Traverse City's Union Street Station to Close Feb. 28 amid Eviction Lawsuit

Union Street Station, long billed as downtown Traverse City’s oldest bar, will close its doors Saturday, Feb. 28, after an eviction filing and a lawsuit by the building owner. Operators Rick and Christina Thompson say the decision came from the building owner, and the legal fight and safety concerns make this a forced rather than voluntary closure for a venue generations of residents have known as a music and gathering place.

Court documents filed in the case lay out the owner’s allegations and describe safety hazards found during an inspection in November 2025. Inspectors found “water leaking through a hole in the front door,” and that the water was “leaking onto asbestos-wrapped pipes located next to exposed electrical wires. Following these findings, the insurance company representing the property threatened to cancel the policy in November unless the issues were addressed immediately.” The building owner has sued for $50,000 in addition to seeking eviction; litigation is ongoing.

The building owner, identified by surname Guyot, says he plans repairs and to bring workers into the space in March to “fix the code violations.” Guyot added that he has been approached by other parties interested in running the space and said, “I hope to have another bar in there.” The Thompsons, who operate Union Street Station, have not provided a longer on-the-record response in the available material beyond saying the building owner made the decision.

The closure comes as a flurry of changes reshapes downtown business life and nightlife. Several final shows are scheduled in the weeks before the Feb. 28 closing. “The Jay Hawkins Band will also take the stage on Saturday, February 7,” One Hot Robot is scheduled to perform February 21, followed by a “Last Dance” DJ night with Dominate and GR on February 26. Promoters and bands have reflected on the venue’s role in local music circles on social media.

Union Street Station’s origins are part of the venue’s local lore but not fully settled. The bar’s own materials say it has operated since 1892 and “proudly bills itself as downtown’s oldest bar,” a claim echoed in the community. A 2008 account in a regional history noted the two-story brick building was constructed in 1894 by Howard Whiting and Joseph Lautner and has carried names including Whiting Saloon, Lautner’s Home Plate Restaurant and, after a 1969 reversion to saloon service, the Cabaret; by the 1980s it became Union Street Station. Some local reporting frames this as ending a 134-year run downtown, a figure that aligns with the 1892 founding claim.

For residents and regulars, the immediate impact is cultural and economic. The bar has served as a venue for live bands, DJs, karaoke and comedy nights and supported local artists and crews. The loss narrows late-night options in the core downtown hospitality district and raises questions about who will assume responsibility for building repairs and what operator, if any, will replace Union Street Station.

What comes next is both legal and practical: court proceedings over the eviction and the $50,000 claim will continue, and Guyot has signaled plans to bring contractors in March to address code issues. For patrons and musicians, the remaining scheduled shows provide a last chance to gather at a place that for many has been central to Traverse City’s nightlife.