History of Downtown Muskegon

Downtown Muskegon grew in the shadow of the lumber industry at the beginning of the 20th century. During this period of growth classic buildings were built, a few of which still remain today. As the lumber industry declined manufacturing stepped up to become the economic force of the downtown. By the time of WWII, a number of major factories were located downtown including Campbell, Wyant, and Cannon who forged metal goods, Continental Motors, and the Amazon Knitting Mill.

A decline in manufacturing led the downtown to change focus and in the mid 1970s a covered, urban mall was built to anchor the new direction. While the mall was recently torn down, commitment to improvement of the downtown has always been strong. In 1995 city voters approved a 16 million dollar bond which went towards costs associated with renovating both the L.C. Walker arena and the historic Frauenthal Theater. More recent developments have been the reclaiming of Heritage Landing site and its rebirth as a public park and open air performance venue, the retrofitting of the Breneman-Hartshorn window shade and Amazon textile factories into usable, yet historically authentic buildings, and the establishment of the Edison Landing Smart Zone, which has already attracted several education and research developments.

With many current projects currently on the go, the future of downtown Muskegon looks bright as the city builds on its historic past and its unswerving commitment to vital, vibrant downtown.