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Avalon and Ann Arbor Housing Commission say 63-unit Dunbar Tower construction ongoing; sidewalk closures planned near market
Summary
Developers told the Public Market Advisory Commission construction at 121 Catherine St. (Dunbar Tower) is under way, with sidewalk closures on Catherine Street and Fourth Avenue for roughly 10–11 months and a targeted building completion date of Feb. 1, 2026. Leasing is expected to start immediately after certificates of occupancy.
Avalon Housing and the Ann Arbor Housing Commission told the Public Market Advisory Commission on Thursday that construction of a six-story, 63-unit building at 121 Catherine St., now called Dunbar Tower, is under way and is scheduled to be finished Feb. 1, 2026.
The project team said the building — 62 one-bedroom units and one two-bedroom unit — began major construction in April 2024. About half the apartments are intended for households experiencing homelessness and half for artists or creative workers; the ground floor will include community space tied to the neighborhood's history, the developers said.
Wendy Cardi Saxon, director of real estate development at Avalon Housing, described the project and management plans. “Avalon will provide services to the households there,” she said. Saxon also said the Ann Arbor Housing Commission will manage the property.
Project manager Tim Stout of O'Neil Construction outlined near-term construction milestones and traffic impacts. “We just finished the structure for the Second Floor,” Stout said, and contractors expect substantial vertical masonry work, elevator and stair towers and enclosure of the building by mid‑summer. He told commissioners and staff that some sidewalk and limited street closures on Catherine Street and the west side of Fourth Avenue will remain in place for roughly the next 10 to 11 months. The team said it will try to schedule short-term closures on non-market days and to notify market staff in advance.
Market staff and commissioners raised questions about pedestrian flow and vendor access because of the proximity of the site to the market's Fourth Avenue entrance. Stout said the construction team does not expect major impacts beyond the immediate sidewalk closures and that they are coordinating with market staff to minimize disruption on market days.
Saxon said management expects move‑ins to begin once a certificate of occupancy is issued; Avalon targets leasing from February through April 2026 to reach full occupancy. The developers also said they are working with ArtSpace on outreach and selection for artist-qualified units and that there will be a committee, including artists, to review applications.
The developers and market staff agreed to continue direct communications about closures and timing as construction progresses.
