For the past several years, Arthur Jemison has been focused on housing in Detroit — particularly making sure the rebound of the city doesn’t leave behind lower-income residents.
But beginning from December, his portfolio will probably become much larger because of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., replacing Rodrick Miller, who left earlier this year.
Jemison, 47, joined the city of Detroit in 2014 serving as the director of the department of housing and community growth in Massachusetts. Before that, he served in various governmental roles in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.
Since combining Mayor Mike Duggan’s management, he’s been busy in affordable housing issues and growth and following a U.S. Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhoods grant to redevelop the site of the Brewster-Douglass housing projects at Mack Avenue and also I-75, along with other large projects. The city lost out to the grant almost a year back but is getting ready to make another attempt.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and a master’s from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He spoke with Crain’s Detroit Business reporter Kirk Pinho last week about his forthcoming new occupation.
Q: What is likely to be your main priority?
A: It is likely to be creating work in town, either through growth of local companies that are here already and companies that are linking our neighborhood. That is the thrust.
Additionally, using our property assets and the experience of our organization.
Q: Can you still picture yourself being concerned about the Choice Neighborhoods procedure?
A: in the past submittal for Choice, the DEGC was our Neighborhood Implementation Entity. We expect the same to be the situation. We have already participated members of DEGC’s group about the application again. The application goes in on Nov. 22 and so I will be here (with the city) to place it in on behalf of town and a few weeks afterwards, and I will connect the DEGC.
Q: What are the top 3 priorities?
A: The best three are likely to be identify those bargains that give us the best opportunity to expand or attract new companies. The city and DEGC have worked collectively on Flex-N-Gate and Sakthi and on projects, and we have more of the from the pipeline. That will likely be No. 1. We have a planning effort in Eastern Market that’s both important to preparation and our ability to grow the food industry. I’m also interested in pursuing a deeper partnership. I need to work on linking with all the amazing assets of the organization that we have.
Q: I’d be dumb if I did not inquire about Amazon. What do you see your own role in that procedure to be moving ahead?
A: I’m part of the group that’s working with Bedrock from the chase. Jed Howbert (executive director, Jobs and Economy Team) was deeply involved and also the DEGC staff members and company growth have been deeply involved, but the folks who have been driving it are city and DEGC staff members. I have been brought into the loop onto it.
Q: There has been reported tension between town and DEGC in the past several years. What is your take on that?
A: I have had an opportunity to observe it and, to be truthful with you, and possibly it’s my workstyle, but I haven’t actually noticed that to the degree it has been coated. Staff and leadership around at the DEGC are doing great work, and I have not seen it to the degree. I went through depressive interviews and encounters with the plank in carrying this new task. That was a procedure. I feel as I moved that individuals would anticipate a significant thing to go through.
Q: One of the large pushes is for 20 percent of the housing units coming to market be economical. What is your character in that on your new project?
A: The DEGC provides the underwriting analysis. It’ll continue to accomplish this. It will also have some bargains they will pursue. We are likely to continue to take action where the DEGC is currently currently working with developers or has property. Two of the bigger developers in the city (Bedrock LLC and Olympia Development of Michigan) have purchased in in different approaches to doing 20 per cent and that I expect will do exactly the same. Ensuring there is equitable growth will be constant.
A: I like housing. However, when you’re about the economic growth side, you’re more a part of making markets and also what pushes the location of uses. Our city is unique in that we’ve been the country’s industrial engine, so you find yourself having to sell another or 1 item. What is unique today is that we have a booming downtown and trying neighborhoods that are currently changing themselves. We are beginning to have a sort of the opportunities in manufacturing that actually speak to our roots of town and also the source of our expansion, but also pitch we could make and we are likely to have the ability to make progress there also. It is a dream job.
Source
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20171001/news/640841/jemison-talks-jobs-new-business-workforce
source http://www.sandiegojobsondemand.com/jemison-talks-workforce-jobs-new-business/
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