Economic Development Leaders for Michigan (EDLM), a coalition representing 79% of the state’s population and 84% of its gross domestic product, has released a unified set of ten legislative priorities designed to strengthen Michigan’s economic foundation for the decades ahead. The plan, rooted in four pillars—business attraction, community revitalization, talent development, and innovation—sets out targeted investments and policy reforms that EDLM leaders say will keep Michigan from falling behind as other states move aggressively to secure jobs and industries of the future.
“Michigan’s economic future demands consistency and a commitment that keeps us competitive for decades to come,” said Kevin Johnson, president and CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. “EDLM’s framework provides our communities with the resources to transform potential into lasting prosperity. We can’t coast on yesterday’s victories when competitor states are accelerating their efforts to attract the businesses and talent that drive sustainable growth. This strategic approach ensures Michigan doesn’t just compete in tomorrow’s economy—we lead it.”
The top ten priorities include a continuation of the state’s $100 million Business Development Program, along with a new performance-based, accountable withholding tax incentive that EDLM believes would give Michigan a stronger edge in landing expansions and relocations. For community development, the coalition is calling for the renewal and funding of the Revitalization and Placemaking Program (RAP) at $50 million and the Community Revitalization Program (CRP) at $50 million, two initiatives that have fueled redevelopment projects statewide. EDLM also wants to modernize locally driven programs by extending expiring SmartZone tax increment financing agreements by 15 years, removing funding caps and simplifying access to the Transformational Brownfield Program, and providing $50 million annually for the Regional Strategic Site Readiness Program to accelerate the development of large, investment-ready sites.
Talent priorities include maintaining the Going PRO Talent Fund, which has already trained more than 170,000 workers for in-demand jobs, while establishing a $10 million Regional Talent Attraction and Retention Fund to allow regions to design customized workforce programs. For innovation, EDLM proposes doubling the state’s Research and Development (R&D) Tax Credit to $200 million and restoring funding for regionally led entrepreneurship and innovation programming to $100 million, up from today’s $15.7 million.
“EDLM’s legislative priorities reflect the need to keep Michigan competitive with sustainable, long-term economic development strategies,” said Maureen Donohue Krauss, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership. “As economic developers, we know that stability and consistency are key factors to a company’s expansion decision. These tools will give regions across the state the edge they need to win key investments, attract and retain talent, and build stronger communities, now and in the future.”
For Detroiters, however, the announcement raises familiar questions. Who benefits, and who gets left out? In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Michigan invested billions in the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) tax credit program to lure jobs. A 2019 state audit revealed that nearly half of the jobs tied to those credits never materialized. Detroit, meanwhile, saw tax breaks fuel stadiums and corporate offices while neighborhoods were left behind with closed schools, declining homeownership, and disinvestment.
More recent state programs tell a similar story. The Revitalization and Placemaking Program (RAP) and Community Revitalization Program (CRP) have helped fund high-profile projects like the restoration of the Book Tower and the Hudson’s site development downtown. But small Black-owned businesses along corridors such as Livernois Avenue of Fashion or Mack Avenue have struggled to access the same resources. To long-term Detroiters, “revitalization” has often meant gentrification—where shiny new investments attract outsiders while legacy residents are priced out.
The disparities are stark. White households in Michigan hold nearly eight times the median net worth of Black households, according to Prosperity Now. In Detroit, more than three-quarters of residents are Black, yet Black homeownership has fallen below 45%, compared to 80% for white families statewide. Economic development that does not directly confront these inequities risks reinforcing them.
The entrepreneurship pillar is where the gaps are perhaps most visible. Nationally, Black startup founders receive less than 1% of venture capital funding. In Michigan, the Detroit metro area—home to the largest Black-majority city in the country—accounts for just 2% of the Midwest’s venture deals. Without intentional reform, the imbalance will persist. EDLM’s push to restore regional entrepreneurship and innovation funding to 2012 levels could begin to address this, but only if dollars are distributed equitably and made accessible to Detroit’s Black founders who have historically been locked out.
The workforce system has similar pitfalls. The Going PRO Talent Fund has helped thousands train for advanced manufacturing and skilled trades, but systemic barriers like transportation, childcare, and hiring discrimination continue to lock Detroiters out of those jobs. A new $10 million Regional Talent Attraction and Retention Fund could finally empower local communities to design solutions that reflect their realities. For Detroit, that could mean creating pipelines for returning citizens, building transportation supports for workers on late shifts, or designing reentry programs for mothers balancing employment and family responsibilities.
These concerns do not diminish the importance of EDLM’s proposals. They sharpen them. If Michigan is to position itself as a leader in clean energy, technology, and advanced manufacturing, the policies must be crafted with accountability and inclusion at their core. Otherwise, the growth will repeat the same uneven pattern Detroiters know too well—downtown gains paired with neighborhood neglect.
EDLM’s broad reach gives its agenda considerable weight. By representing regions that together account for most of Michigan’s economic performance, the coalition is delivering a message to Lansing that fragmented approaches will no longer suffice. But unity without equity is not enough. Policymakers must ensure that funds flow beyond central business districts into the neighborhoods where economic recovery is most needed.
The coalition has put a bold and detailed plan on the table. Now the question is whether state lawmakers will not only fund the proposals but also add the safeguards that ensure accountability, transparency, and equity. Economic development cannot be judged solely by ribbon cuttings or press releases. Its true test will be whether a grandmother on Detroit’s west side can keep her home as values rise, whether a young Black engineer sees a future in Michigan rather than leaving for Atlanta or Houston, and whether a small business owner in Mexicantown can access capital as easily as a national chain.
Michigan’s history makes the stakes clear. From the rise of the auto industry to the collapse of manufacturing jobs, from MEGA’s unfulfilled promises to uneven revitalization funding, the state’s economic story has always been defined by bold bets. EDLM’s ten priorities are the latest chapter, one that insists Michigan must lead with vision, consistency, and equity.
The future will be decided not only in Lansing but also on Detroit’s streets and in its neighborhoods. Children in the city’s schools will measure it in whether they see careers in tech and clean energy as attainable. Families will measure it in whether wages from new jobs lift them out of poverty instead of keeping them stuck. Entrepreneurs will measure it in whether capital finally becomes accessible to those who have been excluded for too long.
EDLM has laid down its priorities with clarity. The challenge now is ensuring that the benefits of these investments don’t simply chase growth but build equity across Michigan. Because in Detroit—and in the state’s history—growth without equity has always been the unfinished story.