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

MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI – A massive subdivision, stay-work flats in the coronary heart of downtown, a larger more lively Rowan Park and a new Strand Theater are among the functions Muskegon Heights residents have imagined for their enterprise district.

These visions gathered for the duration of community enter sessions have been made use of to produce a “Reaching New Muskegon Heights” program that will immediate upcoming investments. It is a plan needed to make Muskegon Heights a “redevelopment ready” local community in the eyes of the condition, opening up accessibility to general public and private funding.

At least Muskegon Heights has a downtown district, while it’s plagued with empty storefronts. In comparison, the town of Muskegon has experienced to do a lot of new design to fill in considerably of its downtown that was torn down in the early 2000s.

Even so, Muskegon’s downtown visioning, comparable to Muskegon Heights’ latest initiatives, resulted in an “Imagine Muskegon” system that isn’t much off from what is building there.

“The initially stage is the eyesight,” Muskegon Heights Town Manager Troy Bell explained to MLive. “I’ve seen it come about in my vocation over and above all over again. People say, ‘It’s not possible,’ or believe that it’ s way too significantly to aspiration for. But with just about every bushy audacious purpose, you build an possibility for persons who normally did not think it was attainable to make it probable.”

It also makes it possible for builders to have a eyesight of what they are investments could deliver, Bell said.

“There’s so significantly prospect, it can be too much to handle to come to a decision where to commence,” he claimed.

The 18-month visioning course of action incorporated emphasis groups – some of them remote because of to difficulties with COVID – and public surveys as properly as on-web site excursions with key gamers.

Funding was presented by the Michigan Financial Advancement Company and the Local community Basis for Muskegon County and the undertaking, led by the town of Muskegon Heights and its downtown growth authority, was managed by the Bigger Muskegon Financial Improvement Corporation.

The end result was a unified prepare with reinvestment priorities and strategies to share with opportunity funders and investors.

The city’s two main priorities are improvement of new housing and redevelopment of the downtown main.

Between the plan’s critical concepts:

• Reconstruction of the Strand Theater on Broadway Avenue in the coronary heart of downtown. The theater’s façade is collapsing, with fencing erected to safeguard passers-by. The plan indicates possibly developing a new theater or rehabbing the existing composition, which would be additional high-priced but would waste much less methods. The concept is to establish very first-flooring retail, restaurant and theater house and higher-degree housing.
• Reconfiguring Rowan Park and the parking ton amongst it and the Strand into an amusement hub. The farmers market place would be moved to Rowan Park, which also would be the site of a new marching band sculpture highlighting the legacy of Muskegon Heights Substantial College drum majors. A children’s splash pad is another attainable attribute of Rowan Park.
• Development of 35 new homes, both connected or detached, on a massive spread of home amongst Broadway Avenue and the MATS bus station off of Sixth Road. Fronting Broadway amongst Sixth and Jefferson streets, would be another 12 are living-operate dwelling units. The property is owned by the Muskegon Heights DDA. Other empty a lot in the vicinity could be utilized for new infill housing. Bell told MLive American Rescue Prepare Act funding may be tapped to enable create housing.
• Enhanced streetscapes, which include new lights, and storefronts alongside Broadway, Peck and Baker Streets. An $8 million allocation at this time in the point out Legislature would pay out for repaving and advancements to Broadway, Bell explained.
• Aim on upgrading retail facades and helping tiny enterprises to find in the central main of Broadway and Peck. In the quick-phrase, two storefronts would be identified to host pop-up packages and artwork programming.
• Produce a additional usable civic eco-friendly place around metropolis corridor and the law enforcement and fireplace departments, together with narrowing and producing Heart Road extra pedestrian friendly.
• Developing a multi-degree parking structure guiding the Strand near Peck Road and Airline Freeway. The composition could include things like retail on the first floor and would be needed for upcoming industrial expansion downtown as nicely as for new downtown inhabitants.

The survey of city inhabitants found that most – 69% — ended up dissatisfied with the excellent of daily life in Muskegon Heights, including 42% who have been “very dissatisfied.”

The study also uncovered that 73% of the respondents experienced lived in Muskegon Heights for a lot more than 10 many years.

To study additional about the Achieving New Muskegon Heights approach, simply click below.

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