Downtown Development Authority Board
DDA Meeting Schedule
The Plymouth Township Downtown Development Authority was
created in January 2002 and is designed as the primary
mechanism for the implementation of a broad range of
improvement projects along the Ann Arbor Road Corridor. To view
the boundaries of the DDA District and what will become the
DDA’s Development Area,
click here
for the DDA Map located in the Maps page of the website. Generally, the DDA District
encompasses all Township property adjoining Ann Arbor Road
from a point just east of the I-275 Interchange to Sheldon
Road.
History of the Ann Arbor Road Corridor Improvements
Various improvement projects have been discussed for the
Ann Arbor Road Corridor for many years. The first concerted
effort to plan and implement improvements to this Corridor
date back to 1993 when City and Township officials were
approached by the Chamber of Commerce’s Business Improvement
Committee about the need for aesthetic improvements along the
Ann Arbor Road Corridor. This discussion resulted in the start
of a creative process featuring a student charrette and a
design charrette lead by professionals. The process culminated
in the 1995 Ann Arbor Road Corridor Plan which has set the
stage for future design decisions on the Corridor and
suggested how future enhancements can be accommodated. The Ann
Arbor Road Corridor Plan received the 1996 Outstanding
Planning Award from the Michigan Chapter of the American
Planning Association and the Michigan Society of Planning
Officials.
Artist Rendering of the CSX Overpass
The tangible results of the 1995 Ann Arbor Road Corridor
Plan include:
Creation of the Ann Arbor Road Zoning District, an
innovative collaboration between Plymouth Charter Township
and the City of Plymouth. The special zoning provisions of
this district have been adopted by both units of government
giving the Ann Arbor Road Corridor a cohesive legal basis
for the regulation of development.
Construction of a unique clock tower entry way feature
at the eastern end of the Corridor near the I-275
Interchange.
Enhanced architectural and landscaping design for new
development sites along the Corridor.
Support for the completion of a formal Ann Arbor Road
Design Plan to refine the design principles, propose and
estimate the cost of improvement projects and develop an
implementation strategy.
Ann Arbor Road Design Plan
The next phase in the evolution of improvement programming
for the Ann Arbor Road Corridor was the completion of the Ann
Arbor Road Design Plan in mid- 2001.This Plan was completed by a team of design professionals lead by McKenna
Associates, Incorporated and including Carlisle/Wortman
Associates, Inc; Robert Leighton Associates, Inc. and
Architects and Planners, Inc.
The Ann Arbor Road Design Plan presents a detailed analysis
of the Corridor’s land use and aesthetic issues; design
constraints and opportunities and design goals. The Plan
outlines several improvement projects including streetscape
improvements throughout the Corridor, particularly at major
intersections, and focal point improvements such as the I-275
Interchange, the CSX Railroad overpass and the Ann Arbor Road
crossing of Tonquish Creek.
The Plan includes preliminary cost estimates for the
various improvement projects and suggests a number of funding
sources. Chief among these funding strategies is the use of a
technique known as tax increment financing (TIF) accomplished
through a Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
Downtown Development Authorities
Today there are nearly three hundred (300) active Downtown
Development Authorities throughout Michigan. DDA’s are enabled
by Public Act 197 of 1975, as amended and operate as special
purpose authorities appointed by local governing bodies to
carry out specific tasks. These include the planning and
improvement of downtown areas through the construction of a
broad range of eligible public facilities (e.g. streetscape,
utilities, parks, landscaping, pathways etc.) and assistance
to developers in the improvement of real estate within the
DDA’s Development Area. The DDA is governed by a Board of
Directors consisting of the Township Supervisor and eight (8)
other members appointed by the Supervisor with the approval of
the Township Board of Trustees. The DDA is a public body and
must conduct itself in accordance with all of the Michigan
Statutes governing the operation of public agencies.
Tax Increment Financing
One of the most significant resources available to a DDA is
Tax Increment Financing. This tool allows the DDA to "capture"
additional valuation added to an approved Development Area
after adoption of a Tax Increment Financing and Development
Plan by the DDA and the Township Board of Trustees. All local
millages (except local and intermediate school millages) are
applied to this captured valuation, and the result is the tax
increment retained by the DDA for use in accordance with the
adopted Tax Increment Financing and Development Plan. In the
case of the Plymouth Township DDA, this means that the
millages of the Township, Wayne County, the Library System and
Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Parks are subject to capture. In
all likelihood, the DDA and Township will sell bonds which
will be used to finance the completion of approved projects
and will be repaid with future TIF proceeds.
Role of the DDA Board
The Board of Directors of the DDA will assist in the
implementation of the projects contained in the Ann Arbor Road
Design Plan. The DDA will also identify other initiatives
aimed at the improvement of the Ann Arbor Road Corridor.
Specific duties of the Board include:
Developing and adopting an annual budget. After approval
by the DDA Board, this budget is forwarded to the Township
Board of Trustees and is effective upon approval by the
Trustees.
Retaining professional consultants for planning,
engineering, market analysis and legal functions and, if
desired, hiring staff.
Reviewing and adopting a Tax Increment Financing and
Development Plan.
Guiding the implementation of the TIF and Development
Plan along with other activities to be funded or undertaken
by the DDA.
Planning for the economic and physical development of
the DDA District.
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