Downtown Traverse City offers retailers a very strong retail destination, a variety of space size and price, the region's best tourist traffic, and a central location in Michigan's fastest growing retail market.

The region's most dynamic retail district

• Downtown's retail vacancy rate is below 3%.
• 6,000 downtown employees enjoy shopping and dining downtown every day.
• Downtown Traverse City is home to the area's finest women's clothing, jewelry and home accessory stores.
• Tourist attractions include two public beaches, the new Grand Traverse Heritage Center, City Opera House, the State Theatre, and downtown itself draws millions of tourists every year.
• Downtown Traverse City is the only major retail area located in the middle of the region's highest income census tracts.

The Traverse City's largest and strongest office submarket: 

• Three quarter of a million square feet of office space and a healthy 2007 vacancy rate of 7.5%
• Office inventory has increased 20% since 1997
• Downtown Traverse City is the Northwest Michigan's financial center with over 25 financial service businesses.
• Downtown is home to many major nonprofits including the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, Traverse City Convention & Visitor's Bureau, Rotary Charities, Michigan Land Use Institute, Traverse City Film Festival.
• Regional media organizations are located here such as the Traverse City Record Eagle, Midwest Broadcasting, Traverse - Northern Michigan's Magazine, Traverse City Business News, ABC 29&8, Foreword Magazine and more.

Services for New and Growing Businesses

The Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, through the Traverse Bay Economic Development Corporation, offer assistance to businesses seeking marketing, business plan, and other technical help.  Contact the Traverse Bay EDC at (231) 995-7105 for more information.

The Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, through their Michigan Works! program, offers human resourses support to area businesses.  Contact the Council of Government Business Services office at (231) 929-5000.

Demographics

In 2007, the Downtown Development Authority completed a market analysis focused on retail, office and housing trends in downtown and Grand Traverse County.  You can view the full report or the executive summary here. 

Another good sources of demographic information is the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments.