Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI) President and CEO Kristopher Larson today sent the Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors a proposed Fiscal Year 2016 budget of nearly $9.7 million that, more than ever in the organization’s history, is directly shaped by direct citizen participation and engagement.

“Downtown is everybody’s neighborhood and we value the citizen voice in all our decision-making,” Larson said. “We continue to evolve a participatory budget process that genuinely enables people who live, work and play here to help direct the decisions and investments that affect Downtown. We intentionally delegate authority to citizens and in return we get a stronger democracy, higher transparency and accountability for our organizational operations and better projects that respond to the community’s priorities.”

DGRI is the organization responsible for city building and place-management in Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan’s second largest city. Established in 2013, DGRI serves as the singular management entity for several economic development districts in the urban core, including the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority (DDA) which leverages public and private investment in the central city.

In addition to the Mayor-appointed Board of Directors overseeing the DDA, the DGRI leadership network also includes three separate Alliances comprised of citizen volunteers advising on efforts to promote Downtown investment, vibrancy and livability. These Alliances, established in 2013, currently bring together on a monthly basis more than 60 people with different knowledge, perspectives and backgrounds to solve problems, identify opportunities and support the day-to-day work of improving Downtown Grand Rapids.

The Alliance members also play a direct role in funding decisions. The DDA budget development process began in January 2015 with the citizen volunteers generating ideas. Over the next several months they honed key priorities with support from DGRI staff, identified specific projects and voted on proposals to recommend to the DDA Board of Directors for implementation.

The citizens prioritized 94 percent of the approximately $4.9 million in discretionary spending proposed in the DDA’s FY 2016 budget. Projects include but are not limited to public realm improvements such as greening Calder Plaza and Gillette Bridge, piloting the city’s first protected bike lane, growing the Downtown tree canopy and additional projects listed below.

“We worked through an open, inclusive and deliberate decision making process,” said Nikos Monoyios, a resident of the South Hill neighborhood who chairs DGRI’s Alliance for Investment. “This was a significant opportunity to come up with creative ideas, learn about the budget process and work together with fellow citizens to shape projects that will improve and grow our Downtown neighborhoods.”

In addition to the $4.9 million in discretionary expenditures, the proposed FY 2016 DDA budget also commits approximately $4.7 million to satisfy ongoing obligations such as organizational overhead, debt service and development project reimbursements.

The total proposed budget is $9,654,000. Primary revenue sources include:

  • Approximately $3.8 M fund balance carried over from Fiscal Year 2015,
  • Approximately $2.1 M in proceeds from the sale of Parking Area 1,
  • Approximately $4.8 M in anticipated revenue from increasing property values and new growth and;
  • Approximately $540,000 in estimated proceeds from property rental, sponsorships, interest, and revenues from DDA-owned parking lots.

These funds and the DDA’s proposed budget will continue to strengthen Downtown’s foundation for growth and competitiveness by investing in several key result areas:

  • Approximately $3.1 million dedicated to public realm and infrastructure improvements,
  • Approximately $3.3 million in real estate incentives and acquisition,
  • Approximately $750,000 for special events, promotions and workforce support initiatives and;
  • Approximately $415,000 dedicated to downtown beautification, safety and mobility.

Overall the proposed DDA budget includes 98 individual capital projects, programs, events and other investments to continue strengthening and accelerating the city building movement in Downtown. This includes 56 specific projects emerging from GR Forward, an initiative to define a community plan and investment strategy for restoring the Grand River and growing Downtown that has engaged some 3,500 citizens during the past 13 months.

These additional proposed projects include but are not limited to:

  • Rerouting the Downtown Area Shuttle to better serve residents and workers.
  • Revamping Lyon Square on the riverfront near the Amway Grand Plaza.
  • Installing festoon lighting over the entertainment district along Ionia Avenue SW.
  • Expanding inclusion and diversity initiatives to continue establishing a more welcoming downtown.
  • Establishing a walking and running trail that connects Health Hill to Downtown.
  • Planning for a local bike share system.
  • Establishing Pearl Street around the 131 highway as a pedestrian-friendly gateway to Downtown.
  • Humanizing highway overpasses that create pedestrian barriers between Downtown neighborhoods.

“We’re providing a growing number of citizens an active voice and vote in how we invest public dollars and we’re getting great results,” Larson said. “This budget is a clear and direct reflection of the goals and aspirations Grand Rapidians have for their Downtown.”

The DDA Board of Directors will consider the proposed budget at their monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. If accepted at that time, the proposed budget will be presented to the City Commission for consideration on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.

The DDA agenda packet for next week’s meeting, which includes the full FY 2016 budget proposed, will be available online at http://bit.ly/TOMAYu by COB today.