Committed to a Clean, Safe and Welcoming Downtown Detroit
The Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) collaborates with the Downtown Detroit Business Improvement Zone (BIZ) to create a vibrant environment for everyone. The BIZ is a public organization funded by Downtown property owners who have defined standards of excellence to achieve their shared priorities. The program is led by a volunteer Board of Directors, which represents the community of dedicated property owners and contracts with the DDP to manage its day-to-day operations.
The BIZ employs a team of nearly 100 Downtown BIZ Ambassadors that work around the Downtown, keeping the community clean, safe, and welcoming for all. The entire BIZ Ambassador team is trained in safety, including mental health first aid, de-escalation, and situational awareness. Our Ambassadors are expected to observe and report anything questionable they encounter. It is a “see something, say something” operation, made up of trained eyes on the street throughout the Downtown daily. We are proud that 90 percent of BIZ Ambassadors are Detroit residents, and 100 percent are some of the best examples of the spirit of Detroit.
While the Ambassadors who spend more than 100,000 hours each year working Downtown in their bright yellow shirts are perhaps the most visible BIZ program, the BIZ implements many efforts to create a vibrant Downtown. Our organization maintains the landscaping in most of the Downtown parks, riverfront, sidewalks and street medians. The program designs and delivers the award-winning winter lighting that has become a tradition for many families, fostering community among Downtown’s small businesses, restaurants and retailers while supporting Detroiters through job fairs, and much more.
The BIZ has the agility to meet the ever-changing needs of Downtown, as it was formed to deliver an exceptional public realm. The BIZ Safety Ambassador team, led by a licensed social worker, connects the unhoused and Downtown patrons to critical resources.
The BIZ provides continuous beautification to Downtown Detroit, a key to attracting business and visitors from the region and around the world. When residents, visitors, and workers see the BIZ Ambassadors proudly keeping public spaces clean and beautiful, this inspires the community to do the same. This is everyone’s Downtown, and we are here to work together to keep it beautiful and safe.
Lastly, the BIZ is up for renewal in 2024, and reauthorizing the program for another term will ensure we can build upon the momentum and success of the past 10 years and continue to provide consistency and connectivity for all who interact with Downtown Detroit.
See you Downtown,
Gina Cavaliere, BIZ Executive Director, DDP Chief Community Impact Officer
Read the full newsletter at the following link: https://mailchi.mp/downtowndetroit/april2023biz
Join our mailing list at the following link: https://downtowndetroit.org/contact-connect/newsletter-signup/
