Ann Arbor Bus Depot
A streamlined Art Deco terminal that served generations of travelers, demolished in 2014 but partly preserved through adaptive reuse.
At a glance
The Ann Arbor Bus Depot was an intercity bus station designed by Cleveland architects Banfield and Cumming in partnership with Ann Arbor architect Douglas Loree. Built in 1940 as the Eastern Michigan Motorbus Terminal, it operated for seven decades before demolition in 2014. Its facade and marquee survive, incorporated into a hotel constructed on the site.
History
Completed in 1940, the depot anchored downtown Ann Arbor’s transportation hub during the mid-twentieth century. It served as the city’s Greyhound station until shortly before demolition. Between 1988 and 2001, the building was listed as an Individual Historic Property on the Ann Arbor Register of Historic Places. In 2014, it was demolished to make way for a six-story hotel with 110 rooms.
What you see
The terminal exemplified Art Deco principles translated into functional design. Its streamlined moderne aesthetic—with clean lines and geometric forms—reflected the optimism of 1940s American transportation. The preserved facade and marquee now form part of the hotel’s street presence, allowing visitors to glimpse the original composition and detailing.
Cultural significance
The Bus Depot represented both technological confidence and civic aspiration in early twentieth-century America. It was the last surviving example of Streamline Moderne architecture and the final public Art Deco structure in Ann Arbor. Its preservation, even in fragmentary form, acknowledges the building’s historic role in the city’s urban fabric and transportation network.
Key facts
- Location: 116 W. Huron, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Coordinates: 42.28164722, −83.74928056
- Built: 1940
- Original name: Eastern Michigan Motorbus Terminal
- Architects: Banfield and Cumming (Cleveland) with Douglas Loree (Ann Arbor)
- Style: Art Deco/Streamline Moderne
- Historic listing: 1988–2001, Ann Arbor Register of Historic Places
- Demolished: 2014
Practical information & getting there
The building no longer stands as an independent structure. Traces of the original Art Deco terminal are visible in the facade and marquee elements incorporated into the hotel at 116 W. Huron. Ann Arbor is served by car, bus, and rail; the city center is accessible from major highways and regional transit networks.
Sources & resources
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