Muskegon Heights reimagines downtown with new Strand Theater, upgraded park, retail and housing

MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI – A large subdivision, are living-work residences in the heart of downtown, a more substantial more lively Rowan Park and a new Strand Theater are among the the functions Muskegon Heights inhabitants have imagined for their company district.

Individuals visions collected all through group input periods were being utilized to acquire a “Reaching New Muskegon Heights” program that will direct long run investments. It is a approach essential to make Muskegon Heights a “redevelopment ready” group in the eyes of the point out, opening up accessibility to public and non-public funding.

At least Muskegon Heights has a downtown district, nevertheless it’s plagued with vacant storefronts. In comparison, the metropolis of Muskegon has experienced to do a whole lot of new construction to fill in much of its downtown that was torn down in the early 2000s.

Nonetheless, Muskegon’s downtown visioning, related to Muskegon Heights’ modern endeavours, resulted in an “Imagine Muskegon” approach that isn’t considerably off from what is producing there.

“The initial phase is the vision,” Muskegon Heights City Manager Troy Bell informed MLive. “I’ve noticed it come about in my job in excess of and about once more. People today say, ‘It’s not possible,’ or believe that it’ s way too much to desire for. But with just about every furry audacious target, you make an option for folks who normally did not imagine it was attainable to make it attainable.”

It also lets builders to have a vision of what they are investments could provide, Bell reported.

“There’s so a great deal prospect, it can be too much to handle to choose where by to start off,” he claimed.

The 18-thirty day period visioning course of action provided target teams – some of them remote owing to troubles with COVID – and general public surveys as nicely as on-web site excursions with crucial players.

Funding was supplied by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Community Foundation for Muskegon County and the job, led by the metropolis of Muskegon Heights and its downtown improvement authority, was managed by the Increased Muskegon Economic Growth Corporation.

The consequence was a unified prepare with reinvestment priorities and concepts to share with prospective funders and investors.

The city’s two major priorities are progress of new housing and redevelopment of the downtown core.

Amid the plan’s vital ideas:

• Reconstruction of the Strand Theater on Broadway Avenue in the coronary heart of downtown. The theater’s façade is collapsing, with fencing erected to defend passers-by. The prepare suggests possibly constructing a new theater or rehabbing the present construction, which would be more expensive but would waste fewer assets. The plan is to establish very first-ground retail, restaurant and theater place and upper-stage housing.
• Reconfiguring Rowan Park and the parking lot in between it and the Strand into an enjoyment hub. The farmers market place would be moved to Rowan Park, which also would be the website of a new marching band sculpture highlighting the legacy of Muskegon Heights Significant Faculty drum majors. A children’s splash pad is a different attainable attribute of Rowan Park.
• Development of 35 new households, either attached or detached, on a substantial spread of house among Broadway Avenue and the MATS bus station off of Sixth Road. Fronting Broadway amongst Sixth and Jefferson streets, would be yet another 12 are living-get the job done dwelling units. The residence is owned by the Muskegon Heights DDA. Other empty tons in the vicinity could be applied for new infill housing. Bell instructed MLive American Rescue Approach Act funding might be tapped to assist develop housing.
• Improved streetscapes, together with new lights, and storefronts along Broadway, Peck and Baker Streets. An $8 million allocation currently in the point out Legislature would fork out for repaving and improvements to Broadway, Bell said.
• Focus on upgrading retail facades and helping little organizations to find in the central main of Broadway and Peck. In the brief-phrase, two storefronts would be determined to host pop-up packages and artwork programming.
• Build a more usable civic inexperienced room all around town corridor and the law enforcement and fire departments, including narrowing and generating Center Road a lot more pedestrian helpful.
• Developing a multi-degree parking composition guiding the Strand near Peck Street and Airline Highway. The framework could contain retail on the 1st floor and would be essential for long term commercial advancement downtown as very well as for new downtown citizens.

The survey of metropolis people discovered that most – 69% — were being dissatisfied with the high-quality of life in Muskegon Heights, together with 42% who ended up “very dissatisfied.”

The survey also discovered that 73% of the respondents experienced lived in Muskegon Heights for more than 10 yrs.

To read much more about the Achieving New Muskegon Heights strategy, click below.

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