ANN ARBOR, MI — Downtown Home and Garden’s permanent closure at 210 S. Ashley St. leaves a void in Ann Arbor and questions about what may be coming next.
There may be an answer soon.
Mark Hodesh, longtime owner of the property, said he hopes to announce a new tenant in January or February and it’s likely going to be a bar or a bar and restaurant. He’s sifting through three proposals, he said.
“I think retail is done down there,” he said. “That would be my first choice, but I don’t see it happening between costs of doing business and Amazon and all those things. It’s just tough, so I’m pretty much resigned to a bar or a bar/restaurant.”
People look around Downtown Home & Garden located at 210 S Ashley St., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, the final full day of operation.Abra Richardson | Mlive.com
There are three qualified people inquiring about the property and he has had prospective tenants give him their budgets for building out the space, he said.
“It’s going back and forth now,” he said, predicting a lease agreement could be reached within the next month. “It’s not going to languish on the market for six months, that’s for sure.”
He isn’t disclosing who is in the running, but no matter what happens, Bill’s Beer Garden is expected to continue operating on the parking lot portion of the property, he said.
People look around Downtown Home & Garden located at 210 S Ashley St., on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, the final full day of operation.Abra Richardson | Mlive.com
Hodesh, 81, has owned the property since 1975 and ran Downtown Home and Garden before selling the business to one of his employees a decade ago. Christmas Eve marks the store’s last day as it has struggled in the post-COVID retail environment.
“It’s a charming building,” Hodesh said, noting it traces its history back to the 1890s when it was the Mann and Zeeb Elevator, a supplier of field seed for farmers and grain for poultry.
“If you look hard, you can see its past all around,” he said.
He’s keeping the building’s vintage Toledo weigh scale used to weigh feed and seed, he said.
“I’ll offer it to the new owner to display,” he said.
Hodesh said he enjoyed his time running Downtown Home and Garden years ago.
“I just loved selling rope and grass seed and bird seed and then cooking things, canning things,” he said. “You know, we had jam tasting contests and petting zoos at Christmas, all that stuff.”
Mark Hodesh, former Downtown Home & Garden owner, is shown outside of an entrance to the Ashley Street shop in 2014. (MLive file)MLive file
The Hertlers who ran it before him had a lot of farmers as customers, but also academics, doctors and others, he said, and they stayed his customers.
“That’s where they shopped because it was a nice, honest place,” he said.
“It’s been great,” Hodesh said. “I’m sorry that it came to an end, but I think it’s a sign of the times.”
Customers say final farewell to Ann Arbor’s Downtown Home and Garden as iconic store closes
Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page.
Comments are closed.