Marquette Downtown Development Authority

The Downtown Development Authority (the DDA) was established by City Ordinance in 1976 under the authority of Michigan Public Act 197 of 1975. The DDA Board is comprised of a board of 8 members who are appointed by the Marquette City Commission to serve a four year term and the City Manager. The purpose of the Authority is to “halt property value deterioration and increase property tax valuation…to eliminate the causes of that deterioration, and to promote economic growth.” Downtown Development Authorities operate under the auspices of Act 197 and have the power to conduct an analysis of economic changes taking place in the downtown district; long-range planning for the downtown area; land acquisition and improvement; building construction, improvement, rehabilitation, maintenance and operation; and construction and maintenance of public facilities such as water and sewer lines, parking lots, streets, street lighting, convention centers, parks, and marinas. The Marquette Downtown Development Authority currently uses several sources of funding its purposes. These include tax increment financing (TIF) and a 2 mill property tax on property within the district. The Authority’s annual budget is approved by City Commission.