Main Street Oakland County Welcomes the Village of Leonard into Mentoring Program

Oakland County welcomes the Village of Leonard as a new community in the Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) Mentoring Program. The announcement was made on September 12 at Oakland County’s Annual Planning & Economic Development Conference at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

“I'm very excited about the mentoring program. Our day at Oakland University was a very informative one. We came home all charged up,” said Village of Leonard Trustee, Charlene Sutherby. “We are grateful to be included in this wonderful program.” Leonard joins the City of Berkley and the Village of Franklin in the mentoring program.

“Main Street Oakland County continues to be a model for the rest of the nation as it shapes our downtowns into vibrant centers of commerce while preserving the heritage and character residents and visitors find so appealing,” Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. “I’m thrilled we have another community in the Main Street fraternity.”

The Village of Leonard will establish a mentor relationship with an existing Main Street community, be offered a select set of technical services, training, and be introduced to the Main Street philosophy of historic preservation- based economic development at the national level. 
 
“Leonard has shown a lot of enthusiasm for their willingness to learn more about the MSOC Program, through our MSOC Mentoring Program. Residents, business owners and village officials have all voiced strong support,” said Bob Donohue, Main Street Oakland County Program Coordinator, Principal Planner. “We look forward to working with the Village over the next 1 – 2 years to build their capacity to apply as full members of the only County-wide Main Street Program for Downtown Revitalization in the United States.”

Farmington, Ferndale, Highland, Holly, Keego Harbor, Lake Orion, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester, Royal Oak and Walled Lake are members of Main Street Oakland County. Collectively these 12 Main Street downtowns have generated $404 million in private and public investment, 2,477 new jobs and over 330 new businesses since the program was formed in 2000.

For more information about Main Street Oakland County and the Mentor Program, please contact Bob Donohue, Main Street Oakland County Program Coordinator, Principal Planner, at 248-858-5444.