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www.mybaycity.com October 2, 2003
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New City Manager Will Take Collaborative Approach in Planning Improvements

Robert Belleman Sees "Huge Success" for Doubletree Hotel/Conference Center

October 2, 2003       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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Robert Belleman strikes a pensive pose in an exclusive interview with MyBayCity.com.
 

The public will be invited to three "visioning" sessions to get ideas for development of the 48-acre Uptown at RiversEdge project on the old Industrial Brownhoist site, says new City Manager Robert Belleman.



That kind of collaborative decision-making will identify the style of the new manager, settling in after serving as interim manager for about a year. Belleman was appointed city manager on Sept. 8.

"My approach is different; I'm open to listening to what people say and taking the best ideas offered," said Belleman. "We're attempting to have more responsive government and that plays into success."

In an exclusive interview with MyBayCity.com, the city manager outlined his view of the Uptown project as well as the Doubletree Hotel/Conference Center, housing, education and road corridors coming into the city.

Uptown may feature an outdoor farmer's market with produce and other wares, he said, but the public will be asked: "Do we want to see housing there?" He envisions the project as important to the success of the nearby partially-completed Breaker Cove condominium project of developer Seymour Giersbach.

Consultants have been hired to "better define what we want to see at the Uptown project" said Belleman. An entertainment component could be part of the mix to "give the customer additional reasons why they should come to Bay City," he said.

Belleman forsees "huge success" for the Doubletree Hotel/Conference Center, noting this will be the first Doubletree north of Novi. The hotel will make a longtime impression on the life of the city, he said.

The city is in the process of writing an economic development plan "to identify where we're going," the new city manager said. The plan willbe communicated to the public.

The proposed economic development coalition, bringing together government, business, education and other sectors, "is a good idea," Belleman says. "We need to identify where we need assistance and where the coalition can help." He said he favors any partnership with the private sector that contributes to economic growth.

He sees the city's role as being ready to "aid any business from retail to industrial in locating in the community."

Housing will be improved with a $1 million project to revitalize and improve living conditions in a central city area not far from City Hall, he noted.

Regarding the effect of globalization on jobs locally, Belleman said there is no doubt that the North American Free Trade Agreement has reduced the amount of manufacturing in this country. He said education is a "key component of sustaining development." Government has a need to work with school systems to improve education, he said.

Corridors leading to the city, including residential and commercial structures, that will receive attention from the new city manager include Broadway, Salzburg/Morton, Jenny/Thomas and Center.

Maintaining and upgrading facilities is important but must be financed with reasonable costs. "We have to stay current or the city is hurt, but nobody likes new taxes," he said.

History is important in city development because "our history sets Bay City aside," the city manager said. "It is the key to who we areand where we're going."

Quality of life is a big part of the city's progress, said Belleman, commenting: ""Part of our economic development plan is how we could integrate arts and culture; the more variety you have the more strength there is in the economic base, keeping industry stable."

Belleman is a graduate of DeLaSalle High in Detroit and earned a Political Science degree from Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, and a master's degree in public administration from Oakland University, Rochester Hills. He was the first employee of the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce in 1991 and in 1992 was hired by the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority. In 1996 he went to Birch Run as DDA and village manager and in 2000 came to Bay City as special projects coordinator and assistant city manager. He was moved up to acting city manager in the wake of the departure of the controversial James Palenick.



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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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