Cool Cities Program Is Hot – State of Michigan grant program aims to spur redevelopment.

Uncool cities apply to get hip

Plymouth is among 50 applicants for state grants to encourage redevelopment projects

By Francis X. Donnelly / The Detroit News

Plagued by low funds, segregated housing and young adults leaving in droves, cities in southeast Michigan are seen as terminally uncool.

But some municipalities hope that is about to change.

They’re among the 50-plus cities and economic development groups in Michigan that met Friday’s deadline to apply for state grants as part of a Cool Cities program.

In early June, the state will announce a dozen winners of the $100,000 grants, which will be awarded to applicants with the best plans to revitalize neighborhoods in their areas.

The program has drawn strong interest across the state since it was announced last year, said Maura Campbell, spokeswoman for the state Department of Labor and Economic Development.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said. “This has been an incredibly positive experience.”

By Friday afternoon, the state had received 50 applications and expected many more, Campbell said. An official tally will be released this week.

The point of the program isn’t the $100,000, or even being cool, but to entice all cities to begin redevelopment projects and chase additional state and federal grants that are available to them.

Such improvements, the state hopes, will encourage young adults to stay in Michigan by giving them places to work and socialize.

Like a grandparent slipping on Ray-Bans, cities across the state spruced up revitalization plans and presented them to the state.

Among those applying is the city of Plymouth, whose downtown already is attracting young adults with its fledgling nightlife.

While the clubs and restaurants already are there, they’re not necessarily easy to find, Mayor Stella Greene said. That’s because the town is located away from major highways.

So the city would use the grant to erect signs directing travelers to their environs.

The $100,000 isn’t a massive amount of money but, given the lean economic times, every dime is appreciated, Greene said.

“In this day and age, as tight as dollars are across the city, any amount is helpful,” she said.

Among the improvements proposed by other cities are expanding parks, repaving streets, building community centers, erecting sidewalks and preserving historic buildings.

You can reach Francis X. Donnelly at (313) 223-4186 or [email protected].