[JHeath]

Guess this answers our question about the development in front of Lowe's.

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=38576.61

12/22/2007 10:00:00 AM
New Shopping Center Set For Franklin Street
Strip mall is under construction in front of Lowe’s and should be ready by summer.

Amanda Haverstick
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - More development is popping up on the south end of Michigan City.

A slot of land in the 5200 block of Franklin Street, in front of Lowe's, will soon be filled with a strip shopping center.

Contractor Billy Hall of Will H. Hall & Son Inc., Flint, Mich., said the company is working on the building which will be about 13,000 square feet. The project is expected to be finished by the summer of 2008.

The project is being developed by Maly Commercial Realty Inc., based in Columbia, Mo.

Two tenants the shopping center will house are U.S. Cellular and Aspen Dental. Contracts with other possible tenants have not been finalized.

"(They're) working with a couple other national tenants," Hall said.

How many store fronts there will be, said Hall, depends on the size of businesses that locate in the building.

This post has been edited by JHeath: Dec 22 2007, 09:41 AM

[Roger Kaputnik]

Hmmmm.

[Ang]

Let the north end and east side go to hell, but please make sure to develop the property close to the expressway. This way, people won't have to travel through town and see what a dump the rest of it is becoming. I'm sorry guys, I know you live there, but....

[mcstumper]

I've lived in MC for 12 years, and to me it doesn't seem any more dumpy than it has been... Vacancy rates downtown have probably remained static and I would argue that there is more business on the Blvd than there has been while I have lived here.

[JHeath]

I've lived in MC for 12 years, and to me it doesn't seem any more dumpy than it has been... Vacancy rates downtown have probably remained static and I would argue that there is more business on the Blvd than there has been while I have lived here.

You've got to be joking. Eastgate Plaza has had several businesses close there during the past 2 years....things that have moved in and right back out. Walgreens and M&M (which used to be a staple restaurant in MC) are going. Seriously, you really think there's more business there? Do you have blinders on while you're driving through there, or do you drive through at night?

This post has been edited by JHeath: Dec 25 2007, 12:54 AM

[Ang]

I think the only thing the Blvd corridor has more of is crime.

[mcstumper]

You've got to be joking. Eastgate Plaza has had several businesses close there during the past 2 years....things that have moved in and right back out. Walgreens and M&M (which used to be a staple restaurant in MC) are going. Seriously, you really think there's more business there? Do you have blinders on while you're driving through there, or do you drive through at night?

12 years ago Eastgate was dead. It was K&M, a dry cleaners and nothing else. They have had two restaurant franchises (Subway and King Gyros) move in which has improved the look of the plaza. I drive down the Blvd, and I don't see all the recent vacancies that you seem to bee alluding to. Fastenal opened a business on a vacant lot. A food court recently opened. The building Kevin's barbeque opened and then closed in was vacant when I came to town. Willoughby's nightmare was a Clark station nightmare that actually looked worse than the hole in the ground. Rex Bailey's vet clinic is nice looking and continues to expand. The eyesore Crown liquor store is now gone. The nudie book store closed up. Like I said, Walgreen's hurts some, but it doesn't define the success or failure of the whole area.

[Ang]

Like I said, Walgreen's hurts some, but it doesn't define the success or failure of the whole area.

It sure doesn't help anything. But, I agree with you in that respect. The far end of the Blvd has never been that bad, it's as you get closer to the lakefront that things start to get ugly. I know Willie is an excellent councilman for that ward. I know him personally and have always liked him. He's a bit of a "player" but he's harmless in that respect. Overall, he is deeply involved with the people of the 5th ward and has made major improvements to that area in the years he's been a Councilman. The bottom line, though, is the east side needs more. The Duke of Oil is the scariest damn gas station I've ever been to and the one at Poplar isn't much better. I used to live on the east side of town less than a block off the Blvd. I know what the crime in the area is like. Willie can only do so much. In order to keep good business in that area, and have it look nice for the "tourists" driving that way to get to the boat, the CITY needs to play an active role in improvment. Just tearing down crappy houses isn't enough.