Highland Park is the one-time home of the Chrysler Corp., but the No. 3 automaker moved out of the small city to Oakland County about a decade ago. "We are excited to embark on a new phase of Highland Park's redevelopment," says Mayor Titus McClary. "The (Town Center project) proved that our community provides a strong market for new development. The Blueprints program will help the community formulate a strategic action plan to reinvigorate Woodward Avenue with a special focus on the more traditionally historic commercial and residential properties north and south of the Town Center area. We believe that this program will attract additional retail stores and housing opportunities into the city of Highland Park."

The Blueprints program is a state-local partnership effort to reinvigorate Michigan downtown areas. The Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority have committed a total of $200,000 to fund the project this year in Highland Park. The city will provide an additional $25,000 match through the Highland Park Tax Increment Finance Authority.

HP Devco, Inc., the city's nonprofit economic development agency, will coordinate the Downtown development plan which focuses on historic Woodward Avenue, a Michigan Heritage Route and National By-way.