The city of Detroit and the Detroit Economic Growth Association will develop a comprehensive strategy to revitalize the Mount Elliott Employment District following a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.
Specifically, the resulting plan will address infrastructure improvements; land assembly and site development; transportation and workforce amenities; marketing for business attraction; sustainability; and public engagement.
“Upgrading the Mount Elliott Employment District into an attractive industrial area will reinforce our region’s role as a global hub for manufacturing,” says Mayor Mike Duggan. “It also will support our mission to provide ample employment opportunities for Detroiters.”
Today, the district, which runs from I-94 along Van Dyke and Mt. Elliott roads to Eight Mile Road, is home to an estimated 1,700 businesses that employ nearly 15,000 people. It is the city’s single largest industrial corridor by employment, say officials.
The project will kick off in the first quarter 2015 and will run through the first quarter of 2016. Once consultants are identified through an RFP process, the project will consist of four phases: gather data; analyze, develop and present key findings and opportunities; visioning and strategy development; and strategy refinement and finalization.
“The plan will be a replicable process for improving other employment districts within Detroit that will have lasting impact,” says Kenneth Cockrel, Jr., executive director of the Detroit Future City Implementation Office. “And, we’ll be creating approaches that our regional and national peers can learn from.”
Detroit Future City is a nonprofit planning agency that provides a blueprint to stabilize neighborhoods, enhance retail and transportation networks, promote ecology, and attract new jobs and employers.
The city of Detroit and Detroit Economic Growth Association will provide an additional $100,000 of in-kind contributions, staffing, and $50,000 to pay for a portion of projected contractual expenses for the project.
