MILAN, MI – Milan is shaping up to be Washtenaw County’s own little boom town.
On a recent January day, Martina Bode and Laurie Key traveled to the city -- 14 miles south of Ann Arbor -- from Livonia and Rochester in suburban Detroit for some shopping. The women were drawn to Milan because of businesses like Life is Sweet Bakery & Cafe and Lavender Lane on Main, which sells products made from fresh lavender.
“It’s a cozy little town, and this is why we like it,” Bode said. “We can hang out and we feel welcomed here.”
“And it’s not the same thing over and over again ... (like) in the bigger towns,” Key added.
According to officials and local businesses, Milan has made major strides in the past few years, filling lots that were once vacant with thriving new businesses.
Jill Tewsley, Milan Main Street executive director, said more than 15 businesses, mostly retail, have opened downtown since 2015. Of those, she said approximately 10 opened in spaces that had been vacant for two or more years.
The downtown area’s occupancy rate in 2015 was around 60% and is currently 93% today, she said.
“Milan is one of those places that is on the radar, and people are starting to look around … at opportunities that they may not have looked at five years ago,” said Milan Mayor Ed Kolar.
Downtown Milan transformed
Some current downtown businesses include a bakery, home décor stores and the lavender shop.
Downtown looked much different a decade ago, though.
Ryan Wilman, who opened The Owl, Morning ‘til Night in 2014, said his once-bland storefront was a depiction of what the rest of downtown looked like at the time.
“We just blended into the background,” he said. “There were a lot of things that were missing.”
Eventually, Dave Snyder came into the picture. Snyder owned a travel agency in Lapeer, but wanted to try his hand at helping develop downtown Milan.
Around 2008, Snyder purchased the Milan Bakery and saw firsthand what was going on downtown. He wanted to invest in what he believes is “the heart” to any city -- the downtown. The space where Milan Bakery was located now houses the Life is Sweet Bakery & Cafe.
Snyder was behind a $6 million development that was responsible for renovating eight storefronts and the apartments above them. At the time, seven of these storefronts were vacant.
Snyder purchased these buildings in 2011 and began working on them in 2015 with the help of funding from the state of Michigan and the federal government. The development stretches from Life is Sweet Bakery & Cafe, 42 E. Main St., to Lavender Lane on Main, 12 E. Main St.
“Between 2015 and 2018 that changed from the weakest part of downtown to an area that really holds a good share of downtown’s retail now,” he said. “I became familiar with the downtowns of other communities around us and I just had the sense that Milan had a potential it wasn’t fulfilling.”
Read more: $5.3M downtown Milan redevelopment project complete; see inside new apartments
The streets are now filled with “a different amount of life,” Wilman said, adding that more specialized businesses are bringing quality products similar to what can be found in “any big town.”
“Before I came in I noticed that a lot of the businesses that were still around were businesses that were doing everything under the sun,” Wilman said. “... Having all the businesses in town, be as specialized as they are, allows us to never be competitive .. because we only benefit each other.”
Jim Latham has been downtown his whole life. Back in 1939, Latham’s great-grandfather operated a movie theater at 37. W Main Street. In the 1970s, the building became a furniture store when his parents took over. Latham has operated a hardware store at the location since 1998.
Latham said he is noticing more shoppers than ever before. Latham’s Downtown Hardware has even added items like toys, candles and wind chimes to appeal to more shoppers.
Over the years, Snyder has helped not only revitalize the area, but also put pride back into Milan’s downtown, Tewsley said.
“That block of buildings had sat there pretty much empty for years,” she said. “As the project began to happen, the level of enthusiasm people had … seeing some sort of passion put back into our downtown … was really important.”
Residents and shoppers are also noticing changes to the area.
Nancy Tetens, who has lived in Milan for nearly 60 years, says there is more variety downtown.
“When I was younger, things were going really well. They had some different kinds of stores and then it kind of went away,” she said while walking downtown on a recent January day. “But, now, they are doing a remarkable job (at) bringing people (to Milan).”
‘There’s a vibrancy’
Milan Main Street has been a critical part of the downtown’s accomplishments, according to Snyder. It created a position for Tewsley, who is now devoted to the area’s success.
Milan joined Michigan Main Street in 2016 as a way to improve its downtown. The Michigan Main Street Program helps cities revitalize and preserve their traditional commercial districts.
The state program provides technical assistance to help cities build partnerships with stakeholders while emphasizing historic preservation.
Since it began, Milan Main Street has brought different events like Pop on Main and 3rd Thursdays to the city.
From 2020 to 2021, Milan Main Street has drawn in a little over 7,000 people with its events.
Tewsley said these events paired with the walkability of downtown and access to US-23 adds to the city’s growth over the years.
“More than just the buildings, there’s a vibrancy that happens in our community through a variety of organizations,” she said. “You would be hard pressed to come to town and not find something happening on any given day of the week.”
What is next for Milan?
Kolar said the enthusiasm in the small town is “contagious,” and that he is optimistic about developments coming to the city beyond the downtown area.
Despite its growth, Kolar and Tewsley hope Milan will still be known for its “small-town feel.”
“Our community members, our business owners (and) our municipality members are out engaging with the community and connecting with them … and we don’t want that to go away as we continue to grow,” Tewsley said.
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