MOUNT CLEMENS (WXYZ) —
Mount Clemens sees wave of investment as downtown redevelopment moves forward
MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. — Millions of dollars in public and private investment are reshaping downtown Mount Clemens as new businesses open and major redevelopment projects move forward.
Mayor Laura Kropp highlighted the changes Wednesday during the city’s annual State of the City address at the Emerald Theatre, pointing to projects ranging from downtown streetscape improvements to a new municipal campus and the replacement of the Crocker Boulevard bridge.
For people who have not visited Mount Clemens in years, the changes can be striking.
Take a Look at the New Plans Below
Katie Somers, who moved away from Mount Clemens eight years ago but still frequently shops downtown, remembers a much different atmosphere.
“It was more like kinda rundownish, not really upbeat and happy,” Somers said.
Today, she describes the difference as “completely night and day.”
New businesses are preparing to join the downtown area, including a fitness studio and protein shake shop, while others have already opened their doors.
Owner Bassam Haddad moved Emesa Mediterranean Grill to Mount Clemens about five months ago and said the momentum downtown helped attract him to the city.
“It’s gonna look like a downtown, like any other downtown,” Haddad said.
The city completed the first phase of its $6.4 million downtown revitalization project in February. Attention is now turning toward the next phases of redevelopment.
Phase two includes relocating City Hall and the fire department to South Main Street, creating a new municipal campus. The project is expected to break ground in November, with construction bids expected back next week.
“The relocation of both of these facilities to a municipal campus creates an exciting opportunity to put public land back on the tax rolls,” Kropp said.
A later phase is expected to remake Main Street into a boulevard while adding bike lanes and green space.
Private development is also changing downtown.
In March, 7 News Detroit reported on a planned apartment complex that Kropp said could double or triple downtown Mount Clemens’ population. Construction progress is now visible at the site.
The transformation is catching the attention of visitors such as Kisha Martin, a Macomb Township resident who said she does not frequently travel to Mount Clemens.
“I hope everyone comes here to experience what I experienced today. I wasn’t expecting this,” Martin said.
Martin said she was struck by the character of downtown.
“How nostalgic everything was. It really feels like an old town, cute thrift stores, good food,” she said.
Another major project is coming to one of the primary routes into downtown.
Kropp announced Wednesday that a nearly $10 million, MDOT-funded construction project is expected to begin early next year to replace the deteriorating Crocker Boulevard bridge over the Clinton River.
The bridge carries traffic into the heart of downtown Mount Clemens.
“Downtown Mount Clemens is becoming a place for visitors to feel welcome and for business owners to imagine what comes next,” Kropp said.
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