On April 20, Ann Arbor City Council unanimously approved the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority’s (DDA) updated development and financing plan, allowing the DDA to expand its work further into Ann Arbor’s north side. The decision extends the DDA’s boundaries from Kingsley Street to include 19 blocks north of downtown Ann Arbor, with the new northernmost boundary being the intersection of Sunset Road and North Main Street. The goal of the expansion is to strengthen connections between downtown, the Huron River, and Ann Arbor’s North Side. The decision also allows the DDA to be involved in improving North Main Street and the Broadway Bridge, two important downtown gateways.
“We have had the same boundaries since the DDA was established 44 years ago,” says DDA Executive Director Maura Thomson. “That was really kind of a momentous occasion for us.”
The DDA started working on the new development plan in 2023, with consideration given to multiple city planning efforts such as the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan, the A2Zero Plan, the Ann Arbor Moving Together Towards Vision Zero Plan, and TheRide’s 2045 Long Range Plan. Input from downtown stakeholders and public feedback was also invaluable. Thomson is looking forward to similar support and public engagement in the future…