Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lathrup Village DDA joins Recast Your City cohort to pilot ‘Makers Mile’ small‑scale production strategy
Summary
The Downtown Development Authority said it joined a Recast Your City cohort to explore zoning and economic tools to support small‑scale manufacturing and maker spaces, pitching a corridor identity called the “Makers Mile” to activate underused storefronts and diversify the business mix in the village center.
The Lathrup Village Downtown Development Authority on March 20 presented plans to pilot a “Makers Mile” — a corridor‑wide strategy to permit and promote small‑scale production and maker businesses in the village center and across business zoning districts.
DDA staff member Austin told the board the DDA was selected for a technical assistance cohort from Recast Your City, funded regionally through the Michigan Municipal League and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. He said the consultant’s model emphasizes creating an ecosystem for small producers — woodworking, jewelry, small‑lot food production, 3‑D printing and similar businesses — rather than trying to lure large employers with incentives.
“We were informed that the program is completely covered by the foundation, so we put together a cohort,” Austin said, noting the DDA selected local participants including Tracy Williams (Oakland Thrive) and the Lathrup Village Chamber president. He described an early working name for the initiative as the “Makers Mile,” focused in the village center but intended to affect allowable uses throughout the business district.
Tom Mari, a planning staff member, explained how the concept would work in practice: permit small‑scale production within existing commercial spaces, require site‑plan reviews for any producer and build a set of zoning criteria to limit negative externalities near residences. “The Makers Mile acts as an overarching identity for the entire commercial area,” Tom said. “We’ll add use types across our business zoning designations and require site plan review so impacts can be mitigated.”
Board members pressed staff on vacancy and market data. Austin said storefront vacancy was reported in the discussion at roughly 12–20% in different nodes, and that some commercial segments are overconcentrated (for example, many personal‑care salons). Staff framed the Makers Mile as a way to diversify tenancy and expand revenue sources for the city, and said the project will include outreach to residents, property owners and prospective investors.
The DDA will work with local partners already mentioned during the presentation — Oakland Thrive, the Chamber, Automation Alley and local financial institutions — and will coordinate the project with the city’s master plan update so policy and zoning work are complementary. Staff said Giffels Webster (planning consultant on the master plan) and the Recast consultant will share findings between the two efforts.
Why it matters: Small‑scale production has been used in other downtowns to activate storefronts, attract foot traffic and create resilient local employment. If the DDA follows through on ordinance updates and site‑plan criteria, the change could ease conversion of underutilized retail space into mixed‑use production/retail studios. The project is in very early stages: staff said the cohort is one month into a roughly ten‑month process and no ordinance changes have been finalized.
Next steps: Staff will continue cohort workshops, draft zoning options and present proposed ordinance language and community engagement plans to the planning commission and DDA board in coming months.
