In MI Downtown

Facade Improvement Programs are a tool long-used by DDAs and Main Street Programs to compel, support and incentivize improvements that add to a downtown's historic character and quality. In today's episode, we learn some best practices from Main Street Boyne City's Ingrid Day.

Coordination and communication are key ingredients to a healthy relationship with city leaders who are looking to their DDAs for economic development success. Paul Zelenak, long-time volunteer with the MDA and an experienced city manager who understands the value that DDAs bring, offers his perspective and experiences on building a better relationship with your CVT council in this episode of In MI Downtown.

Downtown directors are the heartbeat of their communities! And, Mike McGuiness has been integrally involved in the workings of not one, but two communities with his creative and positive leadership style. Learn how Mike has straddled Woodward Avenue in Oakland County, Michigan, to follow his passion for community-building in Berkley and Pontiac. Do not miss this fast-paced discussion about a life-long pursuit of community service.

Michigan's downtown directors are the heartbeat of their communities! And, we'd like to get to know them better. In this special episode of The Pulse/In MI Downtown, we learn more about Downtown Wixom's Laura Cloutier who is entering her fifth year of downtown management. Learn about Laura's childhood in Southfield, her path to the downtown career field, and her passion for flower gardens and charcuterie boards! Laura was interviewed by MDA Executive Director Dana Walker.

At its 2024 annual conference, the MDA announced the recipients of four awards for excellence! In this episode, we learn about the awards and the community reactions from the respective DDA Directors in Farmington, Wixom, Sparta and Lake Orion. Congratulations to the winners! A special podcast featuring Downtown Milford's award winning Central Park will soon be available!

Need help getting out your downtown's story? Community branding and downtown marketing work hand-in-hand to provide a platform for you to raise awareness and to attract more visitors. Learn the latest trends from Kim Rivera, owner of New Moon Visions, a long-time supporter of downtowns and the MDA!

The membership of the Michigan Downtown Association meets this November, 2024, for its annual fall conference in one of Michigan's premier downtowns, Ann Arbor! Guests Dana Walker, MDA ED, and Maura Thomson, A2 DDA ED, share the conference highlights and the top things to see and do while visiting this great college town. Go Blue and get smarter about downtown revitalization.

Sam Plymale, Plymouth DDA's Executive Director, discusses the why and how of the creation of Downtown Plymouth's 2024 Five-Year Strategic Plan, followed up with a brief outline of what is included in the plan and lessons learned. Downtown directors can learn what might trigger the need for completion of a plan and the best practices to follow during its creation. Sam completed this podcast as part of his capstone project for the MDA's Professional Development Certificate Program. Congratulations on this achievement, Sam!

Once a Spartan, always a Spartan! Learn what DDA and farm life is like for Sparta DDA Executive Director Elizabeth Morse. Hear more about her journey from being a high schooler who wanted to leave her town to being one of its most impactful leaders. Downtown directors are the heartbeat of their communities and Liz is no exception. This is The Pulse, a special edition of In MI Downtown.

In this episode of The Pulse, we learn about the nexus of downtown management, youth sports and landscape architecture from Downtown Frankenmuth's Dan Hopp. Join MDA Executive Director Dana Walker as she talks with Dan about flowers, hockey and partnerships with the DDA Director of Michigan's Little Bavaria!

Many MI communities follow the Main Street approach to assist with creating a road map for successful downtown revitalization. But, Main Street brings its own strengths and weaknesses with it. Learn how two MI communities have navigated the highs and lows of Main Street with guests Kate Litwin from Downtown Howell and Polly Schneider from Downtown Cheboygan.

Meet Natacha Hayden, a Brazil native who started her career in downtown management along a rather unusual path. MDA Executive Director Dana Walker interviews Natacha about futbol, living near the water and Downtown Port Huron's revitalization progress.

Funding diversification for downtowns is a popular topic and certain projects might be right for a crowd-granting program. We talked with Patronicity's MI Program Director Mahala Clayton about the Public Spaces, Community Places Program. Learn how you can use this important tool to leap over that last fundraising hurdle and get shovels in the ground!

This episode of In MI Downtown is part of our special series of interviews with Michigan's fabulous downtown directors that we call The Pulse. We learn from Tara Laase-McKinney from the Marquette DDA how her background and experiences, and recreational interests, led her to thrive in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Host Dana Walker, MDA Executive Director, leads the Q&A.

Downtown directors are the heartbeat of their communities and we want to get better acquainted with our fantastic MI staffers. In this episode, we find out more about what makes the Oxford DDA's Kelly Westbrook tick. Learn about her journey from the Detroit Pistons to Nascar to downtown work, with a little side gig as Mrs. Michigan! It's all on The Pulse, a special series of In MI Downtown.

Prompted in part by the 2020 pandemic, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation identified a need to assist Michigan communities for planning for the unexpected so that they might recover in an organized and expedient manner. Through its Redevelopment Ready Communities Program, the Resiliency Toolkit was created to formalize current recovery efforts into plans, policies, and partnerships. Learn the highlights from the MEDC's Pablo Majano and Leigh Young, and Catherine Clark from the SmithGroup.

Downtowns are great places for people to live. Even its local workforce. But market demands and past development trends have effected this important demographic. Efforts to address workforce housing can include work by non-profit organizations called Community Land Trusts. This podcast is a Q&A between MDA Executive Director Dana Walker and Annette Knowles (who is usually our host) about affordable and attainable housing and how CLTs and DDAs can work together. Annette serves as the Executive Director of the Frankfort Area Community Land Trust in northwest Michigan.

Downtown Directors are the dedicated professionals who keep the hearts of our Michigan communities beating. And, we'd like to get to know them better. In this episode of In MI Downtown - The Pulse, Amy Allen, Executive Director of the Lyon Township DDA, explains how her background in Parks and Recreation prepared her for a career change to downtown revitalization. And, we learn more about her love of hiking as a way to decompress from the job!

Get ready for the MDA's Summer Workshop in Harbor Springs on Friday, May 31. Find out all you need to know before you attend! And, arrive early for the warm-up activities on May 30. Learn from MDA Executive Director why this workshop will be stellar!

Downtown Directors are the dedicated professionals who keep the hearts of our Michigan communities beating. And, we'd like to get to know them better. In this episode of In MI Downtown - The Pulse, James Alt, ED of the Lapeer DDA, shares how his journey to downtown revitalization work happened by magic! That, and a background in art and marketing.

Downtown Directors are the dedicated professionals who keep the hearts of our Michigan communities beating. And, we'd like to get to know them better. In this episode of In MI Downtown - The Pulse, we get to know Christine Malzahn from the DDA in Imlay City, in Michigan's Thumb. With topics ranging from entrepreneurship to the Detroit Lions, this episode is one not-to-be-missed! Please note that the typical audio formatting for In MI Downtown has been suspended for this episode. So, no cool tunes this time; the interview with host Dana Walker starts right away!

Downtown Directors are the dedicated professionals who keep the hearts of our Michigan communities beating. And, we'd like to get to know them better. In this episode of In MI Downtown, we launch the Pulse, a special series of interviews with downtown directors from around the state. Hear their inspiring stories about how they became involved in downtown work and what they feel are their greatest accomplishments. First up is Anne Gentry, DDA Director from Alpena, in northern Michigan's sunrise coast.

The scarcity of affordable and attainable housing is a national issue for which there is not a uniform solution for all communities. In this episode of In MI Downtown, learn what Charlevoix is doing to address the lack of housing that is available to the local workforce. Guest Lindsey Dotson, DDA Executive Director, provides details about deed restrictions and housing incentives. This podcast is one of several in 2024 that will inform the listeners about downtown housing efforts. Please excuse the editing bloopers in this episode. We are experiencing some technical difficulties on this platform.

Make your downtown more inviting and evocative of a sense of safety by incorporating principles of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) in your planning and improvement processes. Special guest Harmony Gmazel from MSU-Extension offers on overview of CPTED principles and applications in this episode of In MI Downtown.

While the Covid pandemic spurred changes to the methods for hosting events in Flint Township, the positive response from both the community and business owners has led the DDA to make the adaptations permanent. In a place without a walkable downtown or a large community gathering place, decentralized events have been the key to providing a means for the community to connect with its businesses. Learn from Tracey Tucker, economic enhancement director, how the transition was developed and implemented. This podcast qualifies as Tracey's capstone project for her participation in the MDA's professional development certificate program.

The Michigan Downtown Association will host its annual fall conference the first week in November in fabulous Downtown Birmingham! Dana Walker, MDA Executive Director, shares highlights from the conference agenda, while Birmingham PSD Executive Director Cristina Shepard-Decius provides her recommendations for places to see and things to do while you are visiting in this episode of In MI Downtown.

Contained within Act 57 of 2018 are reporting requirements for DDAs, among other TIF authorities. Adherence to the reporting requirements helps to strengthen each DDA's relationship with the State of Michigan legislature and to provide performance data for the DDAs utilization of TIF funds. Travis Bukovcik, Departmental Analyst with the Michigan Department of Treasury, oversees the reporting of nearly 600 DDAs and other tax increment financing authorities. Travis shares this expertise in this episode of In MI Downtown. Grab a pen and a notebook; you are going to want to take notes during this episode! NOTE: We apologize for the short segment in the podcast where we experienced a few technical difficulties.

When Scott Csazak became City Manager of the City of Caro, in Michigan's thumb, he quickly saw on opportunity to strengthen the downtown through the hiring of a full-time DDA Executive Director. Learn how Scott fielded the array of issues and stakeholders to turn this idea into reality. Scott drew on his experiences as a DDA Executive Director in Escanaba, Michigan, to guide his recommendations. And, once implemented, he worked through the issues that arose with efficiency. Scott discusses the process with MDA Executive Director Dana Walker. This podcast serves as a capstone project for Scott's participation in the MDA's professional development certificate program.

The Ann Arbor DDA has engaged the services of a consultant to conduct a Parking Rate Study, in some respect due to changes in parking utilization noticed after the COVID pandemic. In a previous episode, Kelley Graves, DDA Office Manager, along with Jada Hahlbrook, Parking Manager, introduced the study by documenting the process for completion of the request for proposals. Now, we learn about progress made toward completion and how the information gleaned will be used in decision-making.

In Part I of this series of In MI Downtown, we heard an overview about Downtown Master Plans. In this episode, we move from theoretical into practical with a discussion featuring Nani Wolf, AICP, CAPS, an associate planner with McKenna Associates. Nani describes her experience working with not one, but two communities in southeast Michigan on a cooperative downtown planning process. Nani covers her role, the stakeholders, outcomes, recommendations and next steps. Thank you to McKenna Associates for their support of this podcast series.

This episode of In MI Downtown features a conversation with Paul Lippens, AICP, NCI from long-time MDA friends McKenna and Associates. Paul is a Vice President and Director of the Kalamazoo Studio. This podcast is Part I of II dealing with the value of Downtown Master Plans and important factors, including market trends, design guidelines and zoning issues. Get the overview you need before starting the process to develop or update your Downtown Master Plan. Part II of the series will feature Paul's colleague Nani Wolf who will relate the real-world experience of her work in a southeast Michigan community. Listen in so you can find out how to plan your work and then, implement it!

The Michigan Downtown Association is hosting its Summer (yay!) Workshop in Alpena, Michigan on June 2, 2023. Listen to this special edition of In MI Downtown to learn about workshop highlights and fun things to see and do in Alpena before or after the workshop. The workshop is about having it all in your downtown and you are assured of leaving with some ideas to help you foster the creation of place and economic vitality in your own community.

In response to changes in parking utilization throughout the downtown district in Ann Arbor post-COVID, the Ann Arbor DDA has initiated the process of completion of a parking rate study. In this episode of In MI Downtown, we will hear from Kelley Graves, Ann Arbor DDA Management Assistant and Board Secretary, and Jada Hahlbrook, Parking Manager, about the goals of the study and the development of the request for proposals. This podcast serves a dual role as a portion of Kelley Graves' capstone project for the MDA's Professional Development Certificate Program.

The first MI Downtown Association workshop in 2023 combines Advocacy Day with state legislators, with a jam-packed workshop in East Lansing the following day. MDA Executive Director Dana Walker and East Lansing's Community and Economic Development Administrator Adam Cummins preview the workshop and the latest happenings in East Lansing that you'll want to check out while visiting! How can you impact the perceptions of your downtown? Come to the workshop and find out!

Does your downtown district remain full of activity during the post-holiday colder winter months? You can make a difference in retaining vibrancy following best practices from the Winter Cities Guidebook. Learn more from Patrick Coleman of the Winter Cities Institute and North of 45 about strategies to combat those winter blues! This episode of In MI Downtown is a must-listen for any Michigan community that experiences the effects of cold, snow, wind and sunless days!

Downtowns need to remain relevant during the holiday shopping season (and beyond) as customers respond to latest trends and alternate methods. Special events, promotions and displays contribute to making a downtown merry, bright and busy during this important season of the calendar. We've captured stories from all over Michigan - from Charlevoix to Farmington and Spring Lake to Romeo - that help illustrate the unique opportunity downtown organizations have to attract holiday revelers.

Downtown Lansing launched the Middle Village Micro Market in 2021 and it's success has been phenomenal so far! Cathleen Edgerly, Executive Director of Downtown Lansing, Inc., and Julie Reinhardt, Director of Downtown Community Development, discuss the process to open this unique business incubator, what the experience is like for its "Villagers" and how its success is leading to another amazing incubator project.

This November 3 and 4, the Michigan Downtown Association will host its annual conference on the sandy shores of Lake Michigan in Downtown Muskegon. Listen in to find out more about conference highlights and to discover what there is to see and do nearby to make your stay more fun!

Recreational marijuana dispensaries have sprouted up all over the State of Michigan since being legalized in 2018. Yet, many communities have removed themselves from contention for a location by opting out, as permitted by law. Are these communities overlooking an economic development opportunity? In this episode of In MI Downtown, we discuss as a case study one community's experience with attracting recreational marijuana dispensaries to its downtown. Listen in as Marjo Jaroch, DDA Executive Director from Bay City, discusses the real life pros and cons of its downtown dispensaries.

In this episode, MDA Executive Director Dana Walker asks Charlevoix DDA Executive Director Lindsey Dotson about some amazing projects happening in Downtown Charlevoix and follows up with a preview of the MDA's Summer Workshop to be held on Friday, June 3. Learn why you won't want to miss a visit to Downtown Charlevoix to kick off your summer!

In late 2021, a local tragedy had unintended side effects - empty spirits and empty sidewalks - in two neighboring downtowns. Learn how a resourceful group of stakeholders and partners worked together to return a sense of connection to the communities and to return shoppers and diners to Downtowns Oxford and Lake Orion through the implementation of a looped trolley system. This heart-warming story exemplifies what happens when tenacious team members work together to overcome obstacles to create a now-popular service that has helped to heal hearts and the local economy. Participants in the podcast with host Annette Knowles are Molly LaLone, Director of the LO DDA, Kelly Westbrook, Director of the Oxford DDA, and Madonna Van Fossen, ombudsman for SMART.

By allocating federal funding to revitalization and placemaking (RAP) projects, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is striving to uplift and position downtowns for growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn from Lori Mullins, Managing Director of Community Development Incentives, what are the RAP program highlights and where to find more information.

Inspired by European villages and a college sustainability course, city leaders in Durand, Michigan replaced a portion of its annual flower plantings with edible landscaping. What grew from that is a remarkable mix of community pride and full tummies! Learn from key contributors what happened and how edible landscaping is flourishing in Downtown Durand.

Downtown Muskegon's lakeside location comes with the added benefit of excess sand. Learn from the DDA's Dave Alexander what they've done to capture this resource and convert it into a fun community resource. And, did you say social district? See what happens when you mix sand and a watering hole.

The presence of public art can really make a downtown shine! Learn from Anne Gentry, Executive Director of the Alpena DDA, how its public art initiative called Fresh Waves has deepened Alpena's connection to its important waterfront location. And, find out how its approach is yielding results that will have a lasting impact on walkability and creative placemaking.

Starting on Friday, May 21, 2021, and through the night, a devastating fire tore through a block of Downtown Calumet, leaving in its wake three unsalvageable buildings. Learn from Village Manager Caleb Katz, how the spirit of Copper Country is contributing to relief efforts and what is the potential for redevelopment of this high-visibility location.

Clean, safe and attractive are adjectives that describe the bones of a great downtown. Learn how Flint Township combined basic maintenance activities with community pride in this initiative to clean up its commercial, recreational and residential areas. Tracey Tucker, Economic Enhancement DIrector, discusses how township citizens and partners decided to make a difference through Clean-Up Saturdays.

When the Southwest Detroit Business Association set out to assist local restaurants survive during the COVID-19 pandemic, an opportunity to capitalize on branding and cultural expression emerged. Hear from SDBA Vice-President Jennifer Gomez how the effort evolved from the ordinary to the extraordinary by blending an emergent need with creativity and partnerships.

When a disastrous fire claimed a mid-block building in Downtown Lapeer, the community and the DDA went to work to dream up what could become of this new-found space. The creation of a pocket park fit the bill. Learn from James Alt, Lapeer DDA Director, how this phoenix rose from the ashes!

When the Charlevoix library identified a need for co-working space, DDA Director Lindsey Dotson wasted no time in engaging in the conversation. Learn how community discussions led to the launch of The Vault.

Welcome to In MI Downtown, where you can learn about unique, impactful projects happening in downtowns all over the State of Michigan. In MI Downtown is a production of the Michigan Downtown Association. In this episode, learn how the Farmington Downtown Development Authority utilized its Public Art Blueprint to jumpstart the presence of public art in the downtown district. This podcast is hosted by Annette Knowles, MDA board member with special guest Kate Knight, Executive Director the Farmington Downtown Development Authority. Thank you, Kate, for sharing your story!