Armed with a couple of new studies on development possibilities in downtown Pontiac, city officials hope to attract more revitalization projects to the city's core area early this fall.
Studies of the commercial inventory and housing possibilities in downtown Pontiac are finished. Pontiac Downtown Development Authority officials plan to use them to leverage more loft and condo projects downtown later this year. The DDA will have a large tent at this year's Arts, Beats & Eats festival to show off downtown development opportunities and will hold a developers showcase in late September.
"This will be a starting point for people to take part in the revitalization of downtown," says Sandy McDonald, executive director of Pontiac's DDA.
The studies allow city officials to rank downtown buildings and parcels ready for development. With these rankings and a list of economic incentives, officials hope to attract developers to rehabilitate structures and build new downtown living spaces. The announcement of the proposed North Woodward Edge project suggests this strategy is starting to work.
"The housing study will help is create that density to create pedestrian traffic to support existing and future businesses," McDonald says. "Too many properties here have sat dormant and vacant for too long."
Although downtown Pontiac has a thriving nightlife with clubs, such as Clutch Cargo's and Tonic, and a strong business presence, such as the recent renovation of the Waterman Center, it still lacks housing options that are taking off across the rest of Metro Detroit. Most downtown residents live in renovated lofts and homes they built themselves. There is no major downtown condo or loft project, but city officials hope the studies will help change that.
Source: Sandy McDonald, executive director of the Pontiac Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Jon Zemke
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