The City of Coldwater has been recognized for its successes and efforts in contributing to Michigan’s entrepreneurial growth and economic development. The eCities study conducted by researchers at iLabs, University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research, has honored Coldwater as a five star community along with 180 other communities across the state.
“This year’s improvements to Coldwater have been significant in the push toward filling our available space downtown. From building improvements, to parking lot and road reconstruction, giving our community members a space for growth and development has proved to be a continued success.
Thank you to UM-Dearborn and the researchers at iLabs for our recent five star recognition.” – Keith Baker, Coldwater City Manager
The eCities study analyzed publicly available data from 277 communities from 54 counties in Michigan. Researchers focused on the five-year changes in property values, community assets, and tax rates, which can demonstrate the growth, investments and cost of doing business within the community. For example, over the five-year period of 2013-2017, these communities increased their capital assets by an average of 2 percent per year by investments such as street and building improvements, technology, and emergency vehicles and equipment.
“While accounting for only about 15 percent of the cities and townships in Michigan, the 277 communities analyzed are home to 70 percent of the population and 85 percent of the state’s commercial property,” said Tim Davis, director, iLabs. “By analyzing these high-performing communities, our goal is to showcase what cities and townships are doing to spur growth and how we can continue to support their efforts in developing business and encouraging entrepreneurs.”
Coldwater will be acknowledged Thursday, Nov. 29, during the Executive Speaker Series panel discussion, which will discuss Michigan’s economic growth, including key areas such as capital, infrastructure, industry, and the ecosystem. The panel is moderated by Dr. Brian Patrick Green, Czarnecki Collegiate Professor, UM-Dearborn College of Business and will feature William Adams, Senior International Economist, PNC Financial Services Group; Maureen Miller Brosnan, Executive Director, Michigan Venture Capital Association; Kristina Kolbas, SVP Enterprise Services, Quicken Loans; and Jeff Marston, V.P. of Business Services, Comcast Business, Heartland Region.