A team of national development experts recently gave the Old Town Commercial Association (OTCA) advice on how to continue the area’s business and economic development.
Some of the recommendations, such as creating a list serve for businesses, will be fairly easy to implement. Others, such as increasing the OTCA’s operating budget, are more long term.
The experts recommended that Old Town, which has done a commendable job creating a business and shopping district, put more emphasis on improving surrounding neighborhoods.
“Another comment was that Old Town is a designation and so we really need to look at trying to bring in things to make it a totally self sustaining community,” says Jamie Schriner-Hooper with the OTCA.
Old Town has taken some steps in this direction. The community is walkable, a gym is going in the old Cedar Street school and residents can get some staples – bread, jams, vegetables — from area businesses.
The Old Town assessment was part of the services offered to Michigan Main Street communities through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).
Source: Jamie Schriner-Hooper, Old Town Commercial Association
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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