Michigan Downtown Conference Partners Call for Award Nominations

       LANSING - The Michigan Downtown Conference Partners announced today the final call for award nominations for the 2008 Michigan Downtown Conference Annual Awards. The deadline for all submissions is July 15, 2008. The awards are to recognize excellence in downtown revitalization over the past year. Any community may submit their nominations online in the Project-based category and only participants of the Michigan Main Street program may submit in the Main Street category. Main Street projects may be considered in a Project-Based category. The awards process is being completed online this year, for a complete description of the award criteria please visit www.michigandowntownconference.org/ the deadline for submission is July 15, 2008.

       The 2008 Michigan Downtown Conference is being held September 8 - 10, 2008 in an effort to help community leaders create successful strategies and case studies for attracting new investment, jobs and young professionals to traditional commercial districts. This year's conference is being held at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Bay City.

The categories for the award nominations are as follows:
Project Based Awards

Main Street Awards

            The Michigan Downtown Conference Partners include the Michigan Downtown Association, the Michigan Municipal League, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority's Community Assistance Team, the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan, the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, Main Street Oakland County, the Cool Cities Collaborative and the Michigan Historical Center. 
This annual conference is dedicated to bringing the best ideas, resources and educational sessions together to create an energetic environment and celebrate the growth of Michigan's downtowns by awarding successful downtown projects. Downtowns across Michigan are encouraged to go online and complete nomination form for the annual awards process.

        MSHDA is a quasi-state agency that provides financial and technical assistance through public and private partnerships to create and preserve safe and decent affordable housing, engage in community economic development activities, and address homeless issues.  MSHDA's loans and operating expenses are financed through the sale of tax-exempt and taxable bonds and notes to private investors, not from state tax revenues. For more information on MSHDA programs and initiatives, visit the Web site at www.michigan.gov/mshda.

###