Overview​​​

South University Park is a small half acre park located on South University Avenue at Walnut Street, in a neighborhood just east of downtown Ann Arbor. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map​ for location context. It has benches, a picnic table and a shaded half basketball court.

Access and Parking

There is street parking on one side of South University Avenue and one side of Walnut Street. Refer to posted signage regarding parking rules and restrictions.

The park is accessible on foot and bicycle by using the surrounding neighborhood streets. There are sidewalks along the nearby streets. There is no bike rack at the pack. Nearby Washtenaw Avenue has sidewalks but no bike lanes.

Public Transportation: The neares​t ​bu​s stop​​​ is immediately adjacent to the park on South University. ​Visit The Ride for schedule and route details or check out the parks ride guide. ​​​​​​​

Amenities

• Picnic table and benches, view asset map​ for amenity locations
  
• Half basketball court
  
• Paved paths with winter maintenance
• Landfill receptacle​
  

There are many opportunities for volunteering and getting engaged with the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services Unit. GIVE 365 and the seasonal Adopt-a-Park Program offer volunteer opportunities ranging from a 90-minute commitment to a more long term ongoing role. If you are feeling the call to volunteer or give some time, reach out or explore the websites above to see what’s upcoming or how to get involved. 

To report any maintenance issues or other problem during your park visit, please report through A2Fix It​. Keep in mind that parks are large spaces and A2 Fix It requests can be difficult to find without detailed information. When reporting an issue in a park please include location details. ​​There is a details and description section near the end of the request process to help you provide this. In addition, users can utilize the pin (website) or X (mobile app) feature to provide specific location information inside the park. Finally, please consider including a wide angle photo or include background landmarks, which helps staff find and fix the problem. ​​

Information on donating to the parks and the Guide to Giving can be found here. Alternatively if you have a special project or park improvement idea that you want to donate your time and energy toward, a great place to start is through Adopt-a-Park and the proposing a special park project​ guide. For information on donating a tree through Adopt-a-Park, the tree donation guide​​​​​​​ can help you get started.

The land that became South University Park was originally a lot that had two houses on it which had been abandoned by the owner. The park was acquired by the the city in the early 1970s, after neighbors had essentially developed the property into park space themselves.​ Leslie and Michael Morris helped make this process happen and helped convince the City of Ann Arbor to buy the land and bring it into the park system. Eventually Leslie Morris would be elected to Ann Arbor City Council and served from 1977-1983. She also served as a member of the Park Advisory Commission (PAC).

In 2012-2013, after soliciting public input, the park was updated, replacing outdated benches and a removing dilapidated kiosk and repaving the basketball court. These improvements cost approximately $43,000. Leslie and Michael Morris, who had helped the park come into existence, donated $50,000 to the city for the express purpose of renovating the park, and part of their gift was used to do so.​ Read more about the park's history and the Morris families contributions here​.

​​​Updated June 2022. Email [email protected]​a2gov.org for incorrect/outdated information.​​​​