City officials say, they want to return North Muskegon back to its former glory days—a walkable downtown corridor filled with restaurants, shopping, homes, and public spaces. But City Hall wants to know first, what its residents envision when it comes to the city’s future.
This week the city is hosting a series of planning sessions for the public to offer their thoughts and ideas when it comes to re-vitalizing the city’s four corners, as well as the city’s midtown section between Ruddiman Drive and First and Second Streets, as well as the Whitehall Road/M-120 corridor.
Sam Janson is North Muskegon’s City Manager. He says the City of Muskegon’s dramatic downtown transformation next door is enabling his own city to dream big.
‘When the Muskegon mall was built in the 60’s or 70’s our business languished, because there was this big hulking mass that took all the customers away, well, that doesn’t exist anymore,” Janson said. “And were seeing that in downtowns throughout Michigan, throughout the country where downtowns are coming back. And walkable downtowns are very important to a community on a daily basis. We don’t really have that anymore.”
The planning sessions in North Muskegon run through this Wednesday.
City officials are urging everyone including small business owners, community stakeholders and owners of land in North Muskegon to attend.