The Hamtramck Downtown Development Authority has hired Darren Grow, an attorney and owner of
The Belmont Bar, as its new director. "Being a resident and small business owner in Hamtramck will help immensely," he says, in terms of relating to other business owners.
Grow's first two priorities are directly related to one another: to retain existing businesses and to attract new ones that are complementary to the commercial district. "I need to keep people from leaving and bring new people in," he says.
The DDA also recently launched a
sharp new website. Grow says the site is intended to let merchants know that the DDA is working to market them and inform residents and visitors as to what's going on in Hamtramck in terms of shopping, dining and entertainment.
Eve Doster-Knepp, formerly of the Metro Times, has been brought on to oversee the city's many festivals and events, such as Hamtramck Blowout, Paczki Day and the Labor Day Festival. She had been serving in the capacity of interim DDA director until Grow was hired.
Source: Darren Grow, Hamtramck DDA
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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