Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor's property is worth $21.5 billion at true cash value; the City publishes its sales studies and top taxpayers but no owner roll, and the University of Michigan holds about 3,279 acres in the Ann Arbor area, while Simon, Brixmor and student-housing LLCs lead the taxable side.
8 buildings · 8 with an owner established · 18 sources · 2 tier B · 6 tier A · prepared 2026-10-31
Can you find out who owns it?
Michigan records title by deed with the county register of deeds, here Washtenaw County's. Every deed must state its price or carry an affidavit of value, because the state charges $3.75 per $500 in transfer tax. The City Assessor publishes roll totals, its ten largest taxpayers and its residential sales studies (each sale with parcel, address, date and price), but no owner names. The assessment roll is open to inspection at City Hall. Online, the City sends owner lookups to BS&A Online, and the County's parcel map service is 'authorized for use only in applications approved by Washtenaw County'.
Is ownership public?Public, but one paid search at a time
Cost of one title searchRegister of deeds statutory fees (MCL 600.2567): $1.00 per page for copies, $5.00 to certify, searches by the register 50 cents per year searched with a $5.00 minimum. The assessment roll itself may be inspected free at City Hall
Bulk ownership dataNone published
Sale pricesEvery sale, with its address
1
The marquee buildings
The towers that set the tone of the core, and who holds them. A price is the price a document states, on the date it states — not an estimate of what the building is worth now.
| Building | Use | Owner | Owner type | Last price paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Stadium 1201 S Main St 570,378 gross sq ft (building 1000711) |
Institutional | University of Michigan (Regents of the University of Michigan) The University's FY2027 Five-Year Capital Outlay Plan, filed with the State, lists MICHIGAN STADIUM in its building inventory (Appendix B): building 1000711, 570,378 gross sq ft, built 1927, 'Intercollegiate Athletics Bldg'. The plan says the university 'owns approximately 3,279 acres of property within the Ann Arbor area'. U-M is a constitutional state university, so the stadium is publicly owned and tax-exempt. Second source (tier B): Wikipedia's infobox gives the address, 1201 South Main Street, owner and operator University of Michigan, and capacity 107,600 (2015-present). |
Government | —B |
| University Hospital and the Medical Center campus (incl. the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion) Medical Center Campus (street address not stated in the plan) University Hospital 1,713,623 gross sq ft; Kahn Pavilion 690,000 sq ft |
Institutional | University of Michigan (Regents of the University of Michigan) The FY2027 Capital Outlay Plan's building inventory lists UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL (1,713,623 gross sq ft, 1986, deferred maintenance $230,015,787) and MOTT CHILDRENS VON VOIGTLANDER WOMENS HOSPITALS (1,126,305 gross sq ft, 2011). It describes the new adult inpatient tower, the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion, as a 690,000-square-foot project 'completed in 2025', estimated at $920 million. University of Michigan is the City's largest employer, with 37,400 staff (ACFR 2025, from Ann Arbor SPARK). |
Government | —A |
| Briarwood Mall Ann Arbor, MI (street address not stated in the filing) 924,116 sq ft |
Retail | Simon Property Group 100% (fee) Simon's 2025 10-K property table: 'Briarwood Mall MI Ann Arbor Fee 100.0 % Acquired 2007 93.1 % 924,116', anchors Macy's, JCPenney, Von Maur, Harvest Market and Dick's Sporting Goods, with a Hilton Garden Inn and TownePlace Suites. 'On April 1, 2025, we acquired the remaining 50 % interest in Briarwood Mall from a joint venture partner.' Secured debt: Briarwood Mall, 3.29%, $165,000 thousand, maturing 09/01/26. The City's ACFR ranks 'Briarwood Shopping Complex' its sixth-largest taxpayer in 2025 ($43,781,738 taxable; first in 2016). |
REIT | $9.2M cash for the remaining 50% 2025-04-01 Simon's 10-K: cash consideration $9.2 million incl. working capital; $168.6 million of investment property recorded on consolidation; subject to a $165M 3.29% mortgage. A |
| Arborland Center Ann Arbor, MI (street address not stated in the filing) |
Retail | Brixmor Property Group (Brixmor (formerly AMCAP) Arborland LLC) Brixmor's 2025 10-K Schedule III lists 'Arborland Center Ann Arbor, MI': initial cost land $20,222 thousand and buildings $90,938 thousand, gross carrying amount $113,196 thousand, accumulated depreciation $32,325 thousand, built 2000, acquired Mar-17. In Nov-24 Brixmor also bought 'Land at Arborland Center' for $48 thousand. The City's ACFR names 'Brixmor (formerly AMCAP) Arborland LLC' its third-largest taxpayer in 2025, $46,162,551 taxable (third in 2016 too). Floor area is not stated in the 10-K text read. |
REIT | —A |
| Landmark Ann Arbor student housing 1300 S University Ave |
Residential | GEDR Landmark LLC The City's ACFR, Schedule 7 (source: City Assessing Unit), lists 'GEDR Landmark LLC 1300 S University' as its second-largest property taxpayer in 2025: taxable value $52,390,913, 0.65% of the City's taxable value. It was not in the 2016 top ten. Who stands behind the LLC is not stated, and the roll lookup that would confirm the parcel's owner of record was not opened (BS&A Online's robots.txt disallows our crawler). |
Private company | —A |
| Library Lane parking structure and the Library Lot (planned new downtown library and housing) Library Lane, downtown (street address not stated in the release) |
Mixed use | City of Ann Arbor City news release, 21 Apr 2026: the agreement 'allows for the development of a new library atop both the city-owned Library Lane underground parking structure and the current downtown library site', with housing above. Voters approved Charter amendments in Aug 2025 authorising 'the sale of air rights above the city's Library Lot parcel to AADL for $1', and 'the city retains ownership of the existing underground parking structure'. Planned: a new library spanning both sites, mixed affordable, senior, arts and market-rate housing, and about 10,000 sq ft of public space. |
Government | $1 (air rights only, agreed) 2026-04-20 City Council approved the sale agreement unanimously on 20 Apr 2026; it then went to the Library Board. A |
| Kline's Lot (city surface parking lot) 309 S Ashley St about 1.31 acres |
Land | City of Ann Arbor City news release, 9 Sep 2026: Council on 8 Sep approved a purchase agreement with Hines for 'the future sale and redevelopment of the city-owned parking lot at 309 S. Ashley St.' Hines would pay '$31,500 per approved residential unit, with a minimum purchase price of $14.175 million', and must build at least 450 market-rate, all-electric units (initial concept about 554) and 10,000 sq ft of ground-floor commercial space. Approval 'does not complete the sale'; closing follows due diligence and site-plan approval. So the City still holds title; no price has been paid. |
Government | —A |
| 350 S Fifth Ave (former YMCA site; planned 20-storey affordable housing) 350 S Fifth Ave |
Residential | City of Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Housing Commission page: 'In 2018, the City of Ann Arbor re-acquired 350 S. Fifth Avenue, adjacent to the Blake Transit Center.' The YMCA stood there 1960-2005; the building was demolished in 2008 and the site became a surface lot. City release, 17 Mar 2026: Council approved up to $35 million in bonds for a 20-storey building of about 330 units for households at 30-80% of AMI, a $215 million project co-developed by the Housing Commission's Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation and Related Midwest. Whether title has passed to a project entity since is not stated. |
Government | —B |
2
The core land
The most valuable ground in the city, and what the public record says about it.
Michigan assesses property at 50% of true cash value (MCL 211.27a), and taxable value, on which tax is levied, is capped until a property sells, so it lags far behind. The City publishes roll totals, its ten largest taxpayers and its residential sales studies but no parcel roll with owners, so the single most valuable parcel is not named. Much of the most valuable ground, the University's Central, Medical and athletic campuses, is exempt and absent from the taxable totals.
All property, true cash value (FY2025)$21.46 billion
$21,461,065,000 true cash value; total assessed value $10,730,532,500; total taxable value $8,048,612,196 (real $7,774,889,596, personal $273,722,600). City ACFR FY2025, Schedule 5 (source: City Assessing Unit). In FY2016 true cash value was $13.29 billion.
Ten largest taxpayers' share (2025)5.98% of taxable value
$480,915,789 taxable for the top ten, led by DTE Electric ($96,258,200) and seven real-estate LLCs, most of them student housing near campus. ACFR FY2025, Schedule 7.
Median residential sale in the Assessor's 2026 study$439,513
Median of 1,770 arm's-length residential sales, Apr 2023 to Mar 2025, listed with parcel, address, date and price in the City's 2026 Residential ECF Analysis (sales dated 2023: median $425,000; 2024: $450,000; Jan-Mar 2025: $453,500). Highest sale in the study $3,900,000. Our calculation from the published table.
3
Who owns the town
At this scale the significant owner is rarely a trust or a fund: it is one or two local holding companies, a family in its second or third generation, and often the land around the town rather than the buildings in it.
The University of Michigan is the landowner in Ann Arbor: about 3,279 acres in the Ann Arbor area, exempt from tax, against which every private holding is small. The City holds the downtown parking sites now being sold or leased for housing, and its Housing Commission owns the public housing. The largest taxable holder is a utility, DTE, and the next are student-housing LLCs and shopping-centre REITs. Acreage for the City, the school district, the VA hospital and the railroads could not be established without an open roll.
| Name | Type | Holdings |
|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan (Regents of the University of Michigan) FY2027 Capital Outlay Plan: 'The university owns approximately 3,279 acres of property within the Ann Arbor area and approximately 21,409 acres overall (most within the State of Michigan). The approximate replacement value of the Ann Arbor area campus facilities is $10.9 billion.' 'Ann Arbor area' may include land outside the city limits. Some buildings are leased to the State Building Authority until their bonds are repaid (e.g. School of Dentistry, lease to 2057). |
Government | about 3,279 acres in the Ann Arbor area (21,409 acres overall); facilities replacement value about $10.9 billionA |
| City of Ann Arbor The City's own releases call the Library Lot and the 309 S Ashley lot city-owned and say it re-acquired 350 S Fifth in 2018. The AAHC's feasibility analysis covered 'underutilized City-owned properties', listing among others 353 S Main, 123 W Summit, 1510 E Stadium (former Fire Station 2), 2000 S Industrial Hwy, 404-406 N Ashley and Platt/Springbrook. The City also runs an airport fund. Total City acreage is not published on the pages read. |
Government | downtown sites incl. the Library Lot and Library Lane structure, 309 S Ashley (about 1.31 acres), 350 S Fifth Ave; 10 sites studied for affordable housingA |
| Ann Arbor Housing Commission Public and affordable housing listed on the AAHC properties page; units at Dunbar Tower and its affordable-housing portfolio are described as 'owned by AAHC'. |
Government | 19 named propertiesA |
| DTE Electric Company ACFR FY2025 Schedule 7: the City's largest taxpayer, 1.20% of taxable value, up from $30,175,100 (4th) in 2016. Class 551 is utility personal property, so this is mostly lines and equipment rather than land. DTE Gas Company is 10th ($33,058,164). |
Public company | $96,258,200 taxable (2025, 1st; class 551 utility)A |
5
Who builds the houses
New-home building in this market: the volume, and the firms behind it. Ownership of a builder matters as much as its volume — a private-equity platform and a family firm behave differently.
Ann Arbor builds few houses and many apartments. In 2025 the city permitted 557 new units, 505 of them in six buildings of five or more units; single-family permits were 48. New supply is driven by downtown and near-campus towers, and increasingly by city-owned sites sold or leased for housing (350 S Fifth Ave, Kline's Lot, the Library Lot). No builder league table exists and, without an open owner roll, builders could not be counted by parcels held, so the rows below are the developers named on the City's own project records, not a ranking by output.
| Name | Type | Units (as stated) |
|---|---|---|
| All builders, City of Ann Arbor (Census permits) US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual place file, Ann Arbor (place 03000), 10 months reported with the rest imputed: 1-unit 48 buildings/48 units ($19,511,623); 2-unit 2/4; 5+ units 6 buildings/505 units ($181,546,197). |
Institution | 557 units permitted in 2025 (48 single-family, 4 in duplexes, 505 in 5+ unit buildings)A |
| Related Midwest (with Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation) Co-developer, chosen by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission through a competitive RFP, of the 20-storey, $215 million project on the City's former YMCA site; Council approved up to $35M of bonds on 17 Mar 2026. |
Developer | about 330 affordable units planned at 350 S Fifth AveA |
| Hines Purchase agreement approved by Council 8 Sep 2026; sale not yet closed. Price $31,500 per approved unit, minimum $14.175 million. |
Private company | at least 450 market-rate units required (initial concept about 554) at 309 S Ashley StA |
| Ann Arbor Housing Commission The AAHC's properties page lists Baker Commons, Broadway Terrace, Creekside Court, Dunbar Tower, Garden Circle, Green Baxter Court, Hikone, Hillside Manor, Lurie Terrace, Mallett's Creek, Maple Meadows, Miller Manor, Oakwood, Siller Terrace, South Seventh, State Crossing, Upper Platt - Colonial Platt, West Arbor and West Washington. The City's affordable-housing millage (2020) set a goal of 1,500 affordable units. |
Government | 19 named AAHC properties; Dunbar Tower tax-credit units 'owned by AAHC'A |
6
Commercial landlords
The commercial side, counted separately from housing: who holds the office, retail and industrial floor area.
Ann Arbor's biggest taxable landlords are not office owners but student-housing LLCs and two shopping-centre REITs. The City's ten largest taxpayers in 2025 include five LLCs that own large near-campus apartment buildings; nine years earlier the list was also dominated by student housing, under different names, which shows how often those buildings trade. Who stands behind each LLC is not stated in the City's list. Taxable value is the figure because the City publishes no floor areas.
| Name | Type | 2025 taxable value (City ACFR) |
|---|---|---|
| Simon Property Group Bought out its 50% joint-venture partner on 1 Apr 2025 for $9.2M cash; $165M 3.29% mortgage due 1 Sep 2026 (10-K for 2025). The taxable figure is from the City ACFR. |
REIT | Briarwood Mall, 924,116 sq ft, 100% fee; $43,781,738 taxable ('Briarwood Shopping Complex')A |
| Brixmor Property Group Schedule III of Brixmor's 2025 10-K lists all three as 'Ann Arbor, MI'; Maple Village acquired Jun-11, Arborland Mar-17; Huron Village's $29,503 thousand is from the 10-K's 2024 acquisitions table. The 10-K's postal city may include sites just outside the city limits; Arborland is on the City roll (ACFR taxpayer list), the other two were not checked against the boundary. |
REIT | 3 Ann Arbor centres: Arborland Center ($113.2M gross carrying amount), Huron Village (118,482 sq ft, bought Nov 2024 for $29.5M), Maple Village ($54.2M); Arborland $46,162,551 taxableA |
| GEDR Landmark LLC 1300 S University. ACFR FY2025 Schedule 7. |
Private company | $52,390,913 (2nd)A |
| BVK HSRE Ann Arbor, LLC ACFR FY2025 Schedule 7; property not named. |
Private company | $46,058,250 (4th)A |
| CPI Foundry, LLC ACFR FY2025 Schedule 7; property not named. |
Private company | $43,897,200 (5th)A |
| The Standard at Ann Arbor LLC ACFR FY2025 Schedule 7. |
Private company | $43,589,300 (7th)A |
| CCSHP Ann Arbor I, LLC (The Yard) ACFR FY2025 Schedule 7. |
Private company | $42,424,700 (8th)A |
| Northstar Fund IV LLC ACFR FY2025 Schedule 7. |
Private company | $33,294,773 (9th)A |
?
Looked for and not found
Claims this page would have made if a source could be opened. They are left out rather than guessed.
- Owner of record for each marquee parcel on the City roll: the City's lookup is BS&A Online, whose robots.txt disallows ClaudeBot, so no parcel was confirmed there. Owners rest on the ACFR taxpayer list, SEC filings and City and University documents.
- Who stands behind GEDR Landmark LLC, BVK HSRE Ann Arbor LLC, CPI Foundry LLC, The Standard at Ann Arbor LLC, CCSHP Ann Arbor I LLC and Northstar Fund IV LLC: not stated in any source opened.
- Ann Arbor Public Schools, Washtenaw County, the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System (federal) and the railroads as landowners: no parcel counts or acreage, because the County parcel service is restricted to approved applications and the City roll was not opened.
- Ann Arbor Municipal Airport: the City runs an airport fund (ACFR), but whether the airport lies inside the city limits was not established, so it is not a marquee entry.
- Tallest buildings (e.g. downtown residential towers) are left out: they are largely residential condominiums whose individual owners are not named, and no source opened gave a building-level owner.
- Single-family rental holders and builders by number of parcels held: needs an owner roll, which is not openly available.
§
Sources
- Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, year ended 30 June 2025 (Schedule 5 Taxable Value of Property; Schedule 7 Principal Property Taxpayers; Schedule 15 Principal Employers) — City of Ann Arbor · openA
- Online Assessment and Property Tax Data ('all property assessment rolls and property appraisal cards be available for public inspection and copying'; link to BS&A Online) — City of Ann Arbor, Assessor's Office · openA
- 2026 Residential ECF Analysis (1,770 sales, 2023-2025, with parcel number, address, date, price and instrument; no names) — City of Ann Arbor, Assessor's Office · openA
- State Real Estate Transfer Tax Act, MCL 207.525 ($3.75 per $500; instrument must state value or carry an affidavit) — Michigan Legislature · openA
- Register of deeds fees, MCL 600.2567 — Michigan Legislature · openA
- General Property Tax Act, MCL 211.27a (assessment at 50% of true cash value; taxable value cap; transfer of ownership) — Michigan Legislature · openA
- ArcGIS Online item 'Parcels' (Washtenaw County, MI Parcels feature service): 'This map service is authorized for use only in applications approved by Washtenaw County. Unauthorized use is prohibited.' — Washtenaw County GIS / Equalization · openA
- Five-Year Capital Outlay Plan and Project Request, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, FY2027 (final draft, Oct 2025): land holdings, building inventory (Appendix B), State Building Authority leases — University of Michigan, Facilities and Operations · openA
- Simon Property Group, Form 10-K for 2025 (property table; acquisitions; secured indebtedness; Schedule III) — Simon Property Group via SEC EDGAR · openA
- Brixmor Property Group, Form 10-K for 2025 (acquisitions table; Schedule III real estate) — Brixmor Property Group via SEC EDGAR · openA
- City of Ann Arbor and Ann Arbor District Library finalize agreement for new downtown library, housing and public space (21 Apr 2026) — City of Ann Arbor · openA
- City Council approves agreement for future housing development on downtown parking lot site (9 Sep 2026) — City of Ann Arbor · openA
- 350 S. Fifth Ave (Development of City-Owned Properties as Affordable Housing): 'In 2018, the City of Ann Arbor re-acquired 350 S. Fifth Avenue' — Ann Arbor Housing Commission (City of Ann Arbor) · openA
- Ann Arbor City Council approves up to $35 million in bonds to support affordable housing at 350 S. Fifth Ave. (17 Mar 2026) — City of Ann Arbor · openA
- Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual place file, Midwest Region (Ann Arbor, place 03000) — US Census Bureau · openA
- AAHC Properties; Development of City-Owned Properties as Affordable Housing; Housing Commission home page — Ann Arbor Housing Commission (City of Ann Arbor) · openA
- Michigan Stadium (infobox: location, owner, capacity) — Wikipedia · openB
- Financial Feasibility Analysis & Development of City-Owned Properties as Affordable Housing (10 City-owned sites; links to each) — Ann Arbor Housing Commission (City of Ann Arbor) · openA