DDA Director leads 2025 priority projects
John Mach, DDA Exec Director. Photo by Mark McAlpine
By Mark McAlpine, Contributing Writer
John Mach was not actively searching for his next career challenge in 2023 when a friend recommended a job posting for the Executive Director position at the Elk Rapids Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Following a successful 13-year career with Deloitte Consulting in Chicago as a specialist in human capital and organizational transformation, Mach, a Michigan native, was enjoying a break from corporate life during the Covid years while he bought and refurbished a home in Bellaire. A friend spotted the Elk Rapids ad for a DDA Executive Director and suggested to Mach that it might be a good fit for him. He decided to apply for the DDA position and was excited to start that challenge on September 1, 2023.
Before he journeyed into the future with the Elk Rapids DDA, Mach was able to find 40 years of untouched DDA history packed away in boxes and located in the village offices. Mach has been able to go through those records, organized them by decades, and use them to reconstruct the DDA history, prior projects, and community needs. With the help of Barbara Matthews, DDA Chair, Mach developed a list of DDA priorities for the next two years. He knew the challenge was big. “I came in with a job description covering a lot of things in a lot of areas,” Mach said. “There is much to be done and it is realistic to look at all of those items over a two-year period.
One immediate challenge for Mach, and still a top priority, was past and future funding for the DDA through the existing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program. The TIF program reallocates future increases in property tax revenues resulting from rising valuations toward financing specific projects within the downtown district through the DDA. A portion of the taxes collected by the village and township on behalf of the village, township, county and district library make up the TIF funding to the DDA. While the long-term agreements with the village, township, and district library run through 2041, the funding agreement with the county expired. Mach hopes to negotiate a tax sharing agreement with the county through 2041.
Another project buried in the files was an effort to certify the DDA with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Main Street Program. This state program is designed to support and offer help to those communities attempting to improve their downtown districts. That is accomplished by providing technical assistance through a network of staff and national consultants available to assist with the development of the best practices for revitalization. After weeks of training for the entire board, the DDA is close to finishing the certification process with MEDC. Certification for the Main Street Program requires a full-time staff for the “Select” certification level, and the hiring of Mach as Executive Director was key to proceeding with the certification process. The goal is to attract new business, jobs, and investment to the downtown area. Only Boyne City and Cheboygan are Main Street certified in northern Michigan.
The village, through a long effort by the Planning Commission, is also close to completing the certification process for the MEDC Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program. This program identifies communities that have followed best practices in planning, zoning, and economic development strategies. It is expected that the RRC certification will open multiple MEDC funding sources for redevelopment projects in Elk Rapids. The village has completed the long certification checklist and is awaiting final review and approval from MEDC for the RRC certification. The combination of Main Street and RRC certifications will set Elk Rapids apart from most northern Michigan communities with the large MEDC network of investment opportunities.
One immediate impact from these efforts might be the availability of a Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) Fellowship. At Mach’s recommendation, the Village Council recently approved the request to submit the fellowship application. That paperwork has been submitted and Mach is expecting a reply by early September. If successful, Elk Rapids would receive a 15-month fellowship grant through CEDAM. The DDA would pay $10,000 and CEDAM, with support from MEDC, would pick up the complete $120,000 package of salary, benefits, and expenses for the entire 15-month engagement. The individual chosen for the fellowship would report to Mach and provide expertise on increasing local collaboration and removing barriers to new development.
If those projects were not enough balls in the air, the DDA had identified the need for more signage in the village as a top 2025 priority to assist visitors in their search for shopping, parks, restrooms, beaches, and other points of interest. The “Gateway Arch and Wayfinding Signage” project was developed to fill those needs. It has been approved by the board and will be fully funded through the DDA. After receiving multiple bids from area signage vendors, Mach recommended and received authorization from the DDA board to accept the bid from Valley City Sign from Traverse City for the project. He has begun negotiations for a service contract for the project that is expected to be completed in 2025. It is expected to include a large archway sign on River Street at US31 greeting visitors to Elk Rapids and new directional signage throughout the village. Valley City Sign has experience working with Michigan communities on innovative signage.
The project will begin with an assessment phase followed by design development and approvals. One of the components is digital integration with the Elk Rapids website. According to Mach, some of the funding for the project will be utilized in phase II of the Ames Street project. The DDA will present the project details to the village at a September meeting. “It will make it easier for anybody visiting or from Elk Rapids to find what they need throughout the village,” Mach said. “Where is parking? Where are the public restrooms? Where are the parks?” When complete, Mach plans to present the finished designs to the Village Council and public for final review and approval.
To enhance communications with the community and visitors on all of their projects, the DDA has launched a new website and digital marketing plan. Recent data indicates a significant increase in visitor traffic since the relaunch. In addition, DDA has recently added talent to their marketing committee and will explore more advertising to attract visitors to Elk Rapids during the slower fall and winter months. With so many projects moving down the road, Mach is excited about the future. “There is tremendous opportunity,” Mach said. “In our meetings, I am laser focused to think about the future.”
John Mach was not actively searching for his next career challenge in 2023 when a friend recommended a job posting for the Executive Director position at the Elk Rapids Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Following a successful 13-year career with Deloitte Consulting in Chicago as a specialist in human capital and organizational transformation, Mach, a Michigan native, was enjoying a break from corporate life during the Covid years while he bought and refurbished a home in Bellaire. A friend spotted the Elk Rapids ad for a DDA Executive Director and suggested to Mach that it might be a good fit for him. He decided to apply for the DDA position and was excited to start that challenge on September 1, 2023.
Before he journeyed into the future with the Elk Rapids DDA, Mach was able to find 40 years of untouched DDA history packed away in boxes and located in the village offices. Mach has been able to go through those records, organized them by decades, and use them to reconstruct the DDA history, prior projects, and community needs. With the help of Barbara Matthews, DDA Chair, Mach developed a list of DDA priorities for the next two years. He knew the challenge was big. “I came in with a job description covering a lot of things in a lot of areas,” Mach said. “There is much to be done and it is realistic to look at all of those items over a two-year period.
One immediate challenge for Mach, and still a top priority, was past and future funding for the DDA through the existing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program. The TIF program reallocates future increases in property tax revenues resulting from rising valuations toward financing specific projects within the downtown district through the DDA. A portion of the taxes collected by the village and township on behalf of the village, township, county and district library make up the TIF funding to the DDA. While the long-term agreements with the village, township, and district library run through 2041, the funding agreement with the county expired. Mach hopes to negotiate a tax sharing agreement with the county through 2041.
Another project buried in the files was an effort to certify the DDA with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Main Street Program. This state program is designed to support and offer help to those communities attempting to improve their downtown districts. That is accomplished by providing technical assistance through a network of staff and national consultants available to assist with the development of the best practices for revitalization. After weeks of training for the entire board, the DDA is close to finishing the certification process with MEDC. Certification for the Main Street Program requires a full-time staff for the “Select” certification level, and the hiring of Mach as Executive Director was key to proceeding with the certification process. The goal is to attract new business, jobs, and investment to the downtown area. Only Boyne City and Cheboygan are Main Street certified in northern Michigan.
The village, through a long effort by the Planning Commission, is also close to completing the certification process for the MEDC Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program. This program identifies communities that have followed best practices in planning, zoning, and economic development strategies. It is expected that the RRC certification will open multiple MEDC funding sources for redevelopment projects in Elk Rapids. The village has completed the long certification checklist and is awaiting final review and approval from MEDC for the RRC certification. The combination of Main Street and RRC certifications will set Elk Rapids apart from most northern Michigan communities with the large MEDC network of investment opportunities.
One immediate impact from these efforts might be the availability of a Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) Fellowship. At Mach’s recommendation, the Village Council recently approved the request to submit the fellowship application. That paperwork has been submitted and Mach is expecting a reply by early September. If successful, Elk Rapids would receive a 15-month fellowship grant through CEDAM. The DDA would pay $10,000 and CEDAM, with support from MEDC, would pick up the complete $120,000 package of salary, benefits, and expenses for the entire 15-month engagement. The individual chosen for the fellowship would report to Mach and provide expertise on increasing local collaboration and removing barriers to new development.
If those projects were not enough balls in the air, the DDA had identified the need for more signage in the village as a top 2025 priority to assist visitors in their search for shopping, parks, restrooms, beaches, and other points of interest. The “Gateway Arch and Wayfinding Signage” project was developed to fill those needs. It has been approved by the board and will be fully funded through the DDA. After receiving multiple bids from area signage vendors, Mach recommended and received authorization from the DDA board to accept the bid from Valley City Sign from Traverse City for the project. He has begun negotiations for a service contract for the project that is expected to be completed in 2025. It is expected to include a large archway sign on River Street at US31 greeting visitors to Elk Rapids and new directional signage throughout the village. Valley City Sign has experience working with Michigan communities on innovative signage.
The project will begin with an assessment phase followed by design development and approvals. One of the components is digital integration with the Elk Rapids website. According to Mach, some of the funding for the project will be utilized in phase II of the Ames Street project. The DDA will present the project details to the village at a September meeting. “It will make it easier for anybody visiting or from Elk Rapids to find what they need throughout the village,” Mach said. “Where is parking? Where are the public restrooms? Where are the parks?” When complete, Mach plans to present the finished designs to the Village Council and public for final review and approval.
To enhance communications with the community and visitors on all of their projects, the DDA has launched a new website and digital marketing plan. Recent data indicates a significant increase in visitor traffic since the relaunch. In addition, DDA has recently added talent to their marketing committee and will explore more advertising to attract visitors to Elk Rapids during the slower fall and winter months. With so many projects moving down the road, Mach is excited about the future. “There is tremendous opportunity,” Mach said. “In our meetings, I am laser focused to think about the future.”
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