Three men with heads for business and hearts for the downtown were appointed Tuesday to the Oxford Downtown Development Authority.
Kevin Stephison, of Huntoon Funeral Home, Kurt Kuehn, of Chase Bank, and Chris Hendrix, of Coldwell Banker Schooltz Realty, will fill three of the four open seats on the DDA board.
‘Having business people on the DDA makes sense since we’re the guys who make up the downtown,? said Stephison, who’s term on the board expires in October 2009.
The DDA interviewed six candidates July 5 and recommended three for council approval Tuesday night. One more interview with candidate Sue Bellairs, a township trustee, is set for July 17. Council is expected to make the fourth and final appointment July 25.
As the business manager for Huntoon Funeral Home, Stephison has 15 years experience with the company, which has funeral homes in Pontiac and downtown Oxford.
He’s lived above the Oxford home for the last eight years and will fill the DDA’s requirement to have a board member who resides within the district.
Stephison said he applied for a DDA seat because ‘we’re to a point where we need to make some changes and keep things on track.?
‘We’re just kind of sitting back and waiting, rather than being proactive we’re being reactive, which is something that’s got to change.?
‘I like where I see (the downtown) going,? Stephison explained. ‘I enjoy the fact we have some growth going north of us which I’m hoping will feed the corridor.?
‘The trick is to make sure all of it doesn’t go north of us and we end up an empty shell of a downtown ? the sloppy leftovers that nobody wanted up in the township by Meijer,? Stephison noted. ‘We’ve got to make sure we get the right businesses.?
Looking at the current state of the downtown, he sees both positives and negatives.
‘We have very few empty storefronts, which for a downtown district just about anywhere is a blessing,? Stephison said. ‘Rochester, Clarkston, Ferndale, Royal Oak ? they all have a low number of empty storefronts and it’s a good sign that we’re kind of in that same ballpark.?
On the negative side, he said, ‘There’s no foot traffic.?
‘We keep saying we need to bring some niche-market businesses up here, but it’s a Catch 22,? Stephison explained. ‘You need them to have the foot traffic, but you need the foot traffic to convince them to come. We’ve got to find a way to make people realize we don’t take the sidewalk lights in at 7:30 every night, that there are things you can do downtown.?
Part of improving foot traffic should involve adjusting the timing of the traffic signals which govern the M-24/Burdick Street intersection. ‘I’m a young, spry guy and I’m hoofing it by the time the ‘Don’t Walk? lights flash,? Stephison said. ‘I can’t imagine some of our older residents trying to get across it.?
Something must also be done about the gravel trucks, which Stephison referred to as his ?5:30 wake-up call.?
‘If we could find something to do with them, preferably legal, it would be good,? he said.
Kurt Kuehn has both a professional and personal stake in seeing the downtown revitalized and thriving.
As the Oxford branch manager of Chase Bank since September 2005, Kuehn said, ‘The better the downtown is, the more people are going to move to Oxford, enjoy the downtown on a consumer level and on a business level.?
As a village resident living on Pontiac Street with his wife Amber since 2003, he said, ‘The more successful the downtown is, the better housing prices in the village will be.?
Kuehn, who’s DDA term expires in October 2007, is no stranger to the Oxford area.
‘I’ve lived in northern Oakland County all my life,? he said. ‘I grew up in Brandon.?
To the DDA board, Kuehn said he brings his ‘expertise when it comes to small business relationships, how to help them grow and make them more successful?
‘Obviously, we don’t want turnover downtown.?
Kuehn’s experience as a commercial lender and branch manager allows him to view things from both business and consumer perspectives.
‘I’m an honest, straight-shooter guy, so I’ll give my opinion of what I think,? he said.
Looking at the downtown, Kuehn it’s ‘moving in the right direction? as far as development, revitalization and attracting more people.
Kuehn believes every area of the downtown is important and deserves attention.
‘Obviously, once the (downtown’s) center or core, is where it needs to be, then we can spread up and down the corridor to make sure the outermost parts of the downtown are getting what they need to get as well.?
A 1983 Oxford High School graduate, Chris Hendrix is proud to be serving the community where he grew up by aiding the downtown’s revitalization.
‘I’m just excited to be part of it all,? said Hendrix, who’s DDA term expires in October 2006. ‘I have a fondness for it, growing up here, having lived here.?
Hendrix, who now lives in Orion, has worked as the general manager for Coldwell Banker Shooltz Realty for 1? years.
‘Our company has a vested interest in the success and prosperity of the downtown Oxford area.,? he said.
To the DDA board, Hendrix said he brings ‘over 15 years of experience from corporate America, managing and running large sales organizations.?
‘I bring insight on being able to attract the right type of businesses here in the Oxford area,? he said.
Hendrix sees a lot of positives in the downtown from the ‘re-facing of older buildings? to new businesses and developments. ‘It’s really exciting to see the types of businesses that are coming to Oxford and looking at Oxford,? he said.
One issue Hendrix feels really ‘needs to be addressed? is traffic, including speed, pedestrians, volume and congestion.
‘How well and how quickly we address that will determine how high our ceiling can go,? he said. In order to really attract the type of businesses we want here locally, I think that’s going to have to be addressed. Everything from widening the roads to making sure we have the proper infrastructure.?