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Hamtramck staff previews Michigan Main Street application; council to consider letter of support Sept. 9
Summary
City staff updated council on a Downtown Development Authority effort to apply to Michigan Main Street’s select level. Staff said select designation would make matching grants (up to $50,000) and technical assistance available to downtown businesses; a resolution seeking council support is planned for Sept. 9, 2025.
Isabelle Alloway, head of community and economic development, briefed Hamtramck City Council on Aug. 26, 2025, about the Downtown Development Authority’s application to move from Michigan Main Street’s “engaged” level to the “select” level. Alloway said the DDA is finalizing an application and that she will bring a resolution to council on Sept. 9 asking for a formal letter of support.
“Michigan Main Street … supports and celebrates strong downtown districts that are committed to supporting and growing their local businesses,” Alloway told the council. She said the program offers technical assistance, staff training and grant funding for downtown businesses. Alloway said that at the select level grants of up to $50,000 are available through the Match on Main program and could fund facade improvements or business expansion.
Alloway described ongoing DDA efforts to engage businesses, including door-to-door outreach by staff and interns. She said the DDA considers the application an extension of long-standing downtown priorities and that the city’s DDA has already been designated at Michigan Main Street’s engaged level. The next formal step, Alloway said, is a September resolution from council that would be submitted as part of the application packet.
If the council adopts the resolution on Sept. 9, that action would serve as the city’s letter of support for the DDA’s select-level application. Alloway invited council members and community members with questions to contact her before the Sept. 9 meeting and said staff are working to finalize written responses and required data for the application.
Provenance (transcript excerpts): - Topic intro: Isabelle Alloway presentation begins: “Good evening, everyone. For folks who are new to tuning in to council, I'm Isabelle Alloway... my goal is to update council and the community about our downtown development authority's work to become, Michigan Main Street community at the select level.” (transcript block at s=332.395) - Topic finish: Alloway: “...at the next September meeting, on the September 9, I'll bring a resolution and ask counsel to adopt it, and that will essentially function as your letter of support for the application.” (transcript block at s=551.95996)
Ending Alloway said staff will return on Sept. 9 with a resolution asking the council for a letter of support. If approved at that meeting, the letter would be included in the DDA’s Michigan Main Street application.
