City of Ypsilanti

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City of Ypsilanti

• Economic Development Work Plan
• Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

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Background

• Surviving is important. Thriving is elegant.
• Maya Angelou
• Why a work plan?
• Why now?

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Background

• The Process
• Inventory of projects and partners
• Putting the team together
• Collaborating on goals and a work plan

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Economic Development Team

• Director of Administrative Services
• Management Assistant
• City Planning Manager
• City Preservation Planner
• Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce Director
• YDDA and DTDDA Director
• MSU Extension Urban Collaborator
• Michigan Works! Employment Training and Community
  Services

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Economic Development Team

• Partners

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Economic Development Team

• Teresa Gillotti, MSUE
• Urban Collaborator

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Economic Development Goals

• Improve and diversify tax base
• Increase and diversify employment base
• Align workforce development with changing needs
• Improve Citys ability to meet business
  communitys needs
• Improve general environment and quality of life

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Team Goals

• Set course for Citys efforts and determine
  priorities
• Utilize external partners effectively
• Consider all of Ypsilanti, not just site-
  specific locations

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Economic Development Work Plan

• Identify partnerships to grow and develop
• Define active projects
• Determine lead
• Create timeline
• Make them happen
• Define projects in need of catalyst
• Be prepared for their start
• Work on any necessary background pieces
• Stay flexible fluid document

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Utilize external partners effectively

• Team Meetings
• Outreach to partners
• Continued involvement in Economic Development
• In Washtenaw County
• In region
• Improve communication

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Set course for Citys efforts active projects

• Site or Area Specific Projects
• ACH site reuse
• Water Street Redevelopment
• Aerotropolis
• Downtown Blueprints Plan
• West Cross Street Organization

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Set course for Citys efforts active projects

• Meeting business communitys needs
• Adaptive reuse PUD amendments
• City website redesign
• Redevelopment guide/case studies
• Economic development benchmarks
• Tax abatement policy
• SPARK East Incubator
• Workforce development

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Set course for Citys efforts active projects

• Quality of life
• Promote sense of place
• Rethinking transportation alternatives
• toDowntown alternative commuting project

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Set course for Citys efforts projects
awaiting catalyst

• Planning efforts
• New Master Plan
• Harriet Street corridor plan
• Non-motorized transportation plan
• Transit oriented development plan near proposed
  new Depot
• Washtenaw Avenue corridor plan
• Zoning ordinance updates

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Set course for Citys efforts projects
awaiting catalyst

• Re-Introduction to Ypsilanti Tours
• Commercial tours for brokers
• Residential tours and open houses
• SPARK East Incubator retention planning
• Target underutilized business park and commercial
  properties for redevelopment
• Landfill reuse/redevelopment

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Next Steps

• Continue development of partnerships
• Work on active projects
• Provide quarterly updates to city council
• Continue monthly team meetings
• Further flesh out goals, targets and overall
  direction for economic development

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Questions?

• Economic Development Work Plan