Connecting communities since 1993

The “Big Four” - Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and County Executives Robert Ficano (Wayne), Mark Hackel (Macomb) and L. Brooks Patterson (Oakland) serve on the 8MBA Board of Directors and headline our annual Leadership Luncheon.

It’s official - the region’s “Big Four” political leaders have all confirmed their participation in this year’s 8MBA Annual Leadership Luncheon, set for Friday, April 25. The “Big Four”, including County Executives Robert Ficano (Wayne), Mark Hackel (Macomb) and L. Brooks Patterson (Oakland), along with the newly-elected Mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan, will take center stage at Cobo Center in Downtown Detroit.

The 8MBA Annual Leadership Luncheon is our signature annual event and fundraiser. The event, which generates 25% of 8MBA’s annual operating budget, brings more than 500 movers, shakers and decision-makers in the public and private sectors together under one roof to reflect on our shared mission to revitalize Eight Mile, progress made and the road ahead.

In the coming weeks, you’ll be able to view all the details and even register online at the 8MBA webpage, so stay tuned for details on this exciting, regionally-renowned event.

Contact the 8MBA Office with any questions or to take advantage of the exciting sponsorship opportunities available.

Governor Snyder leads the keynote discussion at last years 2013 Leadership Luncheon

A packed house of over 500 guests enjoy unch at last year’s 8MBA Leadership Luncheon

[Rendering designed by Corissa Leveille of 8MBA showcasing some of the planned TAP Grant enhancements]

A complete streets project involving enhancements to the intersection of Eight Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue received a significant boost in momentum with the delivery of a $25K commitment from ITC Holdings Company.

The contribution serves as a portion of matching funds in support of the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant secured by the City of Warren, 8MBA, the Detroit Eastside Community Collaborative and other stakeholders, reflecting a total investment of approximately $500K at the intersection.

The City of Warren is the lead agency for this project, which includes an overhaul of the landscape system in the Eight Mile Road medians immediately east and west of the intersection, the installation of stamped concrete crosswalks for the entire intersection, as well as the installation of bicycle lanes on Van Dyke Avenue, running from Warren south across Eight Mile into Detroit.

The bicycle lanes will  carry the Conner Creek Greenway trail north from Detroit into the suburbs, eventually extending north to connect to existing trails, creating a network that runs through Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties linked together at Eight Mile Road.

The landscaping system will promote visibility of these new pedestrian enhancements as well as increased safety, discouraging mid-block crossings by pedestrians.  Warren’s Mayor Jim Fouts also endorsed the project as a worthwhile initiative.

With matching funds and major approvals secured, the project team will solicit bids for implementation work in spring 2014 and construction will finish in fall 2014. The grant includes two years of maintenance for the landscaping enhancements; 8MBA will assume maintenance responsibilities for the gardens starting in 2017, ensuring the long-term aesthetic appeal of the gardens.

Stay tuned for progress updates on this exciting project!

Available property at 5703-5715 E Eight Mile Rd, Warren

Corridor Connector has always been your digest of all things Eight Mile. Starting this month, that will now include a summary of all available properties along the Eight Mile corridor. Powered by CPIX, this summary will give you a breakdown of the many diverse investment opportunities that Eight Mile has to offer. Each month, 8MBA staff will also dive into the report and feature extended deals on an available property that presents a unique, attractive investment opportunity.

Sample February CPIX listing

Click //HERE for this month’s Eight Mile Available Properties Report, powered by CPIX.

8MBA staff scoured the list of 50 available properties spread throughout the corridor, a mix of retail, office, industrial and mixed-use spaces in all sizes. 

5703-5715 E. Eight Mile in Warren [$59,000]

Available property at 5703-5715 E Eight Mile Rd, Warren

Fresh from our review, we bring you this month’s featured property, 5703-5715 E. Eight Mile in Warren, a mixed-use property listed for sale at $59,000. 

This 3,500 SF property is perfect for a start-up looking to grow into a commercial space on a corner lot with high visibility and easy access. The property is on Eight Mile Road one block east of Mound, Warren’s high-speed north-south thoroughfare.

It consists of three units, with two commercial units totaling 2,800 SF on the first floor and a residential apartment on the second floor. The western commercial unit is the larger of the two at approximately 2,000SF with an 8’ x 10’ bay door, accessible off the side-street, Syracuse Avenue.

The upstairs apartment is 700 SF, with 2 bedrooms, one bath and kitchen space. Parking for the entire property is available at the gated rear lot. With its unique, main-street character, this property could be perfect for an equally unique small business oriented for retail, food or other services, all on a corridor traveled by more than 60,000 cars per day at the heart of the southeast Michigan region.

Click //HERE for the full property report and contact listing agent Jimmy Diehl at 586-254-0900 or j.diehl@pilotpg.com with additional inquiries.

[A Seamless Transition: Outgoing Executive Director Tami Salisbury leaves 8MBA poised for success with the new leadership team she helped assemble: Jordan Twardy (Executive Director), Steve Horstman (Director of Programs) and Corissa Leveille (Challenge Detroit Fellow)]

After more than eleven years at the helm, Tami Salisbury is stepping down from her role as 8MBA’s Executive Director, and a new leadership team has been put in place.

Effective February 10, 2014, 8MBA’s Director of Programs Jordan Twardy has been promoted to serve as Executive Director, and former Eastpointe Downtown Development Authority Director Steve Horstman has been tapped to fill Twardy’s old role. Salisbury moves on to serve as  Executive Director of the Paint Creek Center for the Arts, the organization behind Rochester’s renowned Art & Apples Festival.

In her time as Executive Director, Tami Salisbury helped 8MBA become a formidable agent of positive change for the Eight Mile corridor, expanding the reach of its programs, strengthening its fiscal stability and positioning the organization for future success. 

Under Salisbury’s leadership, 8MBA achieved significant accomplishments: over twenty façade transformation projects, millions of dollars in grants secured, the attraction of Eight Mile investments such as Gateway Marketplace, thousands of volunteers engaged and a sterling reputation throughout the region as a well-managed organization that achieves tangible results.

In a farewell to the organization, Salisbury thanked 8MBA Board Members, business members and other partners, noting that she “enjoyed working with each and every one of you and have truly appreciated the spirit of regional collaboration that I have seen during my tenure at 8MBA.”

The new leadership team’s appointment came at the recommendation of Salisbury herself as well as the 8MBA Board of Directors’ Administrative and Executive Committees.

Salisbury expressed utmost confidence in Twardy, asserting that “we will see the path to revitalize Eight Mile continue and thrive under his leadership” and lauded Horstman’s professional background and strong reputation throughout the region as major assets to the organization.  Twardy affirmed the team’s readiness to take up the mantle, saying of the transition “we are grateful for the high point to which Tami has led 8MBA, and Steve and I are eager to build on her work and take our revitalization efforts to the next level. “

8MBA is truly grateful to Tami Salisbury for all she has done to advance the organization and serve as a champion for Eight Mile and regional collaboration. The corridor is a better place and 8MBA is poised for a strong future because of her efforts. We wish her well as she embarks on the next chapter in her professional career.

The New 8MBA online membership portal is now live!

Now all 8MBA members can manage their membership information, pay their dues and read Eight Mile news online simply by logging in on the 8MBA Website. Also, the Corridor Connector e-newsletter has a new look and is paired with a beefed-up News page. You should have received a “welcome” email with all the details on how to take advantage of your newest 8MBA Member perk, but if you didn’t, this article gives you all the details you need to manage your membership online and use members-only website areas.

How to Manage Your 8MBA Membership

All membership management will now take place through the 8MBA website. Your welcome email contains a temporary username and password that you can use to log in on the top-right corner of the www.eightmile.org homepage. If your welcome email was lost in this month’s polar vortex, simply click the “forgot password” button near the login area and a new temporary password will be sent to the email address we have on file for you (likely the same one receiving Corridor Connector). Note that temporary passwords expire after 24 hours for security purposes, so be sure to log in promptly. Once logged in, members-only areas of the site, such as our online forums and certain program pages, become visible.  You can also click “view profile” near the login area to go to your own personal portal. From there, you can update your membership information, pay your annual dues and adjust how often you receive updates from 8MBA.

Join the Conversation on Corridor Connector

As part of 8MBA’s online overhaul, Corridor Connector has also been enhanced to let you join the conversation by commenting on each article, while streamlining each story to give you the amount of information you want, when you want it.  Your e-newsletter articles contain links to full articles, with additional photos and space to provide your comments. Every story is archived for on-demand access in the 8MBA News section, where you read and make comments.

Contact 8MBA With Questions

We want you to get the most out of 8MBA’s new online platform. If you have any questions about how to use the site or manage your membership, just Contact the 8MBA Office.

Warren Buffett and Goldman Sachs are inviting small businesses throughout the Detroit region to apply for enrollment in its free training and assistance program, 10,000 Small Businesses, with applications due on January 6, 2014. 

The program offers three main services to which area businesses can apply for help. These include:

· Practical Business Education through a crash-course of best practices in business development and obtaining financing designed by one of the nation’s top entrepreneurship schools, Babson College.

· Access to Capital through flexible loans.

· Access to a Support Network of like-minded business owners and one-on-one business advising and technical assistance from experts, including professional firms, business organizations and Goldman Sachs itself.

Eight Mile businesses are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to obtain skills and resources you need to grow your business! Applications are due on January 6, 2014. Click here to learn more about the program and how to apply.  8MBA will gladly highlight any Eight Mile business that is selected for assistance, so let us know if you apply!

8MBA was on hand for exciting news at the latest meeting of the Fairgrounds Advisory Council, which featured a project progress update from the Magic Plus Development team, including project partners Joel Ferguson and Marvin Beatty, along with CEO Dale Watchowski, Senior Vice President and 8MBA Board Member Kenneth Till and Public Relations Consultant Bruce Babiarz from REDICO.

The development team is currently selecting a master planner to help establish a vision for the entire site, choosing from a pool of five nationally-renowned master planning firms including Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, HKS Architects, Hobbs+Black Architects, JPRA Architects and Smith Group JJR.

Once the master planner has been selected, the development team will work with them to craft an initial concept framework for the site. From there, community visioning sessions, which 8MBA advocated for as part of the development process, will commence with an initial meeting in February. The team stressed their commitment to a financially viable development that incorporates transit-oriented development (TOD), walkability and a diverse mix of uses, including housing, educational, retail and more.

8MBA is thrilled to see the project’s progress to-date and remains committed to keeping Eight Mile stakeholders informed and engaged throughout the process.

The novelty scissors were back in action for another ribbon cutting at Gateway Marketplace on Eight Mile Road, one of the largest retail developments ever in Detroit. Wingstop, a national hot wings franchise dubbing itself the "Wing Experts" became the latest tenant to join Meijer, Marshalls, K&G Fashion, Petco and others at the development with its grand opening on November 22.

We're also proud to welcome Wingstop as our newest 8MBA Member Business. The Eight Mile location marks their fourth Michigan franchise with more to come .

Elected officials and the Detroit Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen helped cut the ceremonial ribbon at Wingstop's Grand Opening. 8MBA was on hand for the festivities, as was a crowd of dignitaries, residents and stakeholders that included Wayne County Executive and 8MBA Board Member Robert Ficano and State Senator Virgil Smith. Franchisee John Draper complimented the aviation theme of the restaurant, dedicating the location to the Tuskegee Airmen, the legendary African American fighter pilot unit from World War II, whose Detroit Chapter was on hand for the festivities. 

Wingstop is open seven days a week from 11:00 a.m. to midnight. Be sure to give Eight Mile’s newest restaurant a try next time you’re in the area!