MUSKEGON, Mich. — The City of Muskegon heard from a group of college students on ways to improve a corridor near downtown.
The graduate students from Michigan State University's Urban and Regional Planning Department gave the city multiple ideas on how to revitalize the Pine Street Business District.
"It was a very good experience working with the community," Ahmad Behzad, one of the students, says.
The five students were tasked this semester with assessing the challenges in the area and coming up with recommendations for development from Muskegon to Western avenues.
"We had a couple challenges that we noted," Faith Vignola, another student, says. "There's lack of streetscape elements, social spaces. Overall, (it's) just not aesthetically pleasing."
"And also, the district actually has lots of vacant parcels that needs to be filled," Behzad says.
They presented their thoughts on revitalization Wednesday evening to city leaders and community members. The group also answered audience questions after their presentation.
It's a multi-faceted proposal with two mixed-use development buildings for apartments and retail, as well as a large mall for commercial space.
"It has four floors. There are business incubators, retail stores, a gaming place and also a very flexible area on the ground floor where the city can host events," Behzad says.
The group is also proposing that the city make façade improvements by updating the exteriors of buildings and improving signage in the area, as well as adding streetscape elements like more trees, lighting and benches to make the area more aesthetically pleasing and accessible.
"It was really nice to be able to get that experience and sort of transition yourself into the real world coming out of the academic space," Vignola says.
This is the first time the city has worked with a university to get some ideas for development.
"i think it gives us some fresh ideas, some new concepts that they've been studying from around the country, and really some best practices that are really working that they think they can help us implement here in Muskegon," City Planning Director Mike Franzak says. "The business association is really going to use it as a tool to help associate themselves as an official organization, then they're going to use it as a tool to help work with their local city commissioners and the mayor to try to request some funding."
The city is planning to upload the full proposal to their website within the next day or so.