The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce has awarded the city of Rochester the 2011 Sunrise Pinnacle Award for Economic Development.
The Sunrise Pinnacle Awards are given for “outstanding achievement and contributions to the community by individuals, nonprofit organizations and businesses,” according to the Chamber. Winners represent the “best of the best in their category.”
“This award is an honor and recognizes the city’s broad-based team approach to encouraging economic growth in Rochester,” said Mayor Jeffrey Cuthbertson.
The city’s combined office, retail, and industrial occupancy rate is 94.4% and expected to top 95 percent by the end of the month, based on recent announcements by two firms. Rochester’s success comes in spite of a challenging southeast Michigan market. Crain’s Detroit Business recently reported a commercial office real estate vacancy rate of 25.2% for southeast Michigan in 2010.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades. The city was awarded the ICMA’s Voice of the People Award after a survey found 99% of respondents rated Rochester as a good or excellent place to live, and 97% rated city services as good or excellent. The ICMA said these results were among the best it has ever seen. In addition, the 2010 Census found the city’s population had grown 20 percent in the preceding decade.
