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Heartland Art Center renovations to bring temporary traffic and parking changes to downtown alley

Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 12:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

Heartland Art Center, located at 214 North Michigan Street in downtown Plymouth, is set to begin renovations to its building on or about August 25th, as part of an ongoing effort to restore the historic Montgomery Ward building that now serves as home to Heartland Artists.

With Labor Day now behind us, construction activities — including masonry restoration and window replacement — will require the temporary closure of the alley behind the Heartland Art Center building for several weeks.

To accommodate the construction while maintaining the maximum number of available parking spaces, the City of Plymouth has approved a temporary traffic flow and parking plan.

Under the temporary plan, the alley — which currently operates as one-way southbound — will be modified. The section of the alley extending from the Heartland building north to Washington Street will temporarily become one-way northbound.

In addition, parking spaces 7, 8, 9, 10, and 21, as identified on the approved traffic flow diagram, will be temporarily unavailable. These spaces will be used to create a turnaround area, allowing motorists to safely make a U-turn from the parking lot to the alley and access parking spaces 1 through 6.

The temporary changes are necessary to ensure public safety and maintain access during the restoration process.

"This restoration project will help preserve one of downtown Plymouth's historic buildings while ensuring it continues to serve as a vibrant home for the arts," said Anna Kietzman, President of Heartland Artists. "We thank the community for its support as we undertake these important improvements."

Heartland Artists appreciates the patience and understanding of downtown businesses, visitors, and community members as work progresses.