Jan. 5, 2009

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has partnered with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and its Michigan Main Street Center (MMSC) to provide Cultural Economic Development plans to four Michigan Main Street Communities: Boyne City, Calumet, Marshall and Niles. The plans will assist the communities' ongoing activities to revitalize their traditional downtown districts by strengthening and strategically employing local cultural assets to create jobs, bring investment into the community, and enhance quality of life.

According to Michigan's State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway, the Cultural Economic Development plans will be developed through an extensive process of inventorying local arts, cultural, and heritage resources; assessing their strengths and weaknesses; conducting a cultural assessment survey; and examining current plans and marketing efforts within the community.

The resulting plans will document strategies and specific action steps for the local communities to carry out over the next several years. Conway noted, "These plans will demonstrate the economic value of arts and culture to individual communities and will offer models for other communities to follow." The strategies will focus on expanding the local economic base by leveraging cultural assets and strengthening partnerships among civic, cultural, business, and economic development organizations.

Providing the four cultural economic development plans is a pilot project between the SHPO and MSHDA. The project is also part of a broader initiative within the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). In December 2007, HAL developed a 2010 Cultural Economic Development Action Strategy in which incorporating cultural economic development into the overall Michigan Main Street program and the technical assistance services it provides to participating communities was a key step.

For additional information, contact Kelly Larson, Main Street Architect in the State Historic Preservation Office, at 517-241-0242 or email larsonk@michigan.gov.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) assists in the identification, rehabilitation, and interpretation of Michigan's historic resources. SHPO is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, HAL also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. For more information about HAL, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).