It has been said that the signature of a community is the condition of its central business district. Downtown Battle Creek now emerges as the major service corridor of the community. Entertainment, specialty shops, corporate headquarters, professional and financial services, and government offices reside in the central business district. An Optical Ethernet fiber ring throughout the Central Business District, Fort Custer Industrial Park, W.K. Kellogg Airport, and suburbs, provides customers with any bandwidth required. The Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) offers redundancy and the advantages of a local service provider. For those who prefer DSL, Central Business District customers have access to reliable service and local expertise. Contact Cheryl Beard for more information.

Battle Creek Downtown Partnership was established in 2005 to ensure that the Central Business District is a vibrant, livable, urban center. Visit the Downtown Partnership's website for event listing, downloadable restaurant map, residential developments and more.

In 1999, the State of Michigan designated several areas near Battle Creek's Central Business District as tax-free Renaissance Zones. A tax-free Renaissance Zone is an area that has been designated virtually tax free, up to 15 years, for any business or resident presently in or moving to a zone. The taxes from which the business or resident are exempt include single business tax, state personal income tax, 6-mill state education tax, local personal property tax, local real property tax, and local income tax. There are several prime office and residential locations that are located within tax-free Renaissance Zones.