Council approves D1 rezoning for proposed 14-story 'The Dean' at 558 S. Fifth Ave.

Ann Arbor City Council voted to rezone 0.95 acres at 558 South Fifth Avenue to D1 downtown core with Midtown overlay, clearing the way for a proposed 14-story development called “The Dean.” The ordinance passed with nine council members voting in favor, meeting the charter’s eight-vote threshold for the measure.

The vote followed a prolonged public hearing in which dozens of nearby residents and neighborhood leaders urged council to deny a spot rezoning they said would overwhelm a block of predominantly two- and three-story homes. Opponents cited loss of sunlight and views, traffic and parking concerns, potential bike-lane blockage by delivery vehicles, and risks tied to the Allen Creek flood fringe. “We have a long-term plan for the city. Why the rush?” said Dennis Burke, a nearby homeowner, urging council to wait for neighborhood-level planning.

Supporters, including a caller from Ward 4 and the project’s architect, told council the site is now functionally part of the downtown area, near University of Michigan housing and transit nodes, and that the planning commission had given a unanimous recommendation for approval. The architect said the site is not in the mapped floodway and that a future site plan would meet DDA streetscape standards.

Council members who supported the rezoning said the decision aligns with the city’s comprehensive-plan direction and the urgent demand for housing. “We have tens of thousands of people who work in Ann Arbor and cannot live here,” a council member said, arguing that increased housing supply near downtown is necessary to address affordability and commuting burdens. Several council members noted the site will be subject to design and flood-plain standards at the site-plan stage.

Opponents pressed for a plan-unit development (PUD) approach or stronger affordable-housing requirements, saying a PUD could secure immediate community benefits such as on-site affordable units or a payment to the housing fund. Multiple speakers referenced previous development proposals for the block and said the current request repeats past controversies.

The ordinance does not itself approve a site plan or final building design; those will return to city review where engineers and planning staff will evaluate floodplain, streetscape and other technical requirements. The council’s approval changes the zoning framework under which a future site plan will be considered.