Poll: Mid Michigan Downtown's Potential

[tracer1138]

Kalamazoo is not in Mid-Michigan.

[sabatoa]

No, Flint's Bishop is STILL steadily gaining. The thing is they have a much larger population base to pull from, and always will. They are quickly putting a dent in Metro numbers pulling in many people from Oakland County who use to fly out of Metro for most of their flights.

[cheshireguy]

I'll weigh in from Grand Rapids - - - - - - I would say that based on what is there already, Bay City has the potential to become a cool little city with its proximity to the water, the bar scene ( I know that only goes so far) and the French Quarter plan (IF). Lansing is raw, really raw, but overall has the best available real estate for larger projects that would draw in larger crowds. It doesn't hurt that governmental bigwigs are forced to come to the capital for events/business, so the right infrastructure is there. Its just a matter of What and Who Is Willing to Invest?

Oh, and one other thing ... where IS Grand Rapids on this list??????

[hood]

Grand Rapids is in West Michigan, not Mid Michigan.

WHat do you mean by "Lansing is raw?"

[cheshireguy]

I grew up in the Lansing area, I consider Grand Rapids to be Mid Michigan. I mean if Saginaw is on this list and its much further away from Lansing, why not GR?

No offense on the "raw" characterization. I simply meant that the downtown doesn't have alot going on, but does have alot of possible usable area to build a large project(s). It rated first on the list given because its got the necessary downtown area needed to develop on. Its got a ton of potential, like I said, it just needs a buyer and believers.

[RustTown]

Saginaw/Bay/City Midland and Lansing are all mentioned because each area claims the title of "Mid Michigan," and each can legitimately claim it depending on whether you include the U.P. or not. GR is West Michigan, and if anything else Southwest Michigan, and will always be.

Raw was an interesting word to use, but I agree with your description for Lansing. It's a puzzle with a lot of great pieces that needs to be comprehensively put together.

[dunveth]

Actually, the middle of the Lower Peninsula is in Gratiot County, in the city of St. Louis.http://www.stlouismi.com/1/stlouis/index.asp

Gratiot County borders both Midland and Saginaw Counties.

Including the UP, the middle is in Wexford County, near Cadillac.

No way is GR in Mid Michigan!

[RustTown]

I was talking more the center of population, which is still between Lansing and Flint, but you get my point. I'm being approximate. Both Metro Lansing and Saginaw/Bay City/Midland, and even Metro Flint, at times, claims "Mid-Michigan". You could really argue any of them with varying degrees of success.

[WOT]

Port Huron?

[RustTown]

Port Huron? It's not in Mid-Michigan by any definition of the phrase.