Madison Heights Mayor Gives State of the City Address
Madison Heights, MI – The communities of Hazel Park and Madison Heights share a Chamber of Commerce. The cities work together and the business communities collaborate. And so each year the Mayors also team up to share their State of the City addresses at the same event, hosted by the Chamber.
On March 8, Madison Heights Mayor Roslyn Grafstein touted the city’s successes. Here’s the speech that Grafstein presented:
Good morning, I am Mayor Roslyn Grafstein. Welcome to Madison Heights. Thank you all for joining us this morning as we discuss the successes and future of our two great cities. I would like to extend a special thank you to Navistar for hosting us and to Linda Williams, the Director of our MHHP Chamber of Commerce for putting this all together.
I also want to express my gratitude to my fellow Madison Heights City Council members and my appreciation for our City Manager and our city staff for their continuous efforts, enthusiasm and commitment to providing excellent services to our businesses and for their critical contributions to our residents quality of life.
Most importantly, I want to thank our residents and the dedicated business owners who choose to locate their businesses in Madison Heights and everyone who shops locally and supports them. They are the backbone of our community and their contributions have led to the successes we are sharing today.
I am happy to report that the State of our city is strong. We understand that investing in our community and working with residents and businesses are key to our long-term sustainability and success. With this in mind, we are taking the time to make much-needed changes to update our zoning ordinance to make it more user-friendly and include features to continue to make Madison Heights attractive for investment and development.
As an Economist, I also understand the importance of diversification. The Madison Heights community is diverse with residents and businesses representing a variety of religions, cultures and histories. Many of our residents and business owners are immigrants who came to America with dreams of a better life. For some that meant a better education or business opportunities. For others, it meant somewhere safe as they were fleeing war or persecution.
I stand before you as someone whose own journey is proof Madison Heights is a community that reflects the city’s history of diversity and immigration. I never dreamed twenty years ago when I moved from Canada to Madison Heights that not only would I grow to love the community, but that I would participate as one of our leaders, helping to bring forth positive growth and prosperity.
For me, my American Dream started in 2004 when I moved from Toronto and was married by the late Ed Swanson in what is now the lunch room of the Active Adult Center.
At its core, the American Dream and our American values for all our citizens means freedom in a safe and secure place for everyone regardless of background or social status. For many, Madison Heights is the American Dream. We have families who came here for a better quality of life. A better education for their children. More parks to walk in and play in. Safety and security.
In the last year, Madison Heights has completed unprecedented capital improvements including upgrades to our Public facilities, parks, and public safety infrastructure. These long-term investments have been guided by our vision for the future through our strategic planning process. As well, through a lot of research, hard work and effort, we have been the fortunate recipient of many grant programs and partnerships that will pay dividends for years to come. These initiatives have further strengthened our ability to provide excellent services to everyone who works, lives or visits Madison Heights now, and in the future.
In the coming weeks, we are kicking off a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County with the Rock the Block program to bring nearly $1 million in investments to our homeowners. Through this initiative, volunteers will help with repairs aimed at enhancing residents’ health and well-being. This includes fixing drafty windows and leaky roofs, which can contribute to chronic illnesses as well as some spring clean up. As a key player in the area related to all levels of housing options and housing affordability and to keep this programming sustainable past initial funding, they are seeking corporate partners in Madison Heights. This is a great way for corporate partners to actively engage with our local community. And it fosters a sense of pride and connection among employees, as they work together for a common cause. An essential part of the American Dream, security, safety and community both at home and at work.
Next year Madison Heights will be 70 years old and there have been a lot of changes here in the last seven decades. But, through it all, in true American tradition, Madison Heights remains a place where community matters. Our local businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, providing jobs and services that contribute to the vitality of our city. And, we are proud of the variety of businesses and industries within our growing business community.
Examples of some new innovative and fun businesses that joined our community in 2023 include the family-friendly Dinoland, industry leaders like the electric car company Rivian, and unique treats like Feel Good Cookies. In addition to these new arrivals, hometown favorites continue to grow and expand. Last year, Celinas Bar & Grill completed their new patio expansion, and Natalie’s Bakery moved into its new location, expanding its bakery operations.
Looking at the big picture, 2023, brought significant growth in residential and commercial development, demonstrating our commitment to creating opportunities for everyone. The past year’s construction season was a return to norm for development in our community. The Community Development Department approved $16M in new construction value, bringing the total construction value still ongoing to over $30M. Most notable in 2023 was the completion of $11 million in construction value by businesses and developers, nearly ten times the amount recorded in 2022. All of this suggests that certain projects, previously delayed by supply chain challenges and inflation, finally made it across the finish line.
We also focused on reinvestment in our neighborhoods, enhancing the quality of life for our residents with similar trends in growth for residential construction and reinvestment in our neighborhoods as we did for commercial and industrial development. Our Building Department processed almost 600 building permits, marking a notable increase from the previous year, with completed construction value reaching $4.6 million, nearly five times the amount recorded in 2022. With over 130 units, Red Run Reserve for those age 55 and older had their grand opening in 2023 and we still have $2.7M in projects underway.
We also significantly increased our reinvestment in neighborhoods when we were awarded the maximum grant of $75,000 from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program. This funding allowed us to complete sixteen minor home repair projects across our neighborhoods. Seeing consistent reinvestment in our neighborhoods is a testament to this unity and commitment to our collective prosperity.
Quality of Life continues to be a priority for us. In 2018, I rebooted our Environmental Citizens Committee with an eye to bringing back our tree canopy and other environmental initiatives. It has taken a lot of time, money, volunteers, grants and corporate partners, but over the past four years, we have invested heavily in our tree canopy throughout the city and it has paid off as we are now a Silver level member of the Michigan Green Community.
The designation as a Tree City in 2020 motivated us to make planting trees an annual priority, with 546 trees planted in the last five years. Our focus areas include neighborhoods and the John R corridor, helping make them more walkable and business-friendly. These projects along with park improvements and a more robust calendar of events reflect our dedication to improving the quality of life in Madison Heights.
2023 also saw the start of a new streetscaping plan for the 11 Mile and John R areas to be more pedestrian-friendly. I can’t wait to see this area transform in the upcoming years. And I invite you all to visit our downtown in a few months for our Memorial Day parade.
Last year for the first time since 2019, we hosted our annual Memorial Day parade. I ask anyone who is interested in participating in the parade to reach out to me for more information. As we talk about the American Dream, it is important to remember that the price of Freedom is not free and the true meaning of Memorial Day, the reason for the parade, is to honor those who lost their lives so that we can be free. Safety, security, and the freedom to pursue the American Dream.
While council, staff, and outside sponsors are responsible for much of what goes on in Madison Heights, we also have a community of volunteers who help get things done. From private charities like our Food Pantry which was established at the start of the pandemic to our many boards and commissions, it’s the people that make the difference.
Two family fun events that Mark Bliss and our volunteer Arts Board created are the Trail Tunes musical festival and the Trail of Treats Fall costume event. These events are run by volunteers and paid for by private sponsorships. Last year they introduced the first annual adults-only Gala honoring resident artist Jennifer Ramirez. The theme was elements with residents and staff joining in with flashy and sparkly outfits to show our spirit.
And, we can expect more outdoor family fun events in the future. Thanks to a $250,000 grant from Consumers Energy, we will be building a bandshell at Civic Park. The goal is to have it up and running for our pre-fourth of July festivities. It may even be ready for Juneteenth.
In 2021 Madison Heights residents Keleila and Kevin Wright worked with our Human Relations and Equity board to host the first Juneteenth in the city. The Wrights have since formed Madison Heights Citizens United, a non-profit organization that has taken on the responsibility of annually hosting Juneteenth at our Civic Park and Citizens United has fast become part of our community. But they do more than just Juneteenth and their goal is to promote racial reconciliation. Safety, security, community, freedom regardless of race, all part of the American Dream.
In 2018, a year after I was elected to council and about a month after we appointed Melissa Marsh to be our City Manager, she and I were in the library parking lot talking about some of the issues at our Active Adult Center. I looked to the empty spot between the library and City Hall and asked “why not just sell the property and build a new center here
Fast forward five years, a global pandemic, many meetings with many public votes, a total of twelve different council members, a year and a half of construction and $14.2 million later and in the Fall of 2023 we had our final Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting. One that brought my mother in from Canada to help celebrate. Ultimately, this project has not only helped to increase participation in programming but is also decreasing our energy footprint. But I am jumping ahead. There were a lot of things that we accomplished in 2023 to get us to that point.
In late 2022, we closed our library for renovations. A few months later in May, we had our grand re-opening where we also honored the late Bob Corbett with a dedication to the Bob Corbett Youth room.
And while not part of our expansive renovation project, on a rainy day in June we honored the late Bob Gettings by naming a pavilion at Monroe Park in his honor.
And on another sad note, on a beautiful August day, surrounded by family, county officials and others, we gathered to honor County Commissioner Gary McGillivray and to unveil the plaque at the newly named McGillivray Park, located at 12 Mile and Sherry. I am so glad Gary was able to enjoy this tribute with his wife and family as in the Fall just a few weeks apart, we lost both Gary and Diane McGillivray. McGillivray Park serves as a reminder of Gary’s support and legacy.
Keeping with our American Dream theme, in July, after Fire Station #2 renovations were completed, we were honored to be a part of JaxWalk when Jack Huffman took two months to walk from Florida to Rochester Michigan to raise awareness and money for the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund. I caught up with him when he crossed into Oakland county on 11 Mile and was able to present him with a giant check representing over $1200 to the Fund. Money that was donated by our generous businesses.
In true community spirit, the crew at Fire Station #2 entertained the local daycare and other children while they waited for us to arrive. News cameras, a giant check, dozens of well wishers, all to honor those who made it possible to live the American Dream.
In August, after being closed for renovations, we held the grand re-opening of the Fire Station. I invited retired firefighters to help cut the ribbon and I stand by what I said then. That the renovation solidifies the city’s commitment to the safety of all those that live, work or visit Madison Heights. Because without strong public safety services, nothing else really matters.
Standing here in a business dedicated to the defense of our country, I know that you more than others understand the importance of security and public safety. Be it of our country or our city, everyone has the right to feel safe and secure.
Five years ago when I suggested we build in between the library and City Hall, it wasn’t just to provide our seniors with a new, bigger, more modern building with extra amenities. Now, they are just across the parking lot from our First Responders. I would be remiss if I didn’t introduce our new Police Chief (Brent LeMerise) and our new Deputy Chief (Jeff Filzek)
And that folks concludes the State of Our City and how our old council chambers, where I was married, became a lunch room. And why in September my Mom came down from Toronto to be with us for the final Ribbon Cutting of the largest municipal project in our city’s history.
Now that the project is complete, I am excited about the future of our community.
Thank you again for joining us
Check out the Hazel Park speech at https://oaklandcounty115.com/2024/03/20/hazel-park-mayor-gives-state-of-the-city-address/
Learn more about the City of Madison Heights at https://www.madison-heights.org/
