October 19, 2006

LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today joined Portland Mayor Jim Barnes and local economic development leaders to walk the new downtown boardwalk.  The project, which is almost complete, received a 2004 Cool Cities award.  
 
"My comprehensive economic plan is helping create vibrant neighborhoods and thriving downtowns in communities across Michigan," Granholm said.  "Portland leaders have made great use of this award to catalyze redevelopment and growth."
 
As a 2004 Cool Cities winner, Portland received a $100,000 catalyst grant as well as access to a "resource toolbox" that includes more than 75 of the state's community improvement grants, loan programs, and assistance programs. Portland's grant was used to fund a portion of the downtown boardwalk and to leverage additional private investment. 
 
"Building vibrant, energetic cities that attract jobs, people, and opportunity to our state is a key component of our economic plan for Michigan," Granholm added.  "With a lot of creativity and using existing dollars, we are directing funding for downtown revitalization to Cool Cities and for three years have provided grants for neighborhood revitalization, helping to make a major impact in creating places where people want to live, work, and play."
 
The governor's comprehensive economic plan includes:

- Improving the state's business climate by eliminating more than $4 billion in budget deficits; cutting business taxes, including a $600 million tax cut for manufacturers; reducing permitting time for businesses and making permits available online; and spending state dollars with Michigan companies.

- Connecting workers to available jobs through the MI Opportunity Partnership.  By partnering with businesses and community colleges, the program has already helped more than 100,000 people get jobs.

- Creating jobs today by accelerating ten years of public infrastructure projects into three years.  More than 40,000 jobs will be created while our roads and bridges are improved, older nursing homes are modernized, and environmentally-contaminated land is made usable again.

- Preparing all students for success by increasing public education funding to a record high, pushing for and signing a new rigorous core curriculum for high schools, doubling the number of college graduates in ten years, and giving every child a $4,000 New Merit Award scholarship.

- Diversifying Michigan's economy through the 21st Century Jobs Fund, a $2 billion investment in alternative energy, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and homeland security/defense technology. 

- Expanding access to affordable health care through the MiRx Card that cuts the cost of prescription drugs for those without coverage and the Michigan First Health Care Plan which will make affordable health care available to every Michigan citizen.

The Michigan Cool Cities Initiative began as a competitive pilot program in 2004, awarding $100,000 catalyst grants to communities for 19 different downtown development projects.  In its first year, 151 applications from 112 different Michigan communities were submitted.  Due to the success of the pilot program, the governor expanded it in 2005 to include three programs:  "Cool Cities Main Street," "Cool Cities Blueprints for Michigan's Downtowns," and "Cool Cities Blueprints for Michigan's Neighborhoods."   The catalyst grant pilot program became the "Cool Cities Neighborhoods in Progress" program. 
 
The Department of Labor & Economic Growth, which oversees the Cool Cities programs, reports that first year participants in the Cool Cities Neighborhood award program say the designation has helped create 400 new jobs and retain 500 existing jobs. 

For more information about the governor's Cool Cities Initiative, visit www.coolcities.com.