VBT DDA to put 30 new advertising banners on lightpoles

Thirty new advertising banners have been sold and will be put up on lightpoles in the Belleville Road streetscape once the proofs are approved.
This was reported by Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Merrie Coburn at the Jan. 23 DDA meeting.
When asked if she sold any to Belleville businesses, she said there are three so far.
She also said the township’s Communications Department is working with the DDA to get a tri-community calendar in place so events aren’t scheduled for the same days.
She also said she wants a flagpole installed at Harris Park and said she will seek a quote. DDA chairman Craig Atchinson said he has a flagpole at his business and he will send a proposed vendor’s name to her.
In other business at the Jan. 23 meeting, the DDA:
• Approved advertising the VBT DDA with the Belleville Area Council for the Arts at Music Lakeside, as well as advertising with the Belleville Central Business Community 2024 events. They said they paid $3,000 to BACA last year and this year’s amount was to match what the Belleville DDA gives BACA. She said the CBC amount is $500 total for advertising in all their events, plus $50 for Santa’s coloring book;
• Was introduced to new DDA board member Jessica Thomas and informed Thomas would be sworn in at a future meeting. Coburn said because of the inclement weather the township was closed that day and the swearing-in wasn’t possible;
• Received an update on grant initiatives and the design concept status for the Belleville Road Widening Project and the Tyler Road Non-Motorized Improvements;
• Learned the township didn’t get the needed letter of support from Wayne County for the county to be the recipient of a grant for the MDOT Tyler Road sidewalk project grant. McNamara said they were working on it; and
• Heard Coburn report the DDA is putting together its first-annual Valentine storefront event where people can vote online and “create a buzz.”