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| Mayor LeRoy Burcroff |
“Receiving a five-star rating in the eCities report during a year of unforeseen challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to our city's resiliency and continued dedication to making Romulus a home of opportunity,” said Romulus Mayor LeRoy Burcroff. “The future is bright in Romulus and we are looking forward to another successful year of economic and business growth in 2021.”
Despite the onset of COVID-19, Romulus has managed to see significant economic development advances and wins, Burcroff noted. Since March 2020, the city has brought in 12 new businesses, for a total of 27 new businesses since January 2020. The city has a number of resources and initiatives available to spur economic development and support local businesses. Among those is the FAST TRACK program, which streamlines business reviews, planning and creates a business-friendly permit process. The 850,000-square-foot Amazon development in Romulus is one that benefitted from the FAST TRACK program, as did the Kroger fulfillment center announced in September.
The City of Romulus is also part of the Detroit Regional Aerotropolis Development Corporation-a four-community, public-private economic development partnership with the Wayne County Airport Authority. Aerotropolis is designated as a Next Michigan Development Corporation, meaning it is authorized to provide special economic development incentives, which in turn drives investment and boosts Romulus' economy. Recent developments, including Amazon and Penske, have taken advantage of Aerotropolis' incentives and created hundreds of local jobs.
The annual eCities study analyzed publicly available data from 277 communities in 54 counties in Michigan. Researchers focused on the five-year changes in property values, community assets and tax rates, which can demonstrate the growth, investments and cost of doing business within the community. Although accounting for less than 20 percent of state cities and townships, the 277 communities analyzed are home to 70 percent of the Michigan population and 87 percent of state commercial property.
The City of Romulus serves more than 23,000 residents and 700 businesses, with a daytime population of more than 51,500 due to large-scale operations of the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
