With the city already having undergone a transformation over the past several years, business leaders in Muskegon say 2023 will usher in a number of dramatic changes downtown.
A new downtown convention center and hotel renovation, a revitalized downtown corridor with a number of new restaurants and bars, and an estimated $100 million spent on cleaning up Muskegon Lake, and city officials say, it’s just the beginning.
2023 will see major progress made on 3 projects—each costing in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Last month, officials announced a $220 million renovation of the former Walker-Shay furniture building. Currently a “dilapidated eyesore” Parkland Properties plans to completely overhaul the 700,000 square foot building; converting it into living, office and retail spaces.
Meanwhile two projects are also in the works on Muskegon Lake which officials say will “re-define” the city’s relationship with the water.
Harbor 31, is a $110 million development on the former site of Teledyne Continental Motors while Adelaide Pointe is a $250 million development that comes with a new marina able to dock large cruise ships and luxury vessels.
Cindy Larson is the President of the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. She says the new marina means tourists on Lake Michigan will now have the ability to dock in downtown Muskegon.
“It is a safety issue; those cruise ships need somewhere deep where they can dock. The cool thing about Muskegon, is that our downtown is on the waterfront, so people can get off the boats and spend the day shopping and eating in the city very easily.”
A third project called “The Docks” is also in the works in the city’s Bluffton neighborhood, however, developers are still awaiting necessary environmental permits required to break ground.
