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South Side BIZ plans median makeovers, new signage and art to 'welcome' visitors to Ann Arbor
Summary
South Side Business Improvement Zone leaders say they will begin late‑summer work to replace asphalt medians on State Street with plantings and new wayfinding, with initial work focused on three city‑controlled medians and further projects subject to MDOT permission and fundraising for public art.
Jeff Hopman, CEO of Oxford Companies and chair of the South Side Business Improvement Zone, said the group will begin late‑summer work to remove asphalt and install landscaping on the first three medians along the State Street corridor, with plantings expected to be in place by fall.
"Our goal . . . is to change that," Hopman said, describing medians that have long been covered in cracked asphalt and weeds. He added that the first three medians are city controlled and therefore the quickest to renovate; additional medians are state‑controlled and will require permission from the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Hopman described the BIZ as a "state‑sanctioned tax overlay" in which property owners in a defined geography agree to levy an additional assessment, subject to city council approval, to fund area improvements. "The city takes care of the collections, and it's our responsibility to carefully spend that money toward aesthetics for the area, wayfinding, . . . and capital improvements," he said.
The project is intended to improve the arrival experience for visitors coming off I‑94 and State Street, Hopman said, and is part of a broader push to make the south side more walkable and attractive to residents and workers. He cited nearby and planned development — including a planned 170‑key Drury hotel, the demolition of Wolverine Tower for a University of Michigan orthopedic center, and the Arbor South development — as reasons to invest in signage and public art.
Hopman said Arbor South is planned to include about 1,000 housing units, "200 of which are affordable," and that the BIZ will prioritize fundraising and partnerships for larger projects such as sculpture and wayfinding that exceed the BIZ's smaller taxing authority.
Officials also plan to talk with MDOT about improvements at freeway exits and signage; Hopman said some medians further south are entirely state controlled and will proceed only with MDOT agreement. He estimated further wayfinding work through 2028 and said the group is actively fundraising for art and other enhancements.
Hopman framed the BIZ as a collaborative voice for the area, noting participation from Briarwood, hotel operators and Destination Ann Arbor. "We have to basically be able to go to the city and go to the county and say, 'Hey, we can do more,'" he said.
The segment closed with Hopman expressing a five‑year hope that the State and Eisenhower corridors will be cleaner, more welcoming and safer for walking and biking while acknowledging the larger capital challenges required for more transformational street redesign.
