economic impact

The City of Saline is considering whether to rehabilitate, replace, or remove the historic Saline River Dam. Dam removal offers long-term ecological benefits but raises concerns about aesthetics, recreation, and economic impact. A final decision on the matter is coming in October. In the meantime, the city has been taking public input and reaching out to neighboring communities for discussion. WEMU's David Fair talked with Saline Mayor Brian Marl about what has been learned so far and what comes next in the process.

The 2025 Ann Arbor Art Fair is just about here! Three separate fairs combine into one major event that serves the creative community and the economic interests of all of Washtenaw County. The Ann Arbor Art Fair runs from July 17th through the 19th, and there is a lot to experience in this year's edition. WEMU's David Fair discusses highlights and the fair's community impact with the executive director of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original, Angela Kline.

One of the main goals of the draft Comprehensive Use Plan is to spur economic and residential growth in Ann Arbor. But such growth could bring infrastructure problems. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley has been facing difficulties this year building affordable homes in the local community. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has more.

President Trump’s tariffs are having an impact on businesses in Washtenaw County. WEMU’s Ana Longoria reports.

That’s the impact of Washtenaw County’s nonprofit arts + cultural organizations, according to the recently released national study from Americans for the Arts. Sarah Miller, president of Destination Ann Arbor, meets up with Deb Polich, host of WEMU’s "creative:impact". They discuss the findings and the ripple effect on our local economy, jobs, merchants, taxes and quality of life.

The Ann Arbor Art Fair kicks off this morning. It’s an event that has been a huge economic boost to the city since it was launched in 1960. WEMU’s Josh Hakala reports.

The numbers are in, and they are big! The Bureau of Economic Analysis released its findings that the arts + creative industries added $1 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2021. Yes, that’s $1 trillion with a “T” or 4.4% of GDP. In Michigan, it’s $15.5 billion and 2.7% added to the economy. Does that mean the sector has recovered from COVID? Deb Polich, your "creative impact" host, meets up with Randy Cohen, VP of Research and Policy at Americans for the Arts. Together, they’ll digest the numbers.

To help slow the spread of the virus, arts venues were first to cancel events and send artists home. The ripple effect is devastating for the people and…

The report isn’t even out, but the data is collected. Deb Polich shares some of the highlights of The Arts Alliance’s Creative Washtenaw Counts Nonprofit…