Downtown Ann Arbor's Fourth Avenue Is Being Rebuilt as the Outdoor Half of Its Bus Station

The City of Ann Arbor's road-closure page gives a firm end for the South Fourth Avenue closure between East William and East Liberty: 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. The Downtown Development Authority's page for the same project says something else. Its full closure runs "July 27 to December," and construction is scheduled to wrap up in December. TheRide's FY2027 business plan gives itself even more room. It describes Fourth Avenue work that could run into late 2026 or early 2027.

Each agency is answering a different question about the same block. The city's date covers the closure permit. The DDA's covers the construction contract. TheRide's covers buses rolling back into Blake Transit Center. The rebuilt block was designed first and foremost around those buses, so TheRide's date is the one that decides when Fourth Avenue works the way it was drawn.

Three Agencies, Three Finish Lines

As of Oct. 23, the Detroit Free Press reported that South Fourth was still closed from East William through the East Liberty intersection. The city says pedestrian access to businesses is being kept open. The block has only reopened once since May. The Liberty intersection opened to pedestrians from July 10 to July 26 for Art Fair and other summer events, then closed again.

The city and the DDA may well both turn out to be right. The roadway could open to some use in early November while finishing work goes on into December. Either way, Blake Transit Center isn't tied to Nov. 5. It reopens when TheRide says so.

Designed Around the Bus, Then Everyone Else

The city and DDA call the project FAST, short for Fourth Avenue street and transit improvements. The DDA spells out the goal plainly: "a street that functions as an extension of the AAATA transit center" and is safer and more comfortable for everyone, "particularly those taking the bus."

The drawings back that up. In December 2025, SmithGroup renderings shown at City Council's annual planning session included these features, as MLive reported:

• Dedicated bus lanes paved in concrete
• Enhanced transit shelters
• A mid-block crosswalk with flashing pedestrian signals near the Blake Transit Center entrance drive
• Wider sidewalks, with added room for outdoor dining in front of restaurants
• Spaces set aside for public art

The DDA's list adds benches, trees, new streetlights and trash cans, plus new water main, storm sewer and underground stormwater storage that no one will see once the street is paved. The city's closure notice also lists accessible pedestrian signals among the upgrades.

The DDA says the design supports bicycle travel but doesn't include designated bike lanes because the right-of-way is too narrow. With limited width, buses got the dedicated lanes and people on foot got the wider sidewalks. Cyclists will share the road.

The public art follows the same theme. DDA Executive Director Maura Thomson told council about a possible collaboration based on the Amos McGee picture books by local author Philip Stead and illustrator Erin Stead. In the first book, a zookeeper rides the bus to work every day. When he stays home sick one day, his animal friends take the bus to visit him. As quoted by MLive, Thomson described the plan this way:

"The idea will be to either have a large installation or a series of installations to add creativity, warmth and a sense of place to this critical transit block. It's a block that houses our transit hub and it should have the attention it deserves."

The project costs more than $8 million. When council saw the drawings, construction was expected to run from spring into fall 2026. Now that the schedule has stretched toward winter, the transit side of the project has the most at stake in when it finishes.

Where Downtown Boards Until Then

Blake Transit Center has been closed since May 3. Until TheRide announces it's reopening, downtown bus service works like this, per its Aug. 3 service release:

• Local TheRide routes board at Fifth Avenue and Washington Street.
• Passes and fare sales are at a temporary location, 314 E. Washington St.
• D2A2 and Michigan Flyer downtown stops are on East Washington Street between State and Division.
• Route 27, W. Stadium–Oak Valley, leaves Fifth Avenue and East Washington at :15 and :45 past the hour on weekdays and weekends.

For drivers, the Fourth and William parking garage can only be entered from William Street while the closure lasts. Pedestrians can still walk out the garage's Fourth Avenue entrance toward Liberty, except while that stretch of sidewalk is being replaced. Northbound turns from William onto Fourth are restricted. The William Street bikeway has had periods of shifting and short-term detours via shared lanes between South Main and South Fifth.

The Storefronts Along the Fence

A street built as an extension of the transit center still has shops on both sides. In February, a Main Street Ann Arbor event listing named several of the block's storefronts: Le Bon Macaron at 209 S. Fourth, The Getup at 210, cupsnchai at 214, House of Chimney Cakes Café at 216 and Ferne Boutique at 217.

In May, MLive reported that shops on the block were seeing fewer passersby and walk-ins after the street closed, and that worries about parking were keeping some customers away. In that same report, the city's economic development director said the city planned signs telling people downtown businesses were still open and accessible. The DDA's April construction notice said pedestrian access to businesses would be kept open throughout the work.

This fall, some of the block's shops are still active downtown. Cupsnchai and Le Bon Macaron were both on Main Street Ann Arbor's list of participating businesses for its Oct. 25 Halloween event. On the corner, Abracadabra Jewelry at 205 E. Liberty lists in-store hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Its homepage warns that Fourth Avenue construction will affect parking around the shop through December 2026, which matches the DDA's timeline, not the city's.

Next door, the storefront at 203 E. Liberty is changing hands. Ginger Deli stopped operating there on May 23, according to MLive. In July, MLive reported that Sweet Hop Swedish Candy, a family-run shop, was coming to the space, and its owners were aiming to open on Aug. 1.

For anyone shopping the block between now and December, the most practical route is the garage's Fourth Avenue pedestrian exit toward Liberty, while it stays open. The other option is a short walk over from the Fifth and Washington bus stops.

What Comes After the Street

The new street is the first part of a longer transit project. TheRide's FY2027 business plan describes an expanded platform on Blake Transit Center's south side. Federal environmental review started in early 2026, detailed design was expected to begin in summer 2026, and site-plan approval could come in 2026 or 2027. The DDA also notes that the new street includes infrastructure for the Ann Arbor Housing Commission's project at 350 S. Fifth Ave. On the City of Ann Arbor's project page, that building is planned at 20 stories with about 330 apartments, coordinated with the transit center improvements. Its development agreement was approved Jan. 20, 2026.

The next fixed date on the downtown calendar is Friday, Dec. 4, when Main Street Ann Arbor's Midnight Madness kicks off the holiday season with late shopping hours and a holiday cocktail crawl. By the DDA's timeline, Fourth Avenue construction will still be in its final month that night.

If you're thinking about how downtown's changing transit and streetscape could affect a home, a commute or a future move, Stephen Hollowell follows these projects block by block and is happy to talk through what they mean for you. Schedule a free consultation whenever you're ready.