Lenny Avery

ALPENA — Local business and economic leaders in Alpena say they are concerned that backlash from a proposed project at the Alpena County Fairgrounds could impact future development in the area.

They added that transparency and predictability are key driving factors for developers to consider an area for various projects.

Alpena Chamber of Commerce President Paige Fisher and Target Alpena Executive Director Lenny Avery expressed their concerns regarding backlash of the Blackwaters development project proposal.

The News reached out to Alpena County Fair Board President Courtney Tauriainen for comment. A voicemail and a text message was left with Tauriainen asking if she is concerned that backlash regarding the Blackwaters project will impede future economic development for the area. She did not respond before the print deadline.

Avery said that Blackwaters, now a Chamber member, first approached the organization in January in search of suitable buildings for development. He said at that time, Blackwaters leadership presented the Chamber with a business plan which considered creating a music studio, potentially a music venue, or a new bar.

In April, Alpena Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Anne Gentry told The News that Blackwaters had first approached the DDA about development “early this year.”

“We connected with them early this year when they started looking for the right space ,” she said. “There were a few spaces downtown they were looking at … there weren’t spaces downtown that fit their needs.”

Fisher expressed her disappointment, on Wednesday, of the behavior online, saying that the perception of Alpena may be a deterrent for future business development moving forward.

“I’m just gonna be frank … one thing that I believe that the community may not be considering is … within social media and outside of social media … it’s kind of a glimpse into the community,” she said. “What we are putting out there currently is going to deter future development here which is unfortunate, because the Chamber and Target, we’re here to help grow and continue that growth for our business community.”

Avery said that he wishes people “… would just turn down the temperature a little bit.”

He explained when people are presented with an opportunity, there will be 10% who are in favor, 10% who are not in favor, and 80% who are in the middle and seeking more information. He said the Chamber’s job is to engage with the middle.

“We have to engage the 80,” he said. “The most important part is to kind of find the individuals that don’t have enough information to form an opinion … but to also give a cost benefit analysis of what’s going to directly impact us.”

Fisher added that she understands the importance of freedom of speech, right to opinions, and open discussion. However, she doesn’t believe social media is an accurate source of information nor are conversations online constructive.

“It’s just unfortunate that this whole situation has become so divisive, because I firmly believe that face-to-face communication … a lot of things can be solved, and with social media being what it is, it’s an amazing outlet to be able to voice your opinion, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you get to hear the other side of it,” she said. “I think that we missed that step of having that face-to-face conversation.”

Fisher added that the social media landscape can be a hurdle for people receiving accurate information.

“Everyone is obviously entitled to free speech and their opinion on things, but as we know, social media isn’t always the most reliable news source,” she said.

The Chamber surveyed 29 Chamber members regarding Blackwaters. Though Fisher said that the results are not indicative of a majority opinion from the business community since the sample size is small, she did say business owners surveyed seemed divided.

“It seems fairly divided, but I think that all kind of goes back to that lack of transparency and misinformation that seems to be spreading throughout the community,” Fisher said.

Of the 29 participants, Fisher said less than 25% said they would classify themselves as “very familiar” with Blackwaters and the Blackwaters situation.

She noted that business owners expressed a lack of knowledge and accessible information regarding funding, contract details, and transparency though “there was a lot of interest in potential benefits.”

Of those surveyed, 76% of participants said that they receive their information from social media, regarding the Blackwaters proposal.

Fisher said participants did express interest in the potential of increased tourism, overnight stays, and improved fair infrastructure.

Overall, Fisher stated that 41% said they are unsure of the project, 38% said they are in support of the project, and 21% said they are not in support of the project.

“There was a lot of interest in potential benefits,” she added.

Avery said that the Chamber has heard a range of opinions from business owners regarding Blackwaters.

“We’ve heard a range of opinions from businesses and community members, much like the broader public conversation,” he said. “Some businesses see potential economic opportunity tied to increased visitation, investment, or construction activity, while others have expressed concerns about long-term impacts on the community, tourism identity, or quality of life.”

“What’s clear is that this is an issue people care deeply about, and there are valid perspectives on multiple sides of the discussion,” he added.

Avery said that projects of the scale at which Blackwarters is proposing to the county brings both opportunity and concern. He added that the role of the Chamber is to support dialogue and economic opportunities that consider the community long term.

“Projects of this scale always generate both opportunities and concerns, and I think it’s important to acknowledge both honestly,” he said. “From an economic development perspective, large investments can potentially bring construction activity, job creation, increased tourism traffic, new tax revenue, and additional private investment into the community. Those are all things communities naturally evaluate when considering major projects.”

Though economic development is a key piece of community growth, Avery said he understands some of the push back from the community.

“At the same time, it’s understandable that residents have questions about long-term impacts, including environmental concerns, quality of life, infrastructure strain, traffic, public access, and how development fits within the character of the community,” he said. “Those conversations are healthy and important.”

“Our role is not to advocate for or against a specific project, but rather to support thoughtful community dialogue and responsible economic development processes that consider both economic opportunity and community priorities,” he added.

Avery explained that public engagement is important in economic development and that opinions and concerns should be acknowledged. He added that it is also important to work through challenges in a respectful way and present Alpena in the light the public wishes others to see.

“Public engagement is important and is part of the process, and people absolutely have the right to share their opinions and concerns, but what we want to make sure is that it’s done in a respectful, actual, and productive way,” he said. “We want to make sure that developers see Alpena as welcoming to investment because if they feel that their ideas are going to be shot down before they even get off the ground, that will impede Alpena for investment.”

Avery stated that it is important that discussions regarding new opportunities remain “…respectful, factual, and productive.”

“Communities are strongest when they can have difficult conversations in a way that encourages transparency and constructive dialogue,” he added. “I don’t believe disagreement itself discourages investment. What matters more is whether communities demonstrate that they can work through challenges professionally, respectfully, and through established public processes.”

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.