Mayor Mike Duggan announced today that Detroit will create seven new Deputy District Managers for Business, one in each City Council District, to build and improve the relationship between neighborhood-based businesses and the City. With the approval of City Council, the seven positions will join the Department of Neighborhoods and are expected to be filled by the end of January.
The deputies will help achieve the administration’s goal of increasing economic opportunity and reducing intergenerational poverty by breaking down barriers for neighborhood-based business owners and find new opportunities for entrepreneurs in every City Council District.
The new deputy managers will be tasked with building relationships with the business owners in their districts, making between 350 to 400 visits to local businesses in their districts each year. They will help businesses navigate City services like permitting, licensing, zoning and others and connect them to City programs and other resources to grow and enhance their operations, and improve their bottom line.
“Hiring deputy managers for business was a suggestion that initially came out of a community meeting, where small business owners said they wanted a point person to help them work through the City’s programs and services,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “These deputy managers are going to help business owners in our neighborhoods work through any red tape and get connected to programs that will help them grow.”
Deputy Managers will also help businesses apply for City programs like the Motor City Match grants program and Motor City Restore façade improvement program. They will direct them to relevant City requests for proposals and help identify other resources to improve business operations, all with the goal of increasing funding and revenue to these businesses. The deputy managers will compile and share data and stories of success to document results and promote their district’s businesses.
“Milton Manufacturing has been in business at the intersection of 7 mile and I-75 for 70 years. In that time, we’ve seen our neighborhood go through dramatic change,” said Milton Manufacturing CEO Shelly Green. “Feeling like the needs of businesses in our neighborhood are on the radar of the Mayor’s Office, and having a way to communicate and work with the Mayor’s Office, is something of considerable value to businesses like ours.”
Another key responsibility will be identifying new entrepreneurial opportunities in each district to attract or start new businesses or expand existing ones. Deputy Managers will keep track of prime locations for new businesses, connect new businesses to established businesses in the community and work to create a stronger business community across their districts.
City to add Deputy District Managers for Business to Department of Neighborhoods
