Sourdough pancakes and a no-tip policy

Morning, Ann Arbor! In 1974, a 21-year-old U-M student named Kathy Kozachenko won a seat on Ann Arbor City Council and became the first openly gay person elected to public office in the United States. Now, 52 years later, the city is looking for someone to turn that moment into bronze. More on that below.

🌡️ This Week: Snowy and cold through Thursday, warming into the 40s by the weekend. Keep the boots on.

Read Time: 4.5 minutes

Reader Count: 3,915 townies

Percent of Ann Arbor Reading: 3.28%

🍸 Ann Arbor's First AC Hotel Is Open (And the Bar Is Worth Knowing About)

 Ann Arbor's first AC Hotel is officially open at Fifth and Huron with 139 rooms, local art throughout, and solar panels on the roof. But the real draw for locals is the AC Lounge, a European-style cocktail bar run by two bartenders with about 40 years of combined Ann Arbor experience between them, including stints at The Last Word, Vinology, and Black Pearl. They're leaning into aperitivo culture with two happy hours daily (first and last hours of service) featuring 50% off spritzes, amari, and fortified wines. The move: go during happy hour and try whatever spritz is on the board. Shoutout to Ellen L & Casey M for the tip ❤️ HOTELS Magazine

☕ A New Kind of Cafe Just Opened on Huron Street

Espy Cafe (404 W Huron St, between downtown and West Park) opened January 10 with a model you don't see much around here: workers own the shop. No tip jar. Higher wages instead. Co-owners Julia Knowles and Peter Littlejohn source everything from Midwestern farms, many in southeastern Michigan. The move: sourdough pancakes with butter-infused maple syrup. Open Thursday through Monday, 8am to 3pm. mLive

 🏀 #1 Michigan Falls to Duke in DC 

Tough one. #3 Duke knocked off #1 Michigan 68-63 at Capital One Arena on Saturday night. Yaxel Lendeborg came out hot with 12 early points but the Wolverines went ice cold in the second half, shooting just 4-of-17 from the field. Deep breath. Michigan drops to 25-2 and is still in great shape for a #1 seed come March. Recap here (3 min). Next game: Tuesday vs Minnesota at Crisler, 8:30pm on ESPN.

🎨 Ann Arbor Wants a Statue for Kathy Kozachenko

The city is accepting artist applications to design a life-sized bronze statue of Kozachenko, to be placed outside Larcom City Hall right next to the historical marker from her 1974 election. Budget is $75,000, funded through donations managed by the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor. If you're a sculptor or know one, the deadline is March 8. WEMU

🏛️ Planning Commission Says Yes to More Housing

The Ann Arbor Planning Commission voted unanimously on February 18 to approve the final Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The short version: it maps out where and how the city grows over the next 25 years, including new housing. City Council gets the final vote in March. WEMU

📺 Governor Whitmer's State of the State Is Tuesday

Governor Whitmer delivers her 2026 State of the State address this Tuesday, February 25 at 7pm from the Michigan House Chambers. Expect proposals around jobs, housing, education, and lowering costs. It's her eighth year in office. michigan.gov

⛸️ Happy Birthday to Ann Arbor's Most Decorated Olympian
Huron High grad, U-M alum, and five-time Olympian Evan Bates won team gold and individual silver in ice dance with partner Madison Chock at the Milan Games. Three career Olympic medals. First American figure skater to compete in five Winter Olympics. And today's his 37th birthday. Happy Birthday, Evan. Shoutout to Melanie B for the tip ❤️

💻 Ann Arbor Township Hits Pause on Data Centers

The Township Board passed a 12-month moratorium on data center development on February 16. No developers have come knocking yet, but the board is getting ahead of it. Supervisor Diane O'Connell: "Understanding the intense use of water resources potentially and also electrical power. We thought that this is a topic that we want to study." A subcommittee will report back within nine months. WEMU

🧱 Brick Bash 2026 at Skyline This Weekend

If you or your kids are into LEGOs, Brick Bash is back at Skyline High School (2552 N. Maple Rd). Meet Tim and Zach from LEGO Masters Season 2, check out building exhibits, and support the Skyline Band Program. February 28, 11am-6pm and March 1, 11am-5pm. Tickets are $8. Michigan Daily

On the Market

210 W Kingsley St (Downtown) — $480,000 — 2 bed | 1 bath | 1,056 sqft
1920s Craftsman two blocks off Main Street. You're walking to Frita Batidos, Literati, and the Farmers Market without thinking twice. Covered front porch. Private backyard downtown? Sign us up. It's cozy, but the location is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

223 E Ann St #6 (Kerrytown) — $725,000 — 3 bed | 2.5 bath | 1,632 sqft
A condo inside the Armory — one of Kerrytown's coolest buildings, built in 1930 in the Old Fourth Ward. Three floors with exposed beams, skylights, and a full gut renovation. A block from Zingerman's and the Farmers Market. If you've ever wanted to live inside a piece of Ann Arbor history, this is it.

2925 Exmoor Rd (Ann Arbor Hills) — $1,475,000 — 5 bed | 5 bath | 6,927 sqft
Nearly 7,000 square feet. That’s not a house, that’s a zip code. Ann Arbor Hills on three-quarters of an acre with an elevator, a walk-out lower level with its own kitchen, and a wooded lot with total privacy. These don’t come up often.

Adoptable Humane Society Pets

Annie — 1 year 1 month | Medium Female | Brown Dog — Shy at first, best friend material once she trusts you. Came in with her ride-or-die Suzi and they can go home together. Meet Annie

Andromeda — 1 year 7 months | Small Female | Black Cat — Not a first-date kind of cat. Give her time and she'll let you in. Quiet homes only. Meet Andromeda

Atticus — 6 years 8 months | Large Male | Tan & Black Dog — A gentleman who takes a minute to warm up, but worth the wait. Solo pet household, no young kids. He's been waiting at HSHV since late January.  Meet Atticus

📣 What's Next for Michigander

We've got some things cooking at Michigander HQ. A townie guide to the best of the best in Ann Arbor. More local business spotlights. New Michigander swag (coming soon). And a referral program that rewards the people who keep spreading the word to friends and family. Last week was one of our biggest weeks ever for new subscribers. That's because of you. Students, alumni, lifers, newcomers, anyone who loves this town. Everyone's welcome here. We've got big plans for this little newsletter and we can't do any of it without you. One thing we care a lot about: helping get the word out about the small businesses that make this town feel like this town. If you own one or know someone who does, hit reply. We read every one.

That's all for now! Have a great week in Tree Town!

— Ryan & James 

P.S. - If you like what you read, forward this to a friend. Got a favorite section or an idea for a new one? Hit reply, we read every email.

P.P.S. - Paramount+ is filming a Hard Knocks-style documentary about Michigan basketball this season. Drops in April. UM Hoops

P.P.P.S. - The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is coming to Hill Auditorium for the first time since 2010. Beethoven's 7th and Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. Student tickets start at $25. UMS

P.P.P.P.S. - A bunch of new Michigander subscribers have been raving about Dozer Coffee. Have you been? We haven't been yet, so it's on our list to check out this week.