VBT DDA approves paying $25,000 for Aerotropolis dues

After a presentation by Director Rob Luce May 22 on everything Detroit Region Aerotropolis is doing to promote development in the region, and Van Buren Township in particular, the VBT Downtown Development Authority voted unanimously to approve paying the $25,000 dues for 2018.
The DDA previously had delayed payment of the Aerotropolis dues for VBT. Members wanted to be convinced the money was well-spent.
Luce said some of the DDA members were at the annual meeting in March when he reported from a business development standpoint, there were 51 projects and at the end of 2017, three were started.
He said now there are 28 proposed projects, with 14 in VBT.
He said Aerotropolis is more active in the marketplace this year and attended 15 trade show conferences. They went to Beijing for an auto show and found a business that needed 50,000 square feet of space and two sites were proposed in VBT — Grace Lake Corporate Center and the old GE building on Ecorse/Haggerty.
He said his colleague Marco Salomone was in Texas for an event which is like speed dating, where you sit down with a dedicated, brief interview with a company. He said Marco was also in Savannah for the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives.
He said 60% of the Aerotropolis budget is being spent on marketing business developments.
He said they have an announcement for VBT in the near future of a transformative project with a lot of jobs, assuming it closes. Luce said it’s a case study on how Aerotropolis and municipal partners work together.
He told of helping with bringing in Amazon and Penske, but none in VBT.
Luce said Aerotropolis has joined forces with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which made a three-year financial commitment and joined the Aerotropolis board of directors.
They have the first private sector investor and the Aerotropolis mandate is to get three private sector investors a year for the next three years.
The payment of dues will finalize the amendment to the interlocal agreement with only one left to agree. On June 5, Taylor is expected to vote on that.
“This allows the local government to be more engaged,” he said.
Luce said the Aerotropolis website has an ID of every parcel in the district of 25 acres and above and the infrastructure. He said they are marketing them on the webpage and it’s interactive and can be downloaded. He said there are six or seven VBT sites on that website.
VBT Supervisor Kevin McNamara, who sits on the DDA, said VBT has lost its taste for providing infrastructure, after the Visteon deal.
Luce said they were close to a deal on the 440 acres, but the wetland issue killed it.
In other business at its May 22 meeting, the DDA:
• Was advised by their bond counsel Thomas Colis of Miller Canfield that the pedestrian overpass bonds will be at their June meeting to authorize, in the market by July, with a negotiated sale at the end of July and funds in the DDA’s hands by the end of July. The estimated yield is 3.25% interest. The reimbursement from the bonds is not to exceed $2 million;
• Approved hiring an intern to resurvey all the businesses, look at a to-do list for the next five years, and document files at a cost of $12 per hour for 20 hours a week at a total of $13,435 a year including FICA;
• Officially approved the Placemaking Project for a guaranteed maximum cost of $2,829,594, which includes $1,479,714 for site development and $1,349,880 for buildings. DDA Executive Director Susan Ireland said they first have to tear down the houses on the site and change the plans, going back to the county for a drainage plan. They will have to use a vortex system or the whole parcel would be full of drainage ponds;
• Removed from the agenda a closed-door session for the purpose of real estate purchase consideration;
• Heard Ireland report Belleville Road LED streetlight conversion is expected to start May 20 with anticipated conversion in mid June. The contractor has begun priming the poles so they can be painted once the LED conversion is complete. Also, a light pole was knocked down near McDonald’s. She got the police report and will be filing an insurance claim;
• Learned the DDA has received $46,485 from Speedway for the right-of-way acquisition and that issue is wrapped up;
• Learned the DDA has been informed by Wilcox Brothers that the irrigation system solar panel at Ecorse Road and Belleville Road is not holding a charge. “It doesn’t work,” Ireland said. She said a work order has been opened with DTE to explore installation of 110 service at the panel. She said in the past DTE said they couldn’t connect, but now they have a work order. She said the solar panel is two years old and they would have to replace one solar panel; and
• Heard a report from Assistant Director Lisa Lothringer on a lengthy list of promotions for the DDA and township. She said the site for the Public Safety Day is still being worked out by Director Greg Laurain.