During a recent Board meeting of the City of Charlevoix Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the Board voted to graduate from being a Master Level Michigan Main Street Community. The City of Charlevoix has been participating in the Michigan Main Street program since 2015 and obtained Accreditation Status from the National Main Street Center in 2018. Since then, the city has earned the Redevelopment Ready Community designation through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and become a Certified Local Government with the National Park Service and Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.
There will not be noticeable changes in the community or for downtown stakeholders. Most of the change will occur internally as the Board and Executive Director work to restructure the organization for a successful future. Downtown Charlevoix is thriving and the same level of service that has been offered in the past will continue. The Board and staff will assess current programming, capacity, and whether certain initiatives are feasible or need to be tweaked. This transition will take time and planning, but updates will be shared along the way.
“It won’t be a change that the people of Charlevoix will actually notice, as most of the differences come at an administrative level,” states Charlevoix DDA Director Lindsey Dotson. “Moving forward, the DDA plans to continue focusing on housing, pedestrian and driver safety, and infrastructure work. I look forward to navigating this shift in our operations to ensure our organization continues to be successful in supporting economic development and growth in Charlevoix.”
“I have been involved with the Main Street program since its inception here in Charlevoix,” said Maureen Owens, Charlevoix DDA Chair, “and I appreciate all the assistance and organization it has brought to our community. The Board’s decision to Graduate is a real testament to what a great job Michigan Main Street does in training their participating Communities. We believe Lindsey Dotson, our Executive Director, can help Charlevoix move forward while continuing to focus on housing and economic vitality in our Downtown District.”
The Charlevoix DDA is grateful for the resources that were made available to the community through their participation in the Michigan and National Main Street programs and feel that the tools obtained will be beneficial for years to come. Next steps include providing a written request to terminate the programming agreement with Michigan Main Street and updating literature and digital materials accordingly. To follow along, stay connected via the downtown Charlevoix website, social media, and email newsletter.
