Business Hub

Open Your Doors Downtown

Downtown Royal Oak is where metro Detroit spends its evenings, and it stays for hours. The Downtown Development Authority helps you put a storefront in the middle of that traffic, then keep it open.

Foot-traffic figures: DDA Annual Report FY 2023-2024 (Placer Labs data)

Grants & Incentives

Money to Open, Build, and Hire

State, county, and city programs that help a downtown business get open and grow. The names and descriptions are the programs' own; the DDA can point you to the right one.

• Michigan Community Revitalization Program (MCRP)

  An MEDC incentive program designed to promote the revitalization of brownfield and/or historic properties located in traditional downtowns. It provides gap funding in the form of a grant, loan, and/or other economic assistance based on a needs analysis.

• Brownfield Tax Increment Financing (TIF) – Act 381 Work Plan

  Applicable to non-environmental eligible activities only, this program is designed to address existing brownfield conditions on sites in order to make them competitive with comparable greenfield sites.

• Michigan Business Development Program

  Provides grants, loans, and other economic assistance to businesses for highly competitive projects that create jobs and/or provide investment. A minimum of 50 qualified new jobs must be created; businesses located in a rural county or which qualify as a high-technology activity must create a minimum of 25 jobs. Grants and loans are performance-based and include flexible terms and conditions.

• Downtown Royal Oak Façade Program

  For businesses located downtown, the Royal Oak DDA reimburses approved applicants for 50% of the eligible costs of facade work, up to $10,000, upon completion of the project.

• Royal Oak Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)

  Royal Oak's CDBG program is regarded as an Entitlement Program under the federal CDBG program. Since 2005, the city's Rehabilitation Board of Appeals has advised the City Commission on annual CDBG requests and priorities; day-to-day administration is directed by the city's Planning Department.

• PACE Program

  Royal Oak's Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program lets commercial building owners voluntarily assume a special assessment on their property tax bill to finance energy efficiency, water efficiency, and renewable energy projects, at no cost to Royal Oak taxpayers.

• MichiganWorks!

  The Michigan Works! System is the first unified workforce development system in the U.S. It is demand driven, locally responsive, and ready to meet the needs of Royal Oak employers.

• SBA 504 Loan Program

  Provides small and medium sized businesses with long-term fixed rate financing for the acquisition or construction of fixed assets.

• SBA 7(a) Loan Program

  The Small Business Administration provides a repayment guarantee to banks making loans under this program, reducing lender risk so small business owners can access reasonably priced, long-term financing.

• Tax Exempt Bond Programs

  Extremely low interest financing for fixed assets ranging up to $10 million. They can be used for manufacturing and Non-Profit 501(c)(3) corporations' projects.

• Microloan Program

  Assists startup and expansion of a business. Microloans may be used for equipment, inventory, supplies, and some working capital.

• Oakland County One Stop Shop

  Oakland County's One Stop Shop Business Center offers experienced business counselors, business tools, data analysis, and services delivered by public and private sector partners for for-profit and advanced-technology companies at any stage.

Ask the DDA which programs fit your plan: contact the DDA about eligibility.

Available Space

Space to Land Downtown

35 storefronts, offices, and corners are listed for lease or sale downtown right now. The DDA keeps the list current from the district lease and sale sheets.

See Available Space