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By Lisa Mackinder | MiBiz
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BATTLE CREEK – This year, the Michigan Municipal League (MML) has been spreading the word about the importance of “placemaking” and how that concept applies to rebuilding Michigan’s downtowns.

In “Why Placemaking Matters in Michigan,” Daniel P. Gilmartin, executive director and CEO at the MML, said the rebuilding of downtowns “creat(es) a sense of identity and community, making a place where people want to live, work and play.”

The Downtown Battle Creek Partnership actively markets and promotes Battle Creek as a vibrant, livable urban center through various events. Those events serve as a critical component for creating a healthy, energetic downtown, said Alyssa Jones, communications and events manager at DBCP.

“We look at striking a balance between economic impact, foot traffic and vibrancy,” Jones said.

The DBCP organizes 50 events from May and October, with spring and fall “Art Walk” events being the most popular, Jones said. The organization matches artists with downtown restaurants, retailers or nonprofit organizations to display artwork. All the proceeds from the art sales go to the artists, while businesses also benefit from increased traffic. Some businesses participate once, others twice annually.

“It has come to be a social event of the year,” said Jones, noting the spring and fall one-night events each draw about 1,000 people to the downtown.

During Art Walk, businesses report a 30-percent jump in activity over a typical night. Jones said events play an important role in helping grow downtown businesses because the activities help residents and visitors discover new establishments, which prompts return visits.

Art Walk is one of the “cash ringing and placemaking events” because it populates the downtown businesses with people who make purchases and create an energy in the city, she said. The community has been supportive of the event, and the organization has received requests to extend Art Walk to an entire weekend or hold it four times per year, Jones said. Planners expanded the footprint of Art Walk over the five years it’s been scheduled. Jones said she believed it could soon encompass the entire city.

For events and other promotions, the DBCP evolved its communication strategy to embrace social media, and the organization encourages merchants to do the same. Jones said the organization uses Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to engage with the community. For example, followers voted on which movies to present during the downtown’s Free Outdoor Movie event at Mill Race Park.

The organization also used social media to share information about construction during the Downtown Battle Creek Transformation Project, an $85 million improvement plan to implement physical changes to the downtown.

“We really see the power of that tool,” Jones said of social media engagement.

Across social media platforms, the DBCP has approximately 6,250 followers and gains about 50 new friends each weekend.

In addition to marketing and promotion, the organization also assists with private and public improvement projects, residential development and retail retention and recruitment.

DBCP staff members help with beautification efforts, which contribute to making the downtown safer, cleaner and more accessible, said Cheryl Beard, director of commercial development at Battle Creek Unlimited, an economic development organization. To ensure future stability, more people must choose to live downtown, she said.

“It’s part of creating a 24/7 downtown,” Beard said.

The Battle Creek Tower development on West Michigan Avenue remains at full occupancy. Five other standalone units sprinkled throughout the city are also occupied, but some residential property still needs to be developed. Battle Creek Unlimited acquired a number of properties to attract developers.

“That puts us in the driver’s seat of what we can make happen with development,” said Beard.

The DBCP works one-on-one with the business community to help with recruitment and retention. Staff members meet with about 75 percent of downtown business owners every year in an effort to maintain a balance of retail, nonprofit and for-profit entities. Whether a business owner needs to expand, seeks a vacant space to lease or wants help filling out an application for a facade improvement grant, DBCP assists by acting as both a sounding board and advisor, Beard said.

A number of businesses, including LynnIvan Salon, Malia Mediterranean Bistro, All State Insurance and Kellogg Community Federal Credit Union, recently opened new or additional locations downtown. Beard said she knows of two more businesses in the process of moving downtown.

Beard said she believed the Downtown Battle Creek Transformation Project provides a catalyst to attract businesses to the city’s center.

“We will continue to look at opportunities and follow our vision that we maintain and create a healthy downtown,” Beard said.

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• battle creek
• daniel p. gilmartin
• michigan municipal league
• why placemaking matters in michigan