New building, new projects are exciting for city leaders
CHEBOYGAN, MI -- Cheboygan is one of the Northern Michigan towns that have felt the negative effects of the bad economy over the past few years.
Now city leaders say things seem to be shifting in a more positive direction.
There’s demolition and new construction.
The orange barricades along Main Street in Downtown Cheboygan could be a little sign of vitality.
"Hopefully we'll have some beer for you to taste in April," said Jamie McClurg.
Beer Connoisseurs will soon have a new taste for their buds...it'll be a selection of micro-brewed beer from Cheboygan Brewing Company. McClurg, a Cheboygan resident, along with a couple of his friends, decided to open it up this year.
“This is the first new building in downtown Cheboygan in probably a couple decades, a commercial one like this, and we're pretty excited about it," said McClurg.
A little south of the new brewery, it's a different scene. Demolition leveled three buildings, one business that was empty, another that was soon to be empty, and the third business that packed up and moved to another location downtown. Straits Area Federal Credit Union bought the property, and they're looking at an expansion project. Cheboygan Downtown Enhancement Administrator Kirsten Guenther says these projects are good.
“It's great to see the community come together for projects like this, and Cheboygan is still here, we're still kicking," said Guenther.
The plan is to make Cheboygan, with its empty store-fronts, more vibrant, by bringing business back.
"It’s like anywhere up here. You're either going to move forward and have new ideas or you're just going to go backwards, and have a lot of empty buildings and a depleted downtown," said Jon Michaels, a Cheboygan resident.
The hope is it'll be area businesses and people, who are willing to try to make Cheboygan survive, even if it is one beer at a time.
“Like anybody, I want to see our town be vibrant, and it's a great place to be able to do what I love," said McClurg.
There’s more good news.
Kirsten Guenther said this year there are less empty store-fronts compared to one year ago.
