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New Partnership To Bring Together Economic Development Efforts In Washtenaw and Lenawee County

Ann Arbor Ypsilanti SmartZone
a2gov.org

The next high tech start-up in Ann Arbor could get support from economic development efforts in Lenawee County.  Officials with the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti SmartZone think a partnership with the new Adrian Tecumseh SmartZone will benefit both communities.
That's because while both communities are focused on technology start-ups they differ slightly in the areas of focus. Chair of Ann Arbor's Local Development Finance Authority Carrie Leahy thinks the partnership will provide complimentary, rather than redundant economic development efforts. 

She says the LDFA is still working with the state on coming up with an estimate on how many jobs will be created. "Given the early stage focus of the developments and the technology and what not, you're not automatically going to get a high number of jobs out of some of those.  You're going to get companies, which then have to go on and mature, and then they will bring in more jobs," Leahy says.

The proposed satellite LDFA is a requirement for Ann Arbor's SmartZone to receive a 15 year extension from the state. The partnership won't officially begin until after tax increment financing plans are finalized and approved by local and state officials.

Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter— Andrew Cluley is the Ann Arbor beat reporter, and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him acluley@emich.edu.  

Like many, I first came to this area when I started school at the University of Michigan, then fell in love with the community and haven’t left. After graduating from U of M in the mid 1990’s I interned at WDET for several years, while also working a variety of jobs in Ann Arbor. Then in 1999 I joined the WEMU news team.
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