Economic and Community Development

Department Directory

General Documents

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Reports & Studies  

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The Economic and Community Development Department's mission is to plan, stimulate and
guide development activity in the City's residential, commercial, and industrial sectors using
sound planning methods that are cost-effective to the community. The Department is also
actively involved in preserving and protecting Monroe's historic resources, promoting its
heritage, and developing plans for future management and interpretation of selected sites.
To accomplish these goals, the Department applies a team approach to projects capitalizing
on each member's area or areas of specialization and expertise, which include economic and
community development, land use planning, historic preservation, housing, cultural resource
management, tax incentives, project financing and grant writing and administration.

The Department leads the City’s economic development and revitalization initiatives together
with support from a number of public and private sector partners. The Department maintains
close operational relationships with the Downtown Development Authority  (DDA), the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and the Port of Monroe.  Other key partners include the county-wide organizations like the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Tourism Bureau, and Industrial Development Corporation.  

The Economic and Community Development Department currently employs the Director, two full-time Planners and one office clerk. Planning staff are responsible for providing professional support to the Citizens Planning Commission, Historic District Commission, Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (BRA), and the Economic Development Review Committee along with performing routine and specialized planning and community development assignments. Planning staff also apply for and administer the City's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement and other grant and special funding initiatives. Planning staff also coordinate the annual update of the City's comprehensive five-year Capital Improvement Plan

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Development Incentives: 

The Department coordinates economic development incentives that provide financing and tax
relief for capital investments and new job creation in the City. The City is a recognized leader
in Brownfield development making the redevelopment of obsolete or contaminated sites
cost effective and competitive with greenfield development. The City staff has experience in
applying multiple financing and property tax incentives including Industrial Facilities Tax (IFT)
Abatement, Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act (OPRA), Michigan Economic Development
Growth Authority (MEGA) Tax Credit, Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Tax Credit
and Tax Increment Financing (TIF). Recent economic development initiatives in the City include
the following major projects and announcements.

• VENTOWER- New wind turbine tower manufacturer: http://www.ventower.com/
• Gerdau Macsteel- $67 Million expansion: http://www.gerdaumacsteel.com/releases/  

Important Economic and Community Development Links:

Downtown Development Authority (DDA): http://downtownmonroemi.com/
Port of Monroe: http://www.portofmonroe.com/index.php/pom/index
Monroe County Chamber of Commerce: http://monroemi.usachamber.com/
Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation: http://www.monroecountyidc.com/
Monroe County Convention and Tourism Bureau: http://www.monroeinfo.com/
Michigan Economic Development Corporation: http://www.monroeinfo.com/