For Property Managers

We understand that leasing commercial space and retaining tenants downtown can be difficult when there is often less expensive, newer office space elsewhere. When businesses begin to add the cost of providing parking to their employees, the cost per square foot for downtown office space can become unwieldy.

However, the truth is that the transportation options available in downtown Ann Arbor are better than anywhere else in the region. In downtown Ann Arbor, employees have options that simply aren’t available elsewhere. The getDowntown program is happy to help you communicate to your tenants or potential tenants the wide variety of transportation choices available to downtown businesses and their employees. Here are just a few of the great options available downtown:

• A free ride on all of AATA bus routes. Employers can purchase go!passes, a discounted bus pass available only to downtown businesses, at the rate of only $5/pass/full-time employee for the entire year! (The regular cost of a yearly bus pass is $450.)
• Amenities for bike commuters. Bike commuters have access to an ample supply of bike racks and secure bike lockers that can be rented for only $60 year. And all AATA buses are equipped with bike racks so employees can easily combine biking and transit or so they can easily get home if the weather seems too nasty.
• Walkable, pedestrian friendly streets. Chances are employees, customers & clients aren’t going to be able or interested in walking to a business located out on Zeeb Road. However, the close proximity of downtown Ann Arbor to a number of Ann Arbor’s great residential districts makes it an ideal location to do business.
• Free parking. There’s no need to pay for parking for downtown employees. There are 5 Park & Ride lots available for those employees that need to drive to work. Employees can park their car for free all day and take The Ride the rest of the way to work. With a go!pass their ride is free!

Transportation shouldn’t be an impediment to a business interested in locating in downtown Ann Arbor, rather it should be the reason business choose to operate downtown. With easy access to transit, bike and walking routes, a vibrant street life, easy access to nearby professional services we think there’s no shortage of reasons to locate a business in downtown Ann Arbor.