Belleville DDA to join with BYC to add city cleanup to lake cleanup

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
Saturday, May 18, is the day set for BYC’s annual lake cleanup and this year the City of Belleville will be joining in to encourage a cleanup of the whole business district by volunteers.
At the April 17 meeting of the Belleville Downtown Development Authority, DDA Coordinator Carl Thompson said she had met with the BYC and learned of its lake cleanup date.
Thompson said the DDA will be encouraging business owners throughout the DDA district to clean up their properties and nearby vacant properties on that day to give the whole city a spring spruce-up.
Thompson said there has been little interest lately in the façade program that offers some funds to help upgrade storefronts, so the DDA will be looking at ways to promote that program, as well.
Thompson said since the infrastructure is in place for a vibrant downtown — referring to the street, streetscape and water main — now the DDA will be concentrating on keeping the present businesses in town and attracting new businesses.
Thompson put together a report on the Belleville community plus details on the area within a 15-mile and a 25-mile radius. She prepared documents on other communities and what businesses they have, to use in analyzing the downtown.
She said SEMCOG figures show 14,400 vehicles come through Belleville daily and the question is how to get the drivers to stop and use local businesses.
She said it’s not what individuals may want in the city, but about what businesses can succeed here.
Thompson said the parking lots and vacant land along Main Street interrupt the walkability and there are several ways to proceed with that problem.
DDA member Tom Fielder said in the Aerotropolis plans, Belleville is the center point for retail and residential.
“We have to let them know what we have here,” Fielder said. “We have been the center for entertainment and restaurants for some time. With Aerotropolis, a number of people will be coming here who don’t live here.”
Thompson said there are not as many vacant buildings downtown now, with vacancies down to 5%, but it’s about 20% if you include the vacant land.
Fielder said some businesses need more space than the city has and, “If somebody comes and we don’t have room for them, we should refer them to Van Buren Township.”
“I don’t know how anyone could come in and turn a profit,” said DDA member James Higgerson, noting construction costs are very high. He suggested a chainstore with funding could afford to develop, such as Hallmark in Canton. “Without a chain, development is cost-prohibitive.”
Thompson suggested having a Retailing Visioning Survey to help with retention as well as recruitment, but the DDA wasn’t in favor of doing that now.
Instead, the DDA decided to send a letter to the VBT DDA asking for a joint meeting so the neighboring groups could get together and share information and share marketing on a date to be determined.
Of interest is the Metro-Detroit Asource program that offers information for residents, relocation and businesses for a price that could be shared.
They also want to collaborate with VBT for weed treatment on the Belleville Bridge to make it look nicer.
In other business at the April 17 meeting, the DDA:
• Discussed additional waste receptacles with other kinds of lids. This item will come back to the DDA with more information; and
• Heard a report on the planning commission’s progress on the Downtown Overlay District and learned the Sign Ordinance is not yet in final shape for discussion.