Michigan Municipal League

6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5 MI CHIGAN MUNI C I PAL LEAGUE A Downtown Facebook Live Shopping Event” on February 25. Six downtown businesses went live on Facebook in 15-minute segments, selling products, giving tours of their stores, and telling stories about their businesses. Several similar online shopping events were held last year while businesses were ordered closed. The events were credited with helping businesses stay in touch with longtime customers and add new ones from around the country. “Both promotions had a positive impact on our downtown businesses and were highly successful,” said DDA Executive Director Anne Gentry. “A lot of people in our community saw how difficult the last year has been for our downtown businesses and wanted to support them – so both programs gave people an easy way to do that.” The Facebook Live online shopping event was so successful that the DDA has continued them. Muskegon Dips into Social Districts Muskegon embraced the state’s social district law, enacted in July of 2020, that allows bar and restaurant patrons to purchase alcoholic beverages from establishments located in a social district and consume them off site within the district. Muskegon’s district encompasses a 12-block section of Western Avenue downtown. Eight establishments initially participated in the program and more are expected this summer, according to Dave Alexander, business development manager at the Muskegon Downtown Development Authority. There are 22 businesses with liquor licenses in the district. “The establishments in the downtown social district are the foundation we’re building for a new downtown,” Alexander said. “We want them to be here after COVID is over and into the next new normal. Certain establishments aren’t going to make it, but new restaurants will fill in those spaces. There may be changes of ownership, but I don’t think we’re going to lose any locations with liquor licenses.” Adrian’s ‘Match on Main’ Adrian distributed nearly $50,000 to 22 struggling businesses last year from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s “Match on Main” COVID response program. Money from the program can be used for