Q & A with Arthur Mullen, AICP - Executive Director, Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority

 

What is your educational/professional background?
I was raised in southeastern Michigan but I earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Hamilton, a small liberal arts college in Clinton, New York.  I then attended Columbia University for a Master of Science in Historic Preservation. 
I started my career at Zachary and Associates, a finance and planning consulting firm in Detroit, specializing in planning, development finance, and historic preservation.  My first full-time job was with the City of Detroit in the Planning & Development Department where I was involved in project facilitation and development finance including a number of notable projects - Inn on Ferry Street and the Harmonie Club building.  Before become director of the Mount Clemens DDA, I worked for four years with the MotorCities National Heritage Area as a Program Manager.  

 

What are some of the more significant changes you have seen in the downtown since your arrival? 
Downtown Mount Clemens has cemented its moniker as the “entertainment capital of Macomb County.”  There truly is no other place in the county that can offer more than 30 bars and restaurants within walking distance.  During the summer, we have a dozen with outdoor patios.  We offer the greatest concentration of places to eat and drink, hands down.  Mount Clemens is a popular place for the after-work dinner crowd and then later in the evening, our bars are really attractive to the 21-35 year old population.

Over the last 2 ½ years, we have worked hard to refresh all of our events, and engage in a Regional Marketing Program to highlight all of our businesses and events.  This program is really beginning to pay off.  We are now beginning to see success in diversifying the downtown experience.  There a couple of new bars opening soon that will appeal to a wider demographic including The Bank (a dance club with music from the 70s, 80 and 90s) and Keys (a Caribbean-themed eatery/drinkery that will feature dueling pianos).

Our commercial spaces are at 90 percent occupancy, an all-time high.  Seven new businesses have opened since May and two have reopened.  Today’s downtown Mount Clemens shopper will find a really unique assortment of boutique shops – those that offer unique products and services – that have really helped to make our downtown a shopping destination. 

We also have a theatre group forming.  John Forlini, owner of Che Cosa, is the mastermind.  It’s first production will be “Silvia” which will be performed at the Anton Art Center on February 14, 15 & 16.

 

What can we expect to see the DDA do in the coming year?
Our next biggest project will be a multi-million dollar streetscaping project.  In fact, we have a public meeting planned for February 5 at the Anton Art Center from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.  As a part of this project, we are hoping to partner with the county to spruce up Kennedy Park (between the Court House and County Building).  And, we will offer wireless Internet connectivity within the next six weeks.

How much money does the DDA have to work with each year? 
Our annual revenue is approximately $390,000 which includes tax capture from the City’s General Fund and other taxing jurisdictions.  We raise an additional $135,000 in monies through grants, sponsorships, and special event revenue.  Roughly, we spend approximately 1/4 in salaries and office expenses, ½ in events, and the remaining ¼ in marketing and physical improvements. 

What is the most misunderstood perception of a DDA? 
(laughing) People seem to think that we are some big machine with a dozen employees working on projects when in reality, there are just two of us working to make the downtown a destination.  Michelle Weiss is our Marketing and Events Coordinator and she also spearheads the Bath City Festival.  Over the last year, we have had Eric Borrell as our GIS/Planning Intern, and he has developed basis for the City’s GIS effort. 

Will the DDA be hosting a Stars and Stripes Festival again this year?
Actually, last year’s inaugural Stars and Stripes Festival was not an official event of the DDA but was organized (with the help of a professional events company) by Emerald Theatre owner Joe Nieporte and his event production company FunFest Productions, Inc.  We plan to stay very involved in the planning and ongoing support of this event.  We certainly believe it is on track to become a signature Southeastern Michigan event.

 

You can expect us to continue to offer and refine downtown events such as Girls Night Out, Mens Night Out, a resurgent craft show series with only original hand-made work, chili cook-off and the others.  Being designated as an official “Super City” in late 2005 really helped to kick-off our regional media effort, and we have been able to leverage this successfully over the last two years.  The buzz is beginning to support itself with all of the new retail interest we have seen in the last six months.  We look forward to it continuing in 2008 while we broaden our demographic scope.  

www.downtownmountclemens.com