JACKSON, MI – Businesses in downtown Jackson have a new ally with a bastion of business knowledge to help make downtown the place to be.

The City of Jackson hired lifelong Jackson resident and business leader Coyn Speiser as the newest executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. He officially took over the position on April 3.

With 40 years of business experience while running the family-owned Jackson Trippers travel company, Speiser said he knows how to market the downtown area and help make it a place everyone wants to come to.

“In all those years I really learned how to run a business, plan events and get people excited about Jackson,” Speiser said. “Right now we’re looking for that magic recipe for people to not only want to come and spend time in the downtown area, but to keep coming back.”

The Jackson DDA is a special purpose government department appointed by the city to oversee and develop the city’s downtown area.

Tasks for the DDA include planning events and constructing city-scape features, while also preserving historic features, promoting economic growth and correcting and preventing deterioration.

Downtown Jackson currently lacks significant foot traffic most other cities have, Speiser said, noting the city has taken several steps to change this.

Speiser praised events like Bright Walls and the creation of a new social district as great ways to enhance the area and bring people and businesses downtown.

Related: After 2 years of waiting, Jackson’s social district is launching on St. Patrick’s Day

“Now is a great time for Jackson to grow, but it needs to be a controlled growth,” he said. “Things like Bright Walls, the new social district, food, retail shops, development on the Hayes (Hotel), these are all great steps in making downtown the place to be. We have to focus on making it more attractive for everyone.”

Started in 2018, Bright Walls was a downtown festival with music and festivities and artists from around the world who painted vivid murals on downtown buildings. The event attracted 30,000 to 40,000 people in its finale in September 2022.

Related: Bright Walls finale leaves behind beautiful murals, big impact on Jackson

After years of talks, the social district was finally created and launched on St. Patrick’s Day 2023, opening up more freedom to restaurants and bars in the downtown area.

A social district allows patrons to legally purchase alcohol and consume it in designated outdoor spaces. The formation of Jackson’s social district was originally approved in April 2021, but a lack of bar and restaurant interest prevented it from launching then.

More about Jackson’s social district can be found here.

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