C O N T I N U E D )

3
B U S I N E S S
S P O T L I G H T
A P R I L S D R E A M
C A F E
3
P L A N N I N G B E G I N S
F O R R E A L T O R /
D E V E L O P E R
P R E S E N T A T I O N
4




W O R D O N T H E S T R E E T
Check out the happenings around town:
And the walls came tumbling down! The
old Tulsa gas station on Main Street, an
eye sore for many years, has finally
been bulldozed!
Main Street Deli on 14 Mile is under
new management. Plans for a Red Rib-
bon Cutting Ceremony are in the works.
Repair work on the façade of the Dao
Building (corner of 14 and Main) will
begin when the weather warms up.
A not-so-sweet farewell to our Funhouse
friends. Unfortunately we will miss the
Funhouse Candy Store being a part of
Clawson and a part of our Downtown.
And, as if that wasnt enough, we will
miss Colin being on our DDA board.
D O W N T O W N
D E V E L O P M E N T
A U T H O R I T Y
W I N T E R 2 0 0 6

A R O U N D T H E C O R N E R S
The Clawson Downtown Development Au-
thority was informed in August that the
Michigan Economic Development Corpora-
tion (MEDC) was providing $25,000 to con-
duct a market analysis for downtown Claw-
son. Request for proposals were sent to
12 different companies and responses
were returned from four. After reviewing
the lengthy proposals, the DDA subcommit-
tee unanimously voted for ERA Downtown
Works to identify and analyze downtown
market opportunities in Clawson. They are
committed to developing comprehensive
strategies to improve Downtown Clawson
in the coming years. ERA Downtown Works
has worked with many other cities engaged
in planning downtown revitalization and
their approach closely matches the needs
Clawson.
In the words of ERA, The approach to this
project is based on our understanding that
a successful downtown revitalization effort
is rooted in the economy of a district. Revi-
talization is keyed to reinvestment. ERAs
Downtown Works approaches downtown
development from an economic perspective.
Design and marketing/promotional pro-
grams are useful and inform the develop-
ment of downtown and a strong organiza-
tional framework is necessary to successful
implementation, but ultimately the district
must function as an economic entity if it is
to be sustainable. A comprehensive ap-
proach is necessary to address all issues
impacting the value of a downtown area.
Some of ERAs tasks will be to conduct
stakeholder interviews, evaluate real estate
market conditions, analyze retail and mixed
uses demand, and develop strategies for
retail sites, business development and im-
plementation. Needless to say, the DDA is
very excited to work with ERA Downtown
Works in a joint effort to revitalize our city.
S P E C I A L P O I N T S
O F I N T E R E S T :
The new City Manager,
Richard Haberman, is
taking an active and
interested role in the
Downtown Development
Authority and the De-
sign Review Committee.
Reminder: The DDAs
co-op advertising pro-
gram with the Mirror
Newspaper offers DDA
businesses a better
rate! From November 7th through 10th, the
DDA along with downtown traffic / revi-
talization experts from Glatting Jackson
of Orlando Florida, conducted a design
charrette to develop plans for 14 Mile. A
charrette is a process where designers
are available to talk one on one with resi-
dents, business owners, city officials and
anyone interested in discussing prob-
lems, issues and ideas in an effort to
design on-the-spot solutions. In addition
to 2 1/2 days of walk-in access to the
designers, a public meeting was held in
the evening to also solicit input. On the
evening of November 10
th
the designers
took all they had heard and presented a
concept for improving 14 Mile. Some of
the goals they were trying to address
were:

Improve appearance to attract and
assist in maintaining stable, sustainable
businesses

Increase existing on-street parking

Slow/Calm traffic

Encourage pedestrian activities

Provide enhancements for encourag-
ing community activities (parades, festi-
vals and events)

Soften the current harsh environ-
ment and beautify the area

The concept plan is displayed in the im-
ages to the right.
C L A W S O N P L A N S F O R 1 4 M I L E D O W N T O W N
I M P R O V E M E N T S
A R O U N D T H E C O R N E R S
Page 2 Below is a list of the 14 Mile plan attrib-
utes.

Two lanes in each direction with a
center turn lane like the current configu-
ration, however, the lanes are not as
wide as they are currently.


Consolidates and/or eliminate drives
between side streets.


The Plan incorporates parallel park-
ing on both sides of the street from Ma-
plegrove to Washington Street.


Includes bump-outs at intersections
which brings the sidewalk and curb out to
the parking lane to narrow the area
where pedestrians cross and make it
easier and safer for pedestrians to cross
and see traffic.


Includes a protected bike lane which
is shown in red on the diagram.


Includes additional pedestrian deco-
rative lighting.


Calls for a textured center turn lane.
At strategic points plantings are incorpo-
rated along with mid-block pedestrian
crossing areas.


Location of trees is closer to the
roadway so that they do not block the
view of the buildings or business signs.


Accommodates seating areas with
benches that also provide bike and pe-
destrian amenities such as consolidated
newspaper boxes, drinking fountains,
bike racks and air pumps.


Calls for a brick utility strip that can
easily be removed to maintain and repair
underground utilities.

Includes a wide sidewalk that can accom-
modate sidewalk displays, cafés, A-frame
signage and plenty of room for strolling
shoppers.


C L A W S O N P L A N S F O R 1 4 M I L E D O W N T O W N
I M P R O V E M E N T S
( C O N T I N U E D )

April always said she would come back
as a pixie if she could.
And now, the pixie adorns one of Claw-
son's finest -- April's Dream Cafe. It was
April's dream to have a bakery for herself
along with a coffee shoppe for sister De-
nise and a deli for brother Chuck. And
now April's dream lives on since sister
and brother, Denise Bennett and Chuck
Stephens opened the cafe in October of
2004 serving 10 flavors of always fresh
coffee, homemade baked goods, ice
cream, sandwiches and soup. Denise
The Downtown
Development
Authority is looking
for a business /
property owner to join
our board!
Interested? Contact
Machele at the City
Clerks office for an
application.
W I N T E R 2 0 0 6
Page 3
B U S I N E S S S P O T L I G H T : A P R I L S D R E A M C A F E
says that "Business has tripled in the last
year due to hard work, friendly service
and having the best muffins in Claw-
son." She is looking forward to new busi-
nesses opening up, such as Leon &
Lulu's that will bring more foot traffic to
the downtown area. 425 N. Main Street
Clawson, MI 48017
D O W N T O W N
D E V E L O P M E N T
A U T H O R I T Y
The DDA is beginning the planning process to host a presentation for area realtors and
developers. The intent of this open house is to explain the recent changes to CMD-1
and CMD-2, clarify updates to the ordinances and answer any questions. They need to
know that downtown Clawson has a vision and a plan to redevelop the city.
Additionally, we want to address the misconception that Clawson is anti-business. As a
city, we have much to offer to a new business or development; from our location in Oak-
land County to the many assets of our community. We are taking steps in a positive
direction to influence internal and external factors which might otherwise hinder our
progress toward the changes needed to realize our vision.

As the downtown grows and changes, we encourage you to stay informed by attending
any upcoming meetings and providing the DDA with your thoughts, opinions and ideas.
As business or property owners, you have a vested interest in the success of this city!

If the above presentation sounds appealing to you, please let us know! We are conduct-
ing an informal survey to determine if business/property owners would be interested in
attending a presentation with information specific to stakeholders. If you are interested:

send an email to: clawsondda@yahoo.com
P L A N N I N G B E G I N S F O R R E A L T O R / D E V E L O P E R
P R E S E N T A T I O N
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