EAST JORDAN — Community leaders, developers and industry experts gathered Friday for the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance’s Development Spotlight: East Jordan event, highlighting local growth and redevelopment opportunities.
According to an Oct. 24 news release, the event was hosted by the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance and featured presentations from city and business leaders including East Jordan City Manager Tom Cannon, East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mary Faculak, and representatives from Manthei Construction.
Northern Lakes Economic Alliance Senior Program Manager for Community Investment Jessica Lovay and Strategic Initiatives Manager Sam Bailey also shared updates on economic initiatives in the region.
Attendees learned about new investments in downtown East Jordan and the East Jordan Air Industrial Park, as well as funding opportunities for development and current demographic and regional growth trends. Charlevoix County’s prime-age population has grown by 1.6%, signaling a positive shift in local population trends.
Participants took a guided bus tour to view housing, commercial and industrial development sites, followed by a walking tour of downtown East Jordan that showcased recent and upcoming redevelopment projects, including the Joining Jordan project.
“This event showcased the forward-thinking efforts by community leaders in East Jordan and the opportunity that exists to redevelop vacant, underutilized sites for an even more vibrant future,” said Northern Lakes Economic Alliance President and CEO Payton Heins. “The NLEA is proud to support our local partners and help facilitate conversations that move Northern Michigan forward.”
The Development Spotlight series aims to connect developers and local leaders to support projects that strengthen community priorities and promote long-term prosperity. The Northern Lakes Economic Alliance serves Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan and Emmet counties, focusing on economic resiliency, infrastructure and business growth.