Madison Square takes next step toward Corridor Improvement District

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

With the help of a $17,000 grant from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Madison Square community is moving the design charrette commissioned by Lighthouse Communities in 2005 to the next level with the creation of a Madison Square Work Plan.

The work plan outlines specific strategies to help neighborhood businesses and residents create a proposed Corridor Improvement District (CID) which, if approved by the City of Grand Rapids under its new CID policy, will position the neighborhood to apply for government grants, loans, and other funding. The funding could be used to market area businesses, develop green spaces, or implement other improvements that will spur economic growth.

"At the end of 2007, LISC served as convener of multiple stakeholders in Southtown to come together around the question 'how do we advance the design charrette, '" says Tom Pfister, LISC spokesperson. "The work plan will move forward different parts of the charrette, like transportation, parking, infrastructure issues, commercial development, rehab of buildings, and the need for more green space."

A task force of some dozen participants from groups including Lighthouse Communities, Madison Square Church, Southeast Community Association, Madison Area Neighborhood Association, Neighborhood Ventures, and others developed the strategies for next steps.

A public meeting in November drew some 50 community stakeholders from the government, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, the Grand Rapids Police Department, and philanthropic organizations for a presentation, suggestions and input. LISC will publish the final work plan report this month.

"This plan has a high degree of organization with community partners," Pfister says. "In order to accomplish the work plan strategies we'll need to have those partners on a variety of task forces where we can tap their expertise and leadership."

Source: Tom Pfister, Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]