On September 18 and 19, the 21st Saline Main Street Oktoberfest filled the West Henry Street parking lot at 100 S. Ann Arbor St. Mac's Acadian Seafood Shack owner Wally MacNeil served as this year's Festmeister. The same asphalt hosted every Thursday of Salty Summer Sounds, from June 25 through The Favorites' season finale on August 27. On Saturday mornings, the city lists the outdoor farmers market at that address as well, in Parking Lot #4.
Most of downtown Saline's public calendar takes place in a parking lot. A plan to change that has been in the works since late 2024. In September it got smaller, cheaper for the city and slower. It also kept the one piece that matters most for the events: a covered stage.
The Square Would Sit Across the Street
The proposed Gathering Space would sit behind Murphy's Crossing, the brick complex at the southeast corner of Ann Arbor Street and Michigan Avenue. It would be west of the public parking lot off East Henry Street. If you have had coffee at Carrigan Cafe, you have been in the building. The Saline Main Street directory lists Carrigan Cafe at 101 S. Ann Arbor, with RDM The Studio and Cobblestone Rose in neighboring suites.
The building is older than it looks. Murphy's Crossing was a late-1800s opera house before it was rebuilt for new uses. The name honors developer Bill Kinley's late wife, Mary, whose nickname was "Murph." His son Tyler Kinley, president of Praxis Properties, is behind the current proposal.
The location matters to anyone who goes to these events. The block of South Ann Arbor Street between Michigan Avenue and Henry Street is already on the social district route. Patrons can carry a district cup along it and down Leather Bucket Alley. A square behind Murphy's Crossing would put a stage within a short walk of the restaurants that already anchor downtown evenings.
Why a Stage Behind a Building Was Ever on the Table
The idea started with the West Henry lot. When Kinley pitched the partnership to City Council in December 2024, The Saline Post laid out the tradeoffs. An earlier concept for a public space on the West Henry lot would have cost 15 public parking spaces in its first phase and 40 in its second. The paper noted the debate would have been heated even before DropTop Pizza opened and began filling the lot on a regular basis. The Murphy's Crossing plan would remove few, if any, parking spaces.
That 2024 report also made a point about the concerts. The Thursday series had not regained its crowds after leaving South Ann Arbor Street for the West Henry lot, though it had recovered somewhat the year before. The paper floated a bigger idea too: the farmers market, Oktoberfest, Summerfest and other events could all eventually move across the street. It described the site behind Murphy's Crossing as shielded from downtown traffic and noise. That reporting is almost two years old. It explains where the plan came from, not how the 2026 concert season went.
The money came together this spring. On March 31, 2026, the governor's office announced a $1.5 million Revitalization and Placemaking grant for the project. The state described a three-story historic building and an adjacent parcel turned into four two-story apartments, renovated lower-level commercial space and about 10,000 square feet of outdoor public space. It projected about $7.5 million in total investment. City budget documents listed the Downtown Greenspace as a $500,000 project for fiscal year 2027, split evenly between the general fund and TIFA, the city's downtown tax capture authority.
What Changed on September 14
Kinley brought a revised plan to the Council meeting on Monday, September 14. The biggest change is that the city-owned parcel next to his property is now out of the design entirely.
That parcel is the subject of a lawsuit filed in June. Council Member Dean Girbach and his brother Brian Girbach are suing the city over land their parents once owned. According to MLive, a settlement their parents reached with the city in the 1990s included a clause returning ownership to the Girbach family if the parcel was not used for public parking. The case is unresolved, and Kinley told Council that with the parcel in litigation, "our ability to really do anything on that parcel is negated."
Here is how the plan compares before and after the redesign:
| Spring 2026 version | September 2026 revision | |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | Kinley property plus the adjacent city parcel, about 10,000 sq. ft. of public space | Kinley property only, smaller; new size not published |
| Covered stage, green space, seating, play features | Yes | Yes |
| City lot upgrades, which could have included brick pavers, planters and an ADA ramp | Under consideration | Dropped |
| Stormwater drainage | Tied to the city lot | Moved elsewhere |
| City contribution | $500,000 | $250,000 |
| Housing and commercial | Four two-story apartments, lower-level commercial | Four two-story apartments, lower-level cocktail bar |
The terms are unusually favorable to the city. Kinley would lease the finished space to Saline for $1 every ten years. MLive reported that the city would control community programming while Praxis paid for the capital improvements.
"It has been a dream of downtown for a long time," Kinley told Council.
The revision has a cost. Kinley said construction access across the disputed parcel could still be a problem. Praxis also has to take the modified plans back to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the agency behind the grant.
The Calendar Stays Where It Is for Now
Nothing about next summer has moved yet. MLive reported no vote on September 14 and said Council would keep reviewing the plan over the next month or two. The timeline now points to 2027 or 2028. A Saline Post preview before the meeting gave Kinley's estimate in more detail: groundbreaking in April 2027 and completion in April 2028. Under that schedule, the West Henry lot stays Saline's stage for at least another full concert season and another Oktoberfest.
Not every downtown event uses that lot. This year's Summerfest, held August 7 and 8, was split between downtown and Henne Field. The next big gathering downtown is Saline Main Street's Trunk or Treat, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21. The listing gives the address as 106 W. Michigan Ave. The trunk registration notice places it in the KeyBank parking lot at West Michigan Avenue and West McKay Street. That is another parking lot on a different block. The scarecrows lining downtown this month will have their winners announced at noon that day, after voting closes at midnight on October 20.
Here is what to watch over the coming months:
- A Council vote on the revised lease and the $250,000 contribution. No vote has been reported since the September 14 presentation.
- The MEDC's response to the smaller footprint. The $1.5 million grant was announced for the earlier, larger version.
- Movement in the Girbach lawsuit. The revised plan avoids the disputed parcel, but construction access near it could still be an issue.
- A published size for the new space. The 10,000-square-foot figure no longer applies, and no replacement number has been released.
For more on downtown Saline, see our guide to everyday life in Saline's parks and downtown and our Saline neighborhood page.
We follow projects like this one because they shape the blocks our clients live near. If you own a home within walking distance of Murphy's Crossing and want to understand where your property stands today, The Darby Group is happy to walk through it with you. Request Your Free Home Valuation.
