COLON - "You've got a nice looking downtown.  A DDA might help you attract more business and bring more life on the streets."
That was how Kent Kukuk of Detroit, a community specialist for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, sized up Colon when he made a special visit the Magic Capital from his Detroit office Tuesday morning.
Kukuk, who was accompanied by Lori LaPerriere of the Lansing MSHDA office, presented a program on how to start a downtown development authority.  They were invited to speak in Colon by Cathy Annis, St. Joseph County Economic Development Corporation director.
The meeting in the village hall was attended by representatives of Colon Village, Colon Township, the Colon Community School Board of Education and several downtown business owners.
School board president Todd Cook said he had a special reason for his interest in a DDA.
He believes the aging Colon Elementary School needs a new life, possibly as a community or fitness center, small business incubator or shopping area and  that a new elementary consolidated with the high school would be more coat-effective.
With MDOT's planned expansion of the M-86 bridge to three lanes, now might be the time to start thinking about the future and what can make the biggest impact on Colon, Cook said.
Seventeen years ago, a group of Colon leaders tried unsuccessfully to set up a DDA.
Kukuk used a  PowerPoint  presentation to describe the process of having a DDA.
What is a traditional downtown?  Kukuk asked.  Traditional downtown are characterized by a zero lot-line development, historic multistory buildings, unique architecture, compact street grid, on-street parking, and history of 50 pulse years.
"Colon has these characteristics," Kukuk said.
What does a traditional downtown bring to a community?
Kukuk said today's downtown can involve image, put life on the street, have a retail center, entertainment/cultural center, business center and be an historical center of the community.  Another popular trend for small downtowns is upper floor living space, said Kukuk.  What is a DDA?  Kukuk explained a DDA is a legal municipal entity enacted by Public Act 197 of 1975 as amended.  It is created by the municipality to be the catalyst in the development or redevelopment of a community's traditional downtown district.  A DDA can be establishes by any city, village or township which has "an ares that is zoned and used principally for business."
What is the process to establish a DDA?  The governing body of the municipality makes the following determination: There is a business district area within the municipality; that within such area the general property values are (and have been) deteriorating, that the community must eliminate the causes of the deterioration and that economic growth must be promoted in this area.
Kukuk said that once that municipality determines that it wants a DDA, a resolution must be published at least once in the local newspaper and filed with the Secretary of State.  A public hearing must be held and the resolution must be adopted.  If there are 100 or more residents living within the proposed DDA district, a citizens advisory council must a established and at least one of its members must serve on the board.
After a DDA is established the first order of business is prepare a development plan which identifies the projects and activities.
DDA's can finance many public improvements including: street scape projects, road improvements, water and sewer projects, public plazas, street lighting, street furniture, public parks, parking facilities, recreation facilities and public marines.