public street parking along Ashley for oversized tour buses and school buses must be maintained during construction and going forward.
- Access: current sidewalks, alleys, utility and service access, public and private entrances must be maintained during and going forward.
- Alley: continuous access to the alley for delivery vehicles during and post-construction must be maintained.
You can read more detail on these needs and why they’re vital to The Ark here.
Request for Action from Ann Arbor Residents 5/6/26
The Ark has been asking the City for these inclusions in the project for two years. Unfortunately, these were not addressed in the RFP to developers, so the last chance to memorialize them in the project is now. It’s vital that any specific needs and requirements be included now in the purchase agreement before it’s approved by City Council.
The Ark’s latest memo to City Council on May 4 formally requests that the above items be memorialized in the purchase agreement, and with all contractors and subcontractors. You can help by writing to the Mayor and your Council Members to urge them to support The Ark’s request. Feel free to cut and paste this sample letter to the Mayor and your Council Members, or write your own:
“I am writing in support of The Ark’s request to City Council regarding the Kline’s Lot development. To ensure The Ark can continue operating smoothly, it is crucial that the purchase agreement guarantees uninterrupted access to sidewalks, utilities, and alleys, along with continued public parking on Ashley Street—both during and after construction. The Ark is a vital piece of downtown Ann Arbor, and preserving these logistical necessities is essential for its survival. Thank you.”
Contact information for City Council is below. Thank you!
Update 7/20/26
Per City staff, the sale is complex given that the City is the seller. It’s taking time to work through the purchase agreement as they focus on making sure the agreement is clear on the various interests involved. City staff now says they’ll let us know when it’s on the Council’s agenda. We’ll share further information here when we have it.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 6, Mayor Taylor responded to The Ark’s last memo and to the community’s correspondence with a statement that you can read here. Thanks so much to those who took the time to contact City Council on behalf of The Ark. You were heard! If you haven’t written yet, there is still time to add your voice.
Additional Info
The Project: What We Know
The development is two 15-18-story luxury apartment towers, including retail on the first floor and residential parking. Construction will happen in two phases, with south tower construction starting in 2027 (You can read more about the project in this MLive article.)
By-Right Sale and Development
The sale is “by-right,” which means once sold, as long as the project meets all current zoning and building codes, the developer has the right to proceed with construction without discretionary approvals, public hearings, or zoning variances. (In short, they can build what they want.)
This is why adding specific items to the purchase agreement that the developer must follow is so critical!
City Council Contacts
Mayor:
Christopher Taylor ctaylor@a2gov.org
Ward 1:
Lisa Disch ldisch@a2gov.org
Cynthia Harrison charrison@a2gov.org
Ward 2:
Jon Mallek jmallek@a2gov.org
Chris Watson cwatson@a2gov.org
Ward 3:
Travis Radina tradina@a2gov.org
Ayesha Ghazi Edwin aghaziedwin@a2gov.org
Ward 4:
Dharma Akmon dakmon@a2gov.org
Jen Eyer jeyer@a2gov.org
Ward 5:
Erica Briggs ebriggs@a2gov.org
Jenn Cornell jcornell@a2gov.org