MSHDA Announces Michigan Main Street Associate Level Communities

    LANSING, Mich., July 17 /EMWNews/ -- Keith Molin, interim

executive director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority

(MSHDA) announced today that 17 Michigan communities have been selected by

MSHDA to take part in the Michigan Main Street Associate Level program. The

17 selected communities will receive training over the next one to two

years in the basics of Main Street, including training in organization and

promotion, economic restructuring and design and quarterly Michigan Main

Street training.



    "Michigan's economy cannot thrive without thriving downtowns," Molin

said. "This program is creating opportunities for new development and

economic growth in downtowns across our state."



    The Michigan Main Street Associate program is part of Governor

Granholm's Cool Cities Initiative to create vibrant communities in

Michigan. These efforts are based on numerous recent studies showing that

investing in our downtowns creates vibrant centers, making our state

economically stronger. The 17 communities to receive the Michigan Main

Street Associate Level designation are:



    -- Belding



    -- Blissfield



    -- Brighton



    -- Davison



    -- East Jordan



    -- Eaton Rapids



    -- Escanaba



    -- Grand Rapids "Uptown"



    -- Lansing Principal Shopping District



    -- Manistique



    -- Mt. Pleasant



    -- Owosso



    -- Owosso West Town



    -- Plainwell



    -- Rogers City



    -- Ypsilanti



    -- Zeeland



    Communities wishing to become a Michigan Main Street Community or

request information regarding the Michigan Main Street Associate program

are asked to contact Laura Krizov at MSHDA at (517) 241-4237.



    MSHDA is a quasi-state agency that provides financial and technical

assistance through public and private partnerships to create and preserve

safe and decent affordable housing, engage in community economic

development activities, and address homeless issues. MSHDA's loans and

operating expenses are financed through the sale of tax-exempt and taxable

bonds and notes to private investors, not from state tax revenues. For more

information on MSHDA programs and initiatives, visit the Web site at

http://www.michigan.gov/mshda.