DEGC reports $821 million in 2024 investment; council adds several small‑business and corridor items to executive session

Kevin Johnson, president of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, told the Detroit City Council the DEGC helped secure about $821,000,000 in investment in 2024 and outlined workforce and small‑business programs the agency manages.

“We’ve helped secure over $821,000,000 in investment throughout Detroit, in 2024,” Johnson said. He credited those projects with supporting new full‑time jobs, construction work and neighborhood development and singled out projects such as Fisher 21 and the Pistons‑related mixed‑use development for their housing contributions.

David Howe, vice president of real estate services for the DEGC, briefed the council on real estate and tax‑incentive work and said the agency underwrites abatements to ensure a net fiscal benefit. He noted recent projects and figures including the Fisher 21 redevelopment and a set of 16 abatement certificate approvals that DEGC says represent roughly $821,000,000 of total investment and about 733 housing units (62 of them affordable), as well as job estimates tied to those projects.

David White, vice president of business development, reviewed DEGC’s attraction and retention efforts and said the agency had won more than 1,200 jobs since Jan. 1, 2024 on corporate attraction work. Sean Gray, speaking remotely as DEGC’s small business services lead, described Motor City Match, the Green Grocer Project and the Detroit Legacy Business Project, saying Motor City Match has completed 27 rounds and deployed about $19,100,000 in grants and that the Green Grocer Project has supported nine emerging grocers in the city.

Council members used the hearing to propose multiple funding and study items, and most motions were adopted on voice consensus with no recorded roll‑call. Highlights of council actions (all actions below were announced as “hearing no objections, that action will be taken” unless otherwise noted):

- Detroit Legacy Business Fund: Council President Mary Sheffield moved to add the Detroit Legacy Business Fund with an allocation of $1,500,000 to the executive session for final consideration; action taken. - Detroit Emergency Business Fund: Council President Sheffield also moved to add the creation of a Detroit Emergency Business Fund to the executive session; action taken. - Entrepreneurial Challenge Grant (Smart City Tech grama): The council added a $500,000 allocation for a challenge grant program aimed at early‑stage tech founders; Council President Sheffield made the motion and it was adopted by voice. - NextUp 313 (young entrepreneurs): Council Member Mary Waters moved to add NextUp 313 to the executive session with $1,000,000 for staffing and startup grants; action taken. - Motor City Match wraparound support: Council Member Durha moved to place $1,000,000 into executive session for a Motor City Match—style business support/wraparound program; action taken. - Green Grocer program: Council Member Coleman Young moved to place the Green Grocer program into executive session for further discussion; action taken. - District‑level and corridor studies and funding: Multiple motions to add corridor studies or corridor investments to executive session were approved, including $300,000 for an economic outlook study for District 6 (moved by Council Member Gabriela Santiago Romero) and $250,000 to engage PDD/CPC/DEGC on the Van Dyke Corridor (moved by Council Member Scott Benson). A related closing resolution urging corridor strategy and hard streetscape improvements was also adopted. - Crosswind Runway / Detroit City Airport: Council Member Scott Benson moved that Planning & Economic Development provide line‑item quarterly updates about the Crosswind Runway conversion project; DEGC staff said the project will free about 660 acres for development and that federal staffing at the FAA is a pacing factor. - DDA/corridor authority expansion and marketing: Council Member Durha moved to add study/work to executive session on expanding DDA or corridor improvement authorities across commercial corridors; Council Member Young also moved to develop a plan for marketing DEGC/DDA services and development incentives; both items were added.

Why this matters: The DEGC presentation framed the agency’s role in underwriting projects, attracting jobs and supporting small businesses; council members then used the hearing to push several program funding or study items into executive session for deeper review. Many of those items (business funds, challenge grants, investments in corridor planning and NextUp 313) are targeted at neighborhood businesses, entrepreneurs and corridor revitalization.

Quotes from the hearing: Kevin Johnson: “We’ve helped secure over $821,000,000 in investment throughout Detroit, in 2024.” David Howe: “We ensure each abatement presented to this honorable body provides a positive fiscal benefit to the city.” Sean Gray (small business services): “Motor City Match has awarded $19,100,000 in cash grants and opened 180 businesses.”

Council follow‑up and next steps: DEGC staff agreed to provide written answers to council questions about program metrics and to supply quarterly updates where requested (for example, on the Crosswind Runway project). Several motions were placed on the executive session agenda for final budgetary consideration; no final appropriations were voted in open session at this hearing.

The hearing concluded after additional council questions and staff responses.