As the
Michigan Downtown Association prepares to host its annual conference in Traverse City this week, we asked leaders from Michigan downtowns across the state to tell us what's going on in their communities and what's coming next.
Kalamazoo
Steve Deisler is the president of
Downtown Kalamazoo Incorporated, which supports growth and development in several downtown districts and has a history stretching back to the 1950s. The Kalamazoo Promise offers every high school graduate in the city free college tuition at Michigan universities.
Q: What do you see as the top focus for efforts to build and grow your downtown in the next few years?
SD: Downtown Development Authorities across the state must work closely to preserve and improve Tax Increment Financing to continue to support development projects, programs and revitalization strategies. Since 1979, the DDA Act has allowed cities to creatively and strategically stimulate reinvestment. It is now working on a large scale in Detroit, as it has been working in smaller communities like Kalamazoo.
Q: What's the most exciting news happening in your downtown this year, and what will it mean for the future?
SD: Explosion of craft beer venues and breweries along with small and large mixed-use redevelopment projects. This includes strong demand for downtown housing.
Q: Are there any particular challenges you need support or help with, and how could your community do that?
SD: Coming out of the recession, we still required tax and financing tools to help developers and cities build wealth and jobs.
Q: If you could tell the rest of the world one thing about your downtown, what would it be?
SD: We are the best kept secret east of the Mississippi. A creative, passionate community with the Promise!
Ann Arbor
Maura Thomson has been the executive director of the
Main Street Area Association in Ann Arbor since 2008. Downtown Ann Arbor has been voted one of "America's Best Places."
Q: What do you see as the top focus for efforts to build and grow your downtown in the next few years?
MT: From a small business perspective, restaurant and retail, the ability to find front line and back of the house employees is an area I believe needs to be a top focus to maintain, build and grow our downtown economy. Under that umbrella come the big topics -- public transportation and affordable housing.
Q: What's the most exciting news happening in your downtown this year, and what will it mean for the future?
MT: The increase in technology companies attracted to downtown Ann Arbor has been very exciting over the last few years. These companies bring employees who patronize our downtown businesses and contribute to the economy overall.
Q: Are there any particular challenges you need support or help with, and how could your community do that?
MT: Reminding the community the importance of supporting local businesses, retail in particular. As we all know, the retail landscape has completely changed. Consumers can look for the lowest price and purchase anything they desire online. Our local retailers are a very significant part of the fabric that make our downtown so special. If we value the unique quality of our downtown, we must support the individual businesses that collectively make up what downtown Ann Arbor is all about: retail, restaurant, and service.
Q: If you could tell the rest of the world one thing about your downtown, what would it be?
MT: Downtown Ann Arbor is an inclusive, authentic place with great shopping and incredible dining; we literally have something for everyone. And it is full of really nice people! That's more than one thing!
Sault Ste. Marie
Justin Knepper is the downtown manager for the
Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Development Authority in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The community is home to the International Bridge to Canada as well as the Soo Locks, and is the oldest city in Michigan.
Q: What do you see as the top focus for efforts to build and grow your downtown in the next few years?
JK: In Sault Ste. Marie we are working hard to assist our existing businesses as they grow and work through the ever-changing regional economy; but we are also very interested in building up our housing stock and encouraging new development in our downtown. Our
Moloney's Alley area PlacePlan project is a great example of the city and the DDA working with local property owners to encourage new development on under-utilized sites.
Q: What's the most exciting news happening in your downtown this year, and what will it mean for the future?
JK: We've seen some amazing new businesses open in the past year, but 2016 is going to be looked back upon as the year public art made a splash in our community. We raised over $20,000 in thirty days this summer then received a matching grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to paint four murals; then our own Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians gave us a second grant to paint six high-end crosswalk art pieces, which were also completed this summer.
Q: Are there any particular challenges you need support or help with, and how could your community do that?
JK: We are looking for housing developers. If you are willing to build market-rate housing in downtown areas, we want you to talk to us.
Q: If you could tell the rest of the world one thing about your downtown, what would it be?
JK: Downtown Sault Ste. Marie: A combination of 349 years of history paired with some of today's best and friendliest entrepreneurs.
--Q&A was compiled by Kim Eggleston.