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, currently targeted for May 18, 2026.
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: Ann Arbor Residents
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, targeted for Council approval on May 18.
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:
Per City staff, it’s now expected that City Council will be voting on the purchase agreement at their June 1 meeting. The purchase agreement draft is supposed to be available to the public for review 7-10 days ahead of the meeting. 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!
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