$200,000 Offered To Communities To Write Downtown Development Plans

LANSING Up to 10 Michigan communities will split $200,000 from state and private funding sources to develop comprehensive plans to encourage downtown development part of Gov. Jennifer Granholms Cool Cities initiative.

The funds come from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the Michigan Municipal League. It is the second year of the competitive grant program Blueprints for Michigans Downtowns.

The success of last years program encouraged us to continue our partnership with MSHDA and the MML to bring this important program to even more communities, said MEDC President and CEO Don Jakeway. Successful economic development in Michigans downtowns is key to the economic success of the entire state

Through a competitive application process, it is anticipated that 10 communities will be chosen to receive funding to work with the MEDC and HyettPalma, a national downtown consulting firm, to formulate their downtown economic development action agendas. The MEDC and MSHDA have committed a total of $200,000 to fund the project.

The agenda will define a long term economic development vision, conduct a market analysis to determine the potential of the downtown area, formulate a definitive course of action and encourage the formation of a public/private management team to implement the action plan. The term of work for formulating the action plan will take approximately five months. The implementation of the plan is estimated at five years.

Applications are due to the MEDC on July 9. MEDC and MSHDA staff members will evaluate the applications, with assistance from the MML. The selected downtown communities will be announced in September.

For more information, click on Michigan.Org