Hackel: What's good for Detroit is good for Macomb County

By Chad Selweski

The Macomb Daily

In his fourth annual State of the County address, County Executive Mark Hackel was looking beyond Macomb’s borders and boasting of the county’s new image across the region as a “place of opportunity.”

Hackel called for a more inclusive approach, with Macomb as an integral part of southeast Michigan’s burgeoning economy now that the city of Detroit is out of bankruptcy and turning the corner.

“We need to come together to compete other regions in the country and globally,” said the Macomb Township Democrat. “We’ve come to understand that Macomb County adds value to the region and the region adds value to Macomb.”

Speaking to a capacity crowd of more than 1,200 people at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Township, Hackel, with his usual flair, played a video on a huge screen that highlighted the region’s attributes, with scenes from the suburbs mixed together with Detroit highlights such as Cobo Center, Joe Louis Arena and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

As a show of support for the tri-county area, those sitting in the front row for the speech included Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, outgoing Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Wayne Executive-elect Warren Evans and Detroit Deputy Mayor Ike McKinnon.

“When you look at downtown, there are a lot of exciting things happening that are going to benefit Macomb County,” the executive said later.

The vitality of downtown and Midtown will create jobs and develop an “engaging” urban atmosphere, he said, which appeals to young workers and will keep many Michigan college graduates close to home.

“It creates a certain kind of energy. Every region has to have an urban center.”

And a key player in the region is Macomb County,which has emerged from the “doldrums” with a brand and an image that places the county in a new role, added Hackel, who won re-election in November by a huge margin, carrying every precinct in the county.

With 18,000 businesses and a population gain of 23,000 since the 2010 U.S. Census – 16 new residents per day – Macomb’s first elected executive said that industry, retail stores, and entertainment venues are making the county a desired destination for those looking to move.

Pacing the stage while wearing a wireless microphone, he told the crowd that a combination of high-tech manufacturing, the auto industry, the growing GM Tech Center, the defense corridor, the U.S. Army TACOM headquarters and Selfridge Air National Guard Base have made Macomb the “Arsenal of Innovation” – a variation of the Detroit area’s label as the “Arsenal of Democracy” during World War II.

Hackel said that a huge new outlet mall planned for Chesterfield Township, plus the Emagine Theater about to open in Macomb Township will add to the county’s appeal.

A $10 million ballpark in Utica is in the works that will, according to plan, host a minor league baseball team, high school sports, concerts and community events. That facility will buffet the crowds at the Freedom Hill Amphitheater in Sterling Heights, which was “packed with activity” last summer, he said.

Events on the Clinton River and Lake St. Clair, including one of the premier bass tournaments in the nation, have also helped to make Macomb a prime summertime destination, he added.

“As you can see, our economy is very diverse and very lucrative,” said Hackel, who is often mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2018.

Macomb Community College President Jim Jacobs said that the executive is on the mark when he emphasizes regionalism – a concept that was widely derided by county residents and officials in the pre-2000 era.

“It’s very important that we have a brand and a reach,” said Jacobs, an economist. “I’m amazed at the speed with which things have changed. But … I think people across the whole region recognize that we live or die together.”

As is now tradition, the State of the County speech was followed by the Taste of Macomb, an afterglow-style party featuring cuisine from 33 local restaurants, ranging from Andiamo hors d’oeuvres to White Castle hamburgers, which seemed to be the most popular dish of the night.