Community Collaboration Generates New Investment Interest (Escanaba City Council Meeting 11-16-23)

Pushed by the winds of growth, thoughtful legislation and good governance bear fruit in the realignment of a town to the post-Covid world markets. What you will find by watching city council meetings (and others) is that there is a sense of openness in government and public contribution is visibly apparent. The spirit of collaborative creation led to a bountiful reward of new ideas and new opportunities. Its amazing to see what happens when people in a community put their minds together to accomplish some great feat. It is more amazing to see it happening in real time! 

Docks During the Day in Art Gallery
Escanaba Harbor

(Those who want to take leadership positions and/or go into civil service should think about how communities can self generate and how encouraging engagement leads to positive outcomes. That takes a wider perceptual scope on the stakeholders of good governance as a whole community affair. ) 

Stay tuned at Escanaba Town Hall Meetings! (You may want to check out the county meetings. A little more exciting from what I have heard....DC Videos. In its own unique way it is also a great opportunity to learn as well.)

(Read this study on Small Town Tourism and Solidarity and you will find that in some small towns when people are part of the process of creation, there are opportunities to engage, and express themselves, it changes their perception of the success of tourism. I suspect for the ability to change success itself as well as apply that optimism to other arenas i.e. conversations from "things never change" to "We got a lot of great things going on here now.")

( Escanaba/Gladstone/Delta Co have an opportunity to attract multiple lines of revenue that include tourism, industry, downtown development, boat manufacturing, small organic farmers who like the outdoors, and much more. Never ignore the human element in development. Economics is at its roots human behavior and choice. Something Beer Battered Fish in Esky  and Esky Hedging)

As you watch the video and read the key highlights below think about how different areas of the local economy influence each other. For example, the House of Ludington development, jail project (more about this later), infrastructure grants, Billerud investments, ship building, and other activities are creating economic lift that impacts different sectors of the local economy at once. They cocreate with each other and attract more interest overall that could lead to further development at some point. 

Co development encourages active participation by residents in public activities and that promotes greater lift to new ideas and options. For example, there is a new fish restaurant going in that could attract even more interests (My person opinion is that it should showcase the areas offerings. A strong local options menu section.). Not only a tourist stop but also attracts new people to the marina and creates more fun activities in the park, beach, and other places. That in turn helps other areas.

What economic activities might occur next? What I can say is that the activities in the area over the last two years have created a greater appreciation for the shared interest in people working together to create solutions for their community. It is an opportunity for industry, entrepreneurs and stakeholders to be part of that upswing in a meaningful way. Why build when you can build with purpose? You can encourage strong democratic governance principles.

A chance to build something unique and you can be part of that. Its amazing if you sort of think about it. To be part of a town's reemergence. Wanna start a business, invest in a business, or try something new?....Contact Escanaba It helps our community and helps the people who live and visit here.

Key Highlights Below: 11/16/23 Escanaba Agenda

Approval – Request for Proposal (RFP) Restaurant at Harbor - Manager. Explanation: The Harbor Advisory Committee is requesting City Council approval of an RFP for the operation and lease of a restaurant at the Escanaba Harbor. If approved by the City Council, administration will solicit proposals in accordance with the RFP.

Approval - Closure of Ludington Street for Christmas Parade - DDA.  Administration requested City Council approval for the closure of Ludington Street for the annual Christmas Parade scheduled for December 1, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.  NB-5 Moore moved, Flath seconded, CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY, to approve the closure of Ludington Street for the annual Christmas Parade scheduled for December 1, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. 

NB-8 Approval – Resolution No. 23-24 – Patrons of Escanaba Schools Performing Arts – Nonprofit – Manager.  Patrons of Escanaba Schools Performing Arts sought City Council approval of Resolution No. 23-24 , recognizing them as a nonprofit organization operating in the community for the purpose of obtaining a Charitable Gaming License from the State of Michigan. 

Vision for Escanaba-Escanaba is a community well-supported by industry. To attract and retain talent in the new economy, a placemaking initiative is beginning on the eastern end of downtown. This district possesses several of the characteristics of a quality placemaking district, including regular public events, recreational opportunities, arts and culture, entertainment, and food and drink. In addition to existing offerings, millions of dollars of investment are being made by both the public and private sector. These efforts, and the expected spinoff development, have the potential to introduce hundreds of permanent residents and visitors through the creation of an attractive public space, increased housing units, added hotel rooms, and additional social opportunities.  

Ongoing Efforts: 

- Condominium and Mixed-Use Development (Former Chamber of Commerce Site) 

-Hampton Inn Development (Former Jail Site)

-Revitalization of the House of Ludington

-Lake Effect Distillery (Former Northern Michigan Bank)

-City of Escanaba Infrastructure

-RAP 2.0 New Public Restroom

-RAP 2.0 DDA Streetscape o $20 million CWSRF

Thompson, M. & McGregor, S. (April, 2011) Tourism in a small town: Impacts on community solidarity. International Journal of Sustainable Society, 3(2):174-189 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259972605_Tourism_in_a_small_town_Impacts_on_community_solidarity