Government : Development News

The Ferndale Downtown Development Authority held its annual planning meeting Monday, a meeting that goes beyond the city officials and insiders and welcomed anyone who uses or cares about this Oakland County downtown that borders Detroit.

The idea was to let them "put on paper their ideas, dreams and envisioned possibilities" for downtown Ferndale's future.

This year's meeting attracted about 50 guests whose thoughts and ideas contribute to the DDA's "ongoing process of planning ahead --  for tomorrow, next month, next year and beyond," the invitation read.

"The annual meeting gives us a chance to see what we've accomplished and is essential to helping us chart the course for the year ahead, says Cristina Sheppard-Decius, executive director of the Ferndale DDA and a certified Main Street Manager.  "From here, we  develop work plans which give us the ability to track our progress throughout the year and determine what we've completed and what we still need to do."

"This process is also very all-inclusive. It is a great opportunity to have a say in what happens in your downtown," she adds.

Besides local business owners and employees, the DDA board and committee members and directors from other DDAs learned about the planning process that goes in maintaining Ferndale's reputation as a downtown that's eclectic and progressive.

A survey given to the general public prior to the meeting identified a top goal or priority. It was to "educate and engage the community on the need for positive collective action in managing Downtown Ferndale and its need for growth and development," explains Chris Hughes, communications and marketing manager for the Ferndale DDA.

That priority matched the meeting attendees who said the number one challenge for downtown is parking issues. The DDA is trying to work with the city to alleviate some of the parking problems as the spaces are owned by the city.

It comes as the city makes its annual assessment of past goals, sets new ones and refines and identifies new objectives aimed at maintaining Ferndale's success.

Source: Chris Hughes, communications & marketing manager, Ferndale DDA
Writer: Kim North Shine

Go Green! In 2011 metro Detroit municipalities increasingly saw a win-win in implementing energy-saving practices and policies. Businesses, schools and homeowners got in on the alternative energy game too, in large part inspired by grants, tax breaks and incentives offered by the federal and state governments and DTE. The result: saving money and possibly the earth.

It was a year that saw the landscape changed by green rooftops, solar installations, wind farms, geothermal-powered facilities, electric car charging stations and in Auburn Hills, for example, a plan to assist builders in building alternative-energy-based homes and businesses of the future.

Auburn Hills prepares for wave of electric vehicles
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0721elecvehs0217.aspx

Auburn Hills makes energy efficiency a priority
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0303auburnhillsenergy0199.aspx

Rochester Fire Department goes solar-powered
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/rfdsolarpanels0195.aspx

DTE adds 16 new electric car-charging stations to growing network
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0804dteplugins0219.aspx

Macomb County breaks 100-mark in schools state certified as green
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0414macgreenschools0205.aspx

State grants enable dozens of Michigan schools to turn up solar and wind power
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0218energyworks0197.aspx

The story at Ferndale library is about going green
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0303ferndalelibraryaward0199.aspx

Metro Detroit's institutes of greener learning
http://www.metromodemedia.com/features/greenuniversities0207.aspx

Oakland County Airport first LEED-certified terminal in Michigan
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0818oakcoairport0221.aspx

Propane vehicles deliver for Wright & Fillippis
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0428propanefleet0207.aspx
Interest in DTE's Solar Currents program so hot it's reached its goal
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0512solarcurrents0209.aspx

Downtown Royal Oak parking meters go solar
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/solarmeters0193.aspx

Sign of the times: Southgate hotel goes solar
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0421greenhotel0206.aspx


By Kim North Shine

The word downtown was tossed around a lot in 2011. Everybody has one or is working on creating one as they pursue the newfound love of things urban. Downtown Development Authorities, Chambers of Commerce, Main Street programs had Main Streets - and their equivalents - throughout metro Detroit putting money into makeovers and facelifts in 2011 as city leaders saw promise in creating places that preserve history, have varied businesses and invite walking, biking, strolling.

The changes were big and small. Together should convey: You want to come here. Decorative, energy-efficient street lights, attractive, theme-appropriate benches, trash-receptacles, pedestrian-safe sidewalks and crosswalks, art installations, benches, historic preservation projects, special events, facade grants, kiosks to direct visitors, even phone apps to get them around town - all wrapped in business recruitment and PR.

Cities with the most real downtowns: Rochester, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Mount Clemens, Dearborn, Plymouth, Northville. The up-and-comers: Auburn Hills, Clarkston, Berkley, Novi, Wyandotte.

Downtown Rochester $1 million streetscape re-do is on
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0818rochesterredo0221.aspx

Downtown Lake Orion gets $2 million streetscape, new microbrewery
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0922lakeorion0225.aspx

Mount Clemens invests more than $250K in way-finding signs
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0915wayfinders0224.aspx

Wyandotte DDA's business improvement grants paying off
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0526plymouthnightlife0211.aspx

Nightlife builds in downtown Plymouth
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0526plymouthnightlife0211.aspx

Ice rink cometh to Auburn Hills heating up plans for downtown
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/icerink0192.aspx

Graduate housing, downtown parking and retail complex coming to Auburn Hills
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/1201ahhousing0234.aspx

Main Street Oakland recognizes top downtown projects
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0310mainstreetoakawards0200.aspx


By Kim North Shine

Regional mass transit champions, especially of train and light rail, received several pieces of good news in 2011 as Amtrak operators and bus service providers saw ridership hit record numbers. Funding added up, new stations opened and Woodward Avenue light rail moved as close as ever to leaving the station.

Metro Detroit suburbs liked what they saw and threw money and manpower behind studies and possible land acquisition into linking their main corridors, namely Woodward Avenue and possibly 8 Mile, to light rail or other regional mass transit system.

Of course, the Woodward Avenue Rail project has been put on hold in favor of a rapid bus transit plan... but the conversation deepens and most assuredly continues. 

Note: The record numbers and the funding have been a "trend" since at least 2008, but 2012 might show us if this thing that has brought so much economic stimulus to other towns can happen in metro Detroit. It's why we posed this in 2011: If Dallas can do it, why not Detroit?

As train and bus ridership gorw, $47 million is committed to new transit options
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/1020masstransit0229.aspx

Transform Woodward ponders light rail beyond Detroit
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0804woodlightrail0219.aspx

Woodward Avenue as linear city
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0609woodave0212.aspx

If Dallas Can Do It, Why Can't Detroit?
http://www.metromodemedia.com/features/dallasdetroitlightrail0218.aspx

Case for Detroit light rail grows with $25M federal grant, 23 percent growth in Amtrak ridership
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/lightrailplans0195.aspx

Nearly $200M federal grant accelerates high speed rail in Metro Detroit
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0512highspeedrail0209.aspx

Next stop: Dearborn. New new train station pulling in
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0721dearborntrain0217.aspx

New transit center in Pontiac welcomes bus, train commuters
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0811pontiactransit0220.aspx

By Kim North Shine

Streets for everyone. The Michigan Complete Streets initiative gained momentum in 2011 in metro Detroit and around the state as cities enacted changes or made plans to design roads and sidewalks that take pedestrians, cyclists and drivers into account. The Michigan's Complete Streets movement got props for being a role model nationwide. Separately from Complete Streets, cities and various nonprofits worked on the same goal: streets that accommodate all. It's been a process playing out for a few years now so expect to see more bike lanes, new style crosswalks and other changes coming to a town near you.

Michigan is national leaders in street design that serves cars, bikes and pedestrians
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0317micompletestreets0201.aspx

Streetscape grants from Royal Oak's WA3 help unify Woodward Corridor
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/woodwardcorrgrants0194.aspx

Royal Oak's non-motorized transportation plan is out for public feedback
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/1110royaloakwalkride0232.aspx

Walkers, cyclists may like changes coming to Grosse Pointe, Dearborn
http://www.metromodemedia.com/devnews/0901fedtransgrants0223.aspx

By Kim North Shine

A four-story, 97-apartment-unit, 279-parking space mixed-use development with room for 6,150 square feet of retail on the bottom floor is moving toward the start of construction and a completion date of January 2013.

The project in the Auburn Hills downtown area about two miles from Oakland University and Cooley Law School will be designated a preferred residence for the schools' graduate students. As many as 130 students could live there.

City officials see potential to transform the city's developing downtown at Auburn and Squirrel roads.

The $14 million development is a public private partnership with the city's Tax Increment Financing Authority owning the parking structure and putting in about $4.5 million and the building being developed, owned and operated by Lansing-based Prescient Growth LLC, which is committing $9.5 million.

“With Oakland University, Cooley Law School, Baker College, Oakland Community College and an extension of Central Michigan University located here, Auburn Hills is visited by more than 20,000 college students on most week days. With the addition of this new residence, we will add a critical mass of students who bring energy and vibrancy and want to create a sense of place in downtown Auburn Hills,” City Manager Pete Auger says in a statement announcing the groundbreaking.

The building and parking structure will be done in a wrap style, where the housing wraps around and is attached to the parking structure. It masks two sides of the structure from view.

Amenities for the student residents will be plentiful and ideally the businesses in and around the building will be their go-to spots, says Stephanie Carroll, coordinator of community relations and legislative affairs for Auburn Hills.

That's more in line with what comes to mind in a college town.

"We're not trying to be an Ann Arbor at all," she says, "But we thought what better way than to capture that student population but give them a place."

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

Parking meters in downtown Pontiac are a thing of the past as the city carries out a plan to overhaul its parking system and start fresh again.

The goal is to cut down on the operating costs of checking and maintaining the meters and also to make parking downtown more convenient and cost-efficient, says Khalfani Stephens, director of commercial and industrial development for the city. Pontiac's finances are in such a shambles that the city is being run by a state-appointed emergency financial manager.

In addition to removing every parking meter in downtown Pontiac, the city will also privatize its largest parking structure and lots and sell the others.

Downtown business owners have met the change with mixed reactions, with some thinking customers won't miss the meters and others saying losing timed meters hurts business, Stephens says.

"When it's all over," Stephens says,"it should be a situation where the department's operating costs are in order and the businesses and customers have a more pleasant experience coming downtown."

Source: Khalfani Stephens, director of commercial and industrial development
Writer: Kim North Shine

Garbage pick-up, public safety, water, and sewer have gone the way of regionalization, with the rise of shared services in some Metro Detroit communities. Rarer still are the sharing of recreation departments, but the cities of Eastpointe and Roseville see sharing theirs as a way to save money and improve quality.

"We thought this was kind of contemporary," says Eastpointe City Manager Steve Duchane, who says the Michigan Parks & Recreation Department has no record of other cities combining recreation services.

The neighboring cities have formed a recreation authority that would oversee all that the two cities' recreation departments offer: senior activities, sports, and enrichment classes.

If the authority is to have any authority, however, voters in the two Macomb County cities must approve a 20-year assessment of 1 mill, or about $35 in taxes a year for a home with an equalized value of $35,000 -- half of market value. The election is Nov. 8.

If voters reject it, the cities will cease recreation services at the beginning of the year, when the money runs out.

"This has been a very difficult decision for the city council," Duchane says.

"You don't think of joining forces until you're in a financial situation," he says. "Both departments are already combining on some things…So it's logical to share services more formally. Each one running a smaller program is more inefficient."

In addition to sharing programming, the cities would share one main recreation center, the one currently in Roseville at 11 Mile and Gratiot. Eastpointe's current center is at 8 Mile and Gratiot.

"It's actually more centrally located, and this would logically let us have one bigger, better center." Even though a recreation center isn't typically a targeted area for combining services, Duchane expects to see more of it.

"I think it's an evolutionary process," he says. "There's already sharing of service, mutual aid. Recreation is just not the first thing people have thought of."

"It's a different twist. I don't think people are opposed to it… .It's just something different, something you don't think about until you're in a financial situation that makes you think about it."

Source: Steve Duchane, Eastpointe city manager
Writer: Kim North Shine

A business incubator support project in Sterling Heights called Velocity is offering space, guidance and other services to startups in the fields of defense, homeland security and advanced manufacturing.

Velocity and several other organizations are located in a renovated and technologically updated 35,000-square-foot building that was formerly a Ford Motor Co. child care center. It's located on 18 Mile Road between Van Dyke and Mound Roads. Van Dyke lies in a state SmartZone.

Velocity, which launched last week, is a collaboration between the city of Sterling Heights, Macomb County and the Macomb-OU Business INCubator.

It offers customized leased space to start-ups that "have their business plan, their product, and they're looking for assistance and guidance to take it to that next step," says Denice Gerstenberg, business development manager for Sterling Heights. "They will grow up, move out of the incubator and into the community to create jobs."

Macomb County, which has been dubbed the Arsenal of Democracy for its work in defense, has a long history and background in all three industries targeted by Velocity.

"This corridor has a strong defense presence…Macomb County gets approximately six percent of all defense contracts," Gerstenberg points out. It goes to show that the money is there for start-ups with useful ideas. "Homeland security is an emerging industry and obviously with all the [automakers], Chrysler and Ford being here, it's a strong manufacturing corridor as well."

Other building occupants include the Macomb-OU INCubator, the Pawley Lean Institute from OU, and OU's Center for Robotics and Unmanned Intelligent Systems.

There also are two start-up tenants moving along the business development path that's opened to 20-25 other start-ups.

Source: Denice Gerstenberg, business development manager, city of Sterling Heights
Writer: Kim North Shine

Downtown Auburn Hills, following the approval of a new student housing complex with parking and retail space  (the largest development of its kind), is celebrating the openings of at least six new businesses in the last three months.

The downtown business openings leave only one small vacant storefront. The openings are the joining of a deliberate effort of economic development and Chamber of Commerce officials and entrepreneurs looking for new ways of life in a changing economy, says Tom Tanghe, assistant city manager and director of human resources and labor relations.

"It's sort of a big deal in this economy," Tanghe says, "to have this many businesses opening at the same time."

The openings were becoming so regular that the city and the Chamber of Commerce tried a twist on the usual ribbon-cuttings by holding them on the same night at an event called a strolling ribbon cutting.

He says groundwork, mainly in the way of streetscape projects, was laid back in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

"We had some pretty good activity around 2002, 2003 and 2004. Residential condos, townhouses, office, retail," he recalls. "Around 2006, 2007, everything came to a screeching halt. We had a number of vacancies. Of course when the market crashed in '08 everything just stopped."

What changed, he says, was the arrival of "a lot of people with the entrepreneurial spirit. In some cases they have given up hope on the private sector and decided they'd seek out a different destiny," he says.

There are no franchises among the bunch of new businesses on Auburn Road: YourSource Management Group, HomeCrafters Home Improvement, Sound-Wave Music & Arts, Walker Self Defense Academy, Edge Men’s Grooming and the Pampered Pooch LLC, which grooms nearly 30 dogs a day.

In addition to the infrastructure being in place and entrepreneurs striking out on their own, newcomers were attracted by investments and grants from TIFA (Tax Increment Financing Authority), which captures taxes in designated areas to be used for economic development.

One program grants up to $30,000 in matching funds to help businesses build out their spaces. Facade improvement grants are also available.

“The city makes a strong case for new businesses to open their doors downtown,” says Denise Asker, executive director of the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce. “With an appealing mix of architecture, restaurants, shops, recurring community events, and access to free Wi-Fi, the commercial climate here couldn’t be better, whether companies are established entities or emerging enterprise.”

Source: Tom Tanghe, assistant city manager and director of human resources and labor relations; Denise Asker, executive director of the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce
Writer: Kim North Shine

A $2 million streetscape project and the impending arrival of a new micro brewery is changing the landscape of downtown Lake Orion and launching what could morph into a restaurant district for the city.

The 51 North Brewery at 51 N. Broadway is a major development on its own, but the fact that it is moving into a massive, historic, downtown building that had no takers for several years makes it an even greater success, says Suzanne Perreault, executive director of the Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority.

After the micro brewery owner, an accomplished home brewer, approached the DDA last December about locations for a business, DDA officials decided to carve a deal that would be beneficial for the entrepreneur and for the city and its tax base, Perreault says.

The building, a 4,700-square-foot former gas station on the north end of town -- an area the DDA wants to pull into the busier part of the downtown -- was purchased by the DDA in 2006. For all these years only the DDA's offices occupied a portion of the building, but it is now relocating. Because of the work needed to ready the building for retail and other business, there was no interest from business owners in leasing it, Perrault says.

"The original intention was to purchase it, tear it down and put in a parking lot," Perrault says."But one focus of the DDA is historic preservation."

"From our perspective we were willing to give a really good deal. We had purchased the building. We make no payments, so we can negotiate a good lease agreement. For us it's so beneficial. There are a lot of wins for the DDA in doing something like this," Perreault says. "Number one, we get a new business in downtown. We also create an anchor-type business on the north end and then we're going to see some job creation and we're going to put that property back on the tax rolls. It's been tax exempt the last five years. Now they're going to have to put money into the building to rehab it. It's a significant investment and they'll be paying taxes on that. So we wanted to offer a good deal that could get them in there."

She expects the planning commission to discuss the project the first week of November. If all goes as planned, renovations could begin shortly after in time for a February or March opening. The micro brewery will serve bistro-style food and house huge tanks for beer making.

Visitors to the micro brewery and downtown Lake Orion will find new street lamps that run on energy efficient LEDs, changes to make walking easier, redone streets and parking lots -- all part of the $2 million in improvements.

"We really think it's going to make our community just that much more appealing," Perreault says. "It's looking good and safe to walk around, we're improving parking. It's getting better and better."

Several other businesses are also in talks about joining downtown Lake Orion's 65 existing downtown establishments.

Source: Suzanne Perreault, executive director, Lake Orion Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine

The University of Michigan-Dearborn and a private developer are embarking on a project that would bring the first student housing to campus and also revive shuttered Ford Motor Co. property.

The city of Dearborn and the state of Michigan are supporting the Union at Dearborn development by approving discounted taxes and other incentives to help Urban Campus Communities, the developer, renovate and turn prominent, vacant buildings into student housing and a student activity center, says Barry Murray, director of economic and community development for the city of Dearborn.

"We are just thrilled about this," Murray says of the $47 million proposed project that could employ 20 people in full-time jobs and lead to numerous construction jobs.

The first phase of the project, he says, would renovate former research and testing facilities vacated by Ford Motor Co. when it began its downsizing. Three buildings ranging from one to four stories tall would house about 525 students, possibly by fall 2012, Murray says. A second phase, if it comes to pass, would add more housing, possibly another 300 beds. There is also talk of bringing student housing to downtown Dearborn, he says. One building in the first phase would also include a student union.

The buildings are located on Evergreen, on the ring road around Fairlane, across the street from the university. At 150,000 square feet, they represent 10 percent of the city's unused buildings and have been declared brownfields, which makes the project eligible for tax abatements, $2.34 million of which were approved last week by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority.

Murray points out that UM-Dearborn is the only state school to have no student housing, something that market research by the school found to be a deterrent to choosing it over other schools with housing. He says that research shows the school could support 2,000-3,000 students in housing.

"This is a true green use for obsolete buildings," Murray says. "The best thing you can do for the environment is re-use buildings."

Beth Marmarelli, associate director for communications and marketing at UM-Dearborn, says enrollment numbers for this year will not be finalized until next week. The project is still in the planning stages, she says.

Sources: Barry Murray, director of economic and community development, city of Dearborn; Beth Marmarelli, associate director for communications and marketing at U-M Dearborn
Writer: Kim North Shine

The latest step in bringing a loft living and retail development to downtown Pontiac was taken with the approval of tax incentives from the state.

The proposal by Pontiac-based West Construction Services for the Lafayette Place Lofts has the development looking down from three connected buildings on Saginaw and Perry streets with multi-level entrances on two sides and underground parking.

The buildings that would be renovated for Lafayette Place Lofts are vacant and have been designated as historic, brownfield, and as an urban redevelopment, which entitles developers to tax breaks and other incentives for putting them back into use.

Under the proposal, according to the Michigan Economic Growth Authority, which last week approved a tax credit not to exceed $2.24 million, the project investment would be $20.4 million.

Kyle Westberg of West Construction Services says there are other issues to finalize before providing more details.

Details provided by MEGA call for the project to have 33,000 square feet of residential space with 46 units, 25 of them affordable housing. Rental prices would range from $700-$1,000 per month. The building might also include a fresh food market and gym in 25,100 square feet of retail.

Lafayette Place Lofts would create 107 full-time jobs and bring new business to downtown as well as promote foot traffic.

Source: Michigan Economic Growth Authority and Kyle Westberg, West Construction Services
Writer: Kim North Shine

Just follow the signs if you want to find downtown Mount Clemens and its city attractions.

The Downtown Development Authority of this Macomb County city - the county seat - is putting more than $250,000 into signs that help visitors find their way to and around town.

More than 40 aptly-named wayfinding signs started going up last week and will be completed by year's end, says Mount Clemens DDA Director Arthur Mullen.

The signs are a growing form of municipal marketing, going from a macro to micro view, steering visitors from major thoroughfares toward the city, its downtown, and various attractions. And ultimately they show the way to parking and then sidewalk routes.

There will also be a downtown kiosk printed with an overview map, while other area maps in various spots make up the wayfinding system. Maps are also on the website of Mount Clemens DDA.

Designed by a Traverse City company called Corbin Design, the signs also depict Gratiot Avenue, one of the city's main inlets and outlets, as a loop that turns around errant drivers.

Besides directing visitors, the hope is to attract businesses who see the approach as a benefit for their customers. Complaints about navigating the city that has a river cutting through it and a complicated system of roads drove the idea of coming up with a signage system, a project started in 2008.

"Let's say someone needs to go and see the Crocker House, the Anton Art Center, the Michigan Transit Museum," some of the city's popular destinations, Mullen says. "The whole key about wayfinding is really improving the visitor experience. Anyone who's not familiar with an area hates to get lost…The signs can make the entire experience of getting to a destination a pleasant one," he explains. "You're driving in a car, you're worried about getting in an accident, getting lost…With the signs you're more at ease and you feel like the community cares about you because they've made an investment in helping you get there."

Mullen says museums and other institutions have found the signs may be responsible for a 10 percent increase in visits within two years after being posted.

Source: Arthur Mullen, director, Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority
Writer: Kim North Shine

Lincoln Park is betting on new boulevards, fresh sidewalks, decorative energy-efficient lights, plantings and planters, renovated storefronts, repaved parking lots, and other changes and incentives to boost business.

The changes that are part of a streetscape project come with quite a price tag: $975,000, and the stakes are high as Lincoln Park works to show off its assets: the Detroit River, freeway access, and history. All but about $200,000 of the nearly $1 million project has been paid for by a federal transportation enhancement grant, Lincoln Park City Manager Steve Duchane says.

The streetscape project affects a wide part of the city, including its major thoroughfares of Fort and Southfield.
The improvements are in progress, some of them already done, as the city works to put on its best face for visitors and businesses.

"Our strategy is to create the proper environment for people to invest in the community," Duchane says.

In addition, he says, the city has been approved under a special state economic development program to award an additional 43 liquor licenses as a way to attract restaurants and other businesses that serve alcohol.

Besides the streetscape installation, two chuck-holed public parking lots are being resurfaced. And a facade improvement grant program approved by the Downtown Development Authority is distributing $50,000 to some 200-300 businesses to improve the fronts of their buildings, Duchane says.

The streetscape ties in to a separate venture with neighboring Allen Park and Wayne County to improve the appearance, safety and walkability of the roads that tie the communities to I-94. New lighting along the improved areas is energy efficient.

"You try to set up every asset you can so that should there be interest and the economic willingness to put some money into the community, you have the infrastructure in place to make that happen," Duchane says.

Source: Steve Duchane, city manager, Lincoln Park
Writer: Kim North Shine