Ann Arbor Lawmakers Push to Rein In U-M's Power to Bypass Local Zoning on Land Purchases

State Reps. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor), Morgan Foreman (D-Ann Arbor) and Jimmie Wilson Jr. (D-Ypsilanti) have introduced legislation to strip the University of Michigan of its authority to bypass local zoning laws when acquiring land, directly challenging the university's constitutional exemption and seeking to give communities more control over future development.

The package—House Joint Resolution X and House Bills 6120 and 6121—would end U-M's zoning exemption for land it acquires after 2027, while leaving property it already owns unaffected. The joint resolution would amend the Michigan Constitution to require U-M's Board of Regents to comply with all local land ordinances and zoning for future acquisitions. The companion bills would make corresponding changes to state law. If approved by the Legislature, House Joint Resolution X would send the proposed constitutional amendment to voters.

The university's exemption is rooted in Article VIII, Section 5 of the 1963 Michigan Constitution. All 15 public universities in Michigan share the exemption, which allows them to acquire land and decide how to use it without local zoning approval. The legislation would subject future U-M acquisitions to the same local land-use review that applies to private developers and other property owners—a question of democratic accountability.

That conflict has sharpened as U-M has expanded its footprint, acquiring more than 300 acres in two years. In May 2026, the Board of Regents approved a $60 million purchase of the former Concordia University Ann Arbor campus on Geddes Road. The roughly 140-acre property includes Earhart Manor, a chapel, residence halls and athletic fields.

The Ann Arbor City Council opposed the deal, raising concerns about the property remaining off the tax rolls and questioning whether the riverfront site should instead be used for housing or other local needs. Six area state lawmakers also criticized the purchase over its effects on local tax rolls and land use.

U-M has pledged $32 million to Ann Arbor for capital improvements, public safety and transportation upgrades in connection with the Concordia purchase. But the university has not settled on a use for the property. Domenico Grasso, chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, said, "Our plans for the Concordia site are still to be determined. We do know that there will be a strong emphasis on potential community use."

Wilson said communities should have a formal role before university projects move forward. "You should at least be presenting plans to planning commissions, local governments and getting approvals."

A separate dispute in Ypsilanti Township has further highlighted the tensions. The university is planning a $1.25 billion high-performance computing facility with Los Alamos National Laboratory there, a project currently exempt from local zoning that has faced community opposition. On April 22, 2026, the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority voted to impose a one-year moratorium on water and sewer hookups for data centers and AI computing operations, effectively pausing utility service for the planned supercomputing campus. U-M warned that it may pursue legal action over the utility pause, escalating tensions with local officials.

Together, the Concordia opposition and the Ypsilanti computing conflict illustrate how U-M's exemption has fueled disputes over land use, tax revenue and local governments' ability to shape development within their borders. The legislative package represents a test of whether Ann Arbor's elected representatives can reclaim zoning authority from an institution that has operated above local ordinances for more than six decades.