Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BUCHANAN — Buchanan City Commissioners have taken the final step to bring back the Downtown Development Authority to help promote economic development in the downtown area. The DDA was disbanded in 2020 amid controversy between members and city officials.

      Monday, commissioners adopted an ordinance amendment to re-establish the DDA after a second reading that brings the city ordinance in line with 2018 state law changes on how DDAs should operate. Commissioners had directed city staff last fall to bring back the DDA.

      While little comment was made at Monday’s meeting on the re-establishment of the DDA, Mayor Mark Weedon noted that he and City Manager Tony McGhee are in the process of interviewing prospective DDA members. The goal is to have the DDA members in place so they can hold their first meeting in June.

      “We’ve been going through the applications and did interviews last Friday,” Weedon said. “People should be proud of the applicants and why they want to be on the DDA. We still have a couple of interviews left to do and we will announce the new members at the May 27 meeting.”

      He noted that the DDA won’t be starting from scratch as the funds from the former DDA will still be available for DDA projects. “It’s exciting, they will be ready to start working when the downtown infrastructure project is done,” he said.

      McGhee had reported previously that the DDA will also be able to once again capture funds from tax increment financing starting this summer.

      City Clerk Kalla Langston-Weiss said after the meeting that 14 people applied to be on the DDA. The commission will appoint seven people to serve on the new board along with the mayor and a representative of the Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce.

      In other economic development news, city commissioners expressed gratitude Monday that the city will be getting a $1 million placemaking grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

The city commission applied for the grant from the MEDC’S Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) Program in late January and learned last week about the grant award. A total of $25 million was awarded to communities around the state this year.

“I really hope people realize how important it was for the city to get the $1 million grant,” Weedon said. “We were $1.5 million short on the infrastructure project and the state saw that project was important to the city.”

Commissioners Raquell George and Patrick Swem also thanked city staff for working to get the grant.

“I want to thank the staff and Tony for their dedication and hard work in getting the RAP grant,” George said. “There were 81 applications and 21 were awarded. It shows the substantial leadership we have in Buchanan.”

“I want to thank the MEDC,” Swem said. “$1 million sure helps a lot and we will make sure it is spent wisely. With the construction, the worst is yet to come, but bear with us.”

McGhee told commissioners earlier this year that there would be a $1.5 million shortfall on the $19.4 million infrastructure project and the city has since agreed to borrow up to $2 million to make up for the shortfall and to do emergency paving work. The bulk of the $19.4 million is being paid for by grants and low-interest loans.

“The grant will either reduce the amount we need to borrow or, at the very least, provide additional funding to address any unforeseen issues that may arise during the next phase of the downtown project,” McGhee said.

“It gives the city greater flexibility and strengthens our overall financing strategy, while also providing some breathing room to manage unexpected circumstances as the work progresses,” he added.

The RAP grant will specifically be used to transform part of Front Street with widened sidewalks, new amenities and community branding. A new “living streets” concept that will be a centerpiece of the project and will focus on community engagement and flexibility in the use of public space.

McGhee noted in January that the streetscape part of the project will create a “festival street” on a section of Front with no curbs and the street and sidewalks being on the same level. He said Buchanan will be one of the first communities in the region to have that feature.

The commission’s next meeting will be held a day later than normal on Tuesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. at City Hall due to the Memorial Day holiday.