Demolition of a downtown shopping mall in Muskegon, MI, several years ago created a gap in the retail fabric of the city center. This year, the city and Downtown Muskegon Now filled the vacant block with small prefab retail spaces in an effort to create more connectivity for pedestrians.
Six buildings were constructed over the winter, with another six to be constructed on site this spring. The low maintenance storage sheds range in size from 10- to 20-feet wide and feature details such as simulated wood shingled roofs and clapboard wall panels.
The response was positive from the beginning says Ann Meisch, city clerk. “We put one press release in the newspaper and one post on Facebook and had 12 vendors apply immediately.”
The project has also proven successful in unanticipated ways. “People think of these as incubators for small businesses, and they could be, but that wasn’t our intention. We just wanted retail. At least three [tenants] have storefronts in other locations. It did also allow for incubating businesses — some people that have been selling at the farmers market for several years took this opportunity for a permanent storefront,” says Meisch.
The full article appeared in our print edition. To always get the full story, read Downtown Idea Exchange.
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