Auburn Hills moves Chamber of Commerce into city-owned offices downtown

The city of Auburn Hills has moved the Chamber of Commerce into a city-owned building, adding activity -- and ideally more tenants -- to downtown.

The Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce office was previously on South Squirrel Road, "a little out of the way," says Stephanie Carroll, coordinator of community relations and legislative affairs for the city of Auburn Hills. "A lot of times people who are new to the community ask where the chamber is so it sort of made sense to bring them on to Main Street."

The new location on Auburn Road is a street-level, work-live development that's easy to find.

"It's great because it's very visible," Carroll says.

The city's TIFA, Tax Increment Financing Authority, purchased the building in 2009 and has used it for city events and its personnel department.

"Now that the Chamber is down there they hold regular business hours and they are very visible, right at the street level. The lights are on. It's just more welcoming."

Besides housing the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce, the building will still be used as headquarters for city personnel during special events and a conference room that holds up to 10 people will be available at no charge to city businesses.

What made the city-chamber arrangement appealing was their like-minded goals.

"The city is in the business of retention and recruitment and it ties into what the chamber does for its members," Carroll says. "It's a great opportunity to work together and it reinforces what we do."

Source Stephanie Carroll, coordinator of community relations and legislative affairs
Writer: Kim North Shine

A version of this article ran in Metromode.