Economic Development / Neighborhood Services

The Economic Development and Neighborhood Services Department has a responsibility for the orderly development and redevelopment of land in the City of Owosso.   This function is carried out through public planning in conjunction with the general public and various boards and commission.  The job of community development is in securing a community quality of life that is what people want for opportunity and living environment.

Progress with opportunity is related to economic development initiatives through the Owosso Downtown Development Authority, the Owosso Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and the Owosso Local Development Finance Authority.   Together with the Owosso City Council support, projects and programs encourage business development, job creation and accompanying infrastructure upgrades.  The Department is connected to the Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership to gain assistance with this effort.

With respect to living environment the department works through the City’s Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals to secure orderly development of land, streets, city services, parking lots, and parks and open space.   The planning and zoning responsibility is supported with studies of the economy, the population, historic resources, the environment and all the subject areas that compose the physical, economic and cultural make-up of a community.

With both economic development and community planning functions, the Department has shifted emphasis to reuse of abandoned landscapes—usually Brownfields that were formerly factory sites.  Whether for residential, commercial or industrial use, Owosso is seizing an opportunity for change with a fresh perspective on potential for these properties.   Special projects are another hallmark of community development with the property acquisition tool and subsequent development behind the initiative.  The city’s Osburn Lakes residential complex project illustrates a community that anticipates the future needs of the area and takes deliberate action to address those needs.

Successful communities build around their assets, nurture their hometown heroes, secure quality development, and strive to build a better town.  Community Development operates within those parameters so that Owosso’s progress retains what is already highly valued while inevitable growth and change is guided into that framework.