Belleville DDA working on final proposal for business incubator

Steve Jones, acting Belleville city manager and director of the Downtown Development Authority, reported to the DDA at its July 16 meeting that he is working to finalize a proposal with a consultant for a business incubator project in the former hardware store the DDA owns on Main Street.
He said Laura Sigmund of Best Practices consulting services, also works out of the Romulus Nest that uses small office space. She plans to run the Belleville program in cooperation with the Romulus project, using the Belleville retail space for businesses.
Jones said Sigmund thinks this is a perfect partnership, since Belleville is walkable, the location is on Main Street, and it has big windows.
DDA member Chris Donley said Romulus is not walkable downtown and the entrepreneurs leave Romulus once they are trained.
“The idea behind this is to give entrepreneurs a chance to begin,” said mayor Ken Voigt, who added the city plans on working with universities as well, using their graduate students.
Jones said he is still working on the cost. He said there will be a graduated fee schedule for rent, small at the beginning, going up to almost market-grade in seven months.
Mayor Voigt said they plan to guide the trained entrepreneurs into empty spaces and show developers we have people for them. He said there is no shortage of entrepreneurs in this area and all you have to do is walk through the farmers’ market to see that.
DDA member Valerie Kelley-Bonner said they want to get the right kinds of businesses.
Mayor Voigt said they are seeking food-based and retail. He said if you study successful downtowns, “What I’ve been doing for 41 years,” they have a critical mass of eating places.
Jones said he expects a successful venture because of Sigmund’s experience.
When asked how many participants they can have, Jones said 15, but he has to get the bathroom facilities in place and get the place painted.
Donley said they could turn the outside covered area into an eating area.
“It’s slow, but we want to make sure we’re doing it right,” Jones said.
He said the next step is to get the bathrooms done and finalize the proposal with Sigmund. Then it will be brought back to the DDA for final approval.
In other business at the July 16 meeting, the DDA:
• Unanimously approved the DDA budget for 2025-26. Mayor Voigt said the maintenance agreement with the city goes away and the DDA only pays for a portion of the director’s salary;
• Heard Jones report that the clock was put up in the Fourth Street Square at around 3 that afternoon and Craig Atchinson dropped off a “sizeable donation” for the clock. Also, the pickleball court is up in Village Park. Mayor Voigt said a ribbon-cutting is needed;
• Was introduced to Antonio Harrison, an intern from Grand Valley State University where he is a political science major. He lives locally and wants to be a lawyer. He has been working on projects since May, including the base deterioration of the LaSalle statue in Victory Park and preparing the DDA office for the move to the new city hall;
• Discussed a proposal to replace the water truck that waters all the flowers downtown. Jones said the former fuel truck that had replaced the old water truck had a transmission failure so they are back to the old truck that is in bad shape. Needed is something to support a 5,000-pound tank filled with water. Mayor Voigt said all the flowers that have been planted, especially the baskets, have to be watered every day. Jones presented a proposal for a truck from LaFontaine in Walled Lake. He said he didn’t contact Atchinson but looked on its website and didn’t see a truck they could use. Donley and Voigt said they would like to go local and Atchinson might be able to get a truck. Jones said he would call Atchinson and explore all options. Costs can come out of the fund balance, said secretary Denise Baker. Voigt said the truck they are using now is “pretty ratty-looking”;
• Heard Donley, head of the Marketing and Community Engagement committee, report on the social media efforts through Kathleen Springer’s group. They reported the Summer of Local Love promotion is a big hit with the businesses. Jones said the city is working with Jessica Thomas at Holiday Inn on a marketing of Belleville to motel residents. The DDA also bought pages in Van Buren Today magazine;
• Heard Voigt say Belleville might be eligible next year for the Detroit Institute of Arts Inside/Out program, which has put up art in Van Buren Township this summer. He said municipalities can apply every three years and Belleville last had the DIA art a few years ago. Voigt said the city has a lot of public art now and they need to promote the public art with a map to everything, including the fish;
• Approved expenditures of $111,866.89 for June (when the DDA didn’t meet) and $112,569.30 for this far in July, with Jones adding invoices from the last few days;
• Heard treasurer Sabrina Richardson-Williams say the playground covering looks good;
• Heard Kelley-Bonner say some of her friends have passed away and she encouraged everyone to “love on your family, your friends, and communities. Embrace a child. If you believe in a Higher Power or not, the rule of it all is love”;
• Heard Mayor Voigt say the city had a few hiccups this summer, but the bathrooms are better – smell better – and America in Bloom was scheduled to come July 21-22;
• Heard chairman John Winter thank Belleville Public Safety for stabilizing a man who collapsed at Third and Main at the previous Monday’s carshow. Winter said they stabilized him for 20 minutes until Huron Valley Ambulance got there; and
• Heard Jones report that Tom Tinsley of Contract Welding modified the hangers to be double on the light poles and South Street will be modified next year. He said Tinsley and John Hughes helped to modify the new clock so it could be installed that afternoon.