Northern Lakes Economic Alliance • 231-582-6482
Carly Bortz, Administrative/Communications Assistant
Who answers the call when a developer is looking for the perfect site to build on or redevelop? Different local entities respond depending on where the site is located and what type of development or infrastructure is needed; to find the most appropriate solution or responder, a coordinated effort by Downtown Development Authorities (DDAs), local units of government, and Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (NLEA) often takes place to exchange information on businesses and properties to respond to asks. There are a lot of moving parts, and expertise from multiple groups is key.
One way that NLEA stays on top of site responses is by managing a portion of sites on the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) site selection database. We make sure our portion of site profiles are updated with correct lot and site data based on information from local units of government. This platform allows site selectors from all over to search for all available sites in Michigan by city or county. Currently, NLEA is the contact for 11 sites within our three-county service area; this means that if a site selector or developer is interested in one of our sites, they will contact us for more information. Occasionally the state will notify site contacts of a potential project need, and contacts like us are able to submit properties they think might fit the project.
Last year our 2019 summer interns designed 22 marketing packages featuring 30 priority sites for redevelopment in Antrim, Charlevoix, and Cheboygan counties. With guidance from local units of government and community leaders, a few priority sites were identified to highlight from each community. These packages are housed on our website and feature lot information, desired development, and place-making aerial footage and information. We are in the process of including the link to each site video on the matching MEDC profiles and making sure all the featured sites are listed on the MEDC site selection database. Check them out and share them on your website!
Visit our Featured Site database and add this link, and individual site videos to your website; for assistance adding the Featured Sites marketing packages to your website, contact Carly Bortz at 231-582-6482 or by email. For more information on available sites, or if you need help posting or updating information on the MEDC site selection database contact the NLEA office at 231-582-6482 and ask to speak with Jessica Lovay, Community Development & Grants.
