Group promotes downtown on its path to rejuvenation

October 22, 2007
By Dave Alexander
Muskegon Chronicle Business Editor

Q: From Main Street's perspective, how has the redevelopment of downtown Muskegon been going? How does the organization view the progress?

A: I think overall the advisory board is very happy with the progress the Main Street program (has shown) in the development efforts in the downtown area. Obviously, there is still a lot of work to do, but progress to date has been good. We are anxious to see more and more happening.

Q: What role do you see Main Street and existing downtown businesses having in downtown redevelopment?

A: A big thing is promotion. The more and more people that know about downtown and hear about it, whether it is through Main Street or through a business downtown, (the better). Promotion by word of mouth is the big thing, along with e-mails and Web sites, which are huge.

Q: What created Main Street five years ago?

A: Back five or six years ago, the Neighborhood Investment Corp. and the Muskegon Arts & Entertainment group formed the Main Street program. The more formal designation came the next year as we were one of three cities in Michigan to get the Main Street designation. It began as a three-year plan and has grown from there. We have four committees -- design, promotion, economic restructuring and organization. We are always looking for volunteer members.

Q: How does the mission look today, five years later? What are the organization's major accomplishments?

A: The mission is a work in progress: That downtown is a fun, friendly and profitable place to work, do business, for people to shop and visit. We want to be an attractive, vibrant and profitable place to have a positive time and things happening 365 days a year. We feel like we've accomplished a lot. We've opened up the rest of Western Avenue, putting in garbage receptacles and benches. There is more new retail in the downtown. We have set up a Web cam so you can go online and see the progress being made. And we have a wireless (Internet) hot zone being set up as well. We have put on a movie festival during the Christmas time.

Q: This past year, Main Street successfully launched Taste of Muskegon. Where is that event headed in the future?

A: We felt that was a highly successful event and we're glad that we did it. We see we need to manage its growth. Vendors that haven't participated have expressed interest in participating. We see a potential for that to grow. There will be some exciting announcements coming out in the next six months about Taste of Muskegon.

Q: Where does Main Street head in the next five years as the new downtown continues to take shape?

A: Keeping up the look of the downtown is so important. Here we've fixed up the road and we want to keep it clean and looking nice. For those that do come downtown, they need to see that it is a nice place to visit, a place they want to come back to, a place they eventually would like to locate a business. We're always looking at doing another event, one to allow people to understand what Main Street is all about.

See a Main Street anniversary video at: Main Street on You Tube

© 2007 Muskegon Chronicle. Used with permission