Business is Booming in Muskegon, MI
The Muskegon Lakeshore draws visitors to its lakes, parks, bike trails, and historical and cultural offerings. And while those amenities are much loved, what turns visitors into residents is that Muskegon is a haven for creative business development.
That’s because city and county leaders collaborate with organizations such as the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, as developer Jon Rooks says, “to achieve good things.” Those good things include revitalization, either through reuse or new construction, that draws people downtown and creates thriving communities.
Investing in Impact
Rooks says his development company, Parkland Properties of Michigan, only does projects that help revitalize the area. He even has the numbers to back that statement up.
After his company revitalized and rebranded two large hotels on Muskegon Lake – Shoreline Inn and Delta Hotels by Marriott – annual attendance grew from 39,000 to roughly 119,000 people, he says.
“The economic spending of almost 120,000 people per year (an extra 80,000 persons per year) is almost immeasurable,” he says. “All of our Muskegon projects have been catalyst projects, as intended. We like to refer to it as impact investing. We thrive on investing ahead of the curve and becoming a catalyst for additional development by other developers.”
Since the company constructed the downtown VanDyk Mortgage Convention Center, entertainment venues and restaurants have been developed around it, leading to an economic spending boost of $10.5 million per year, according to Rooks.
Parkland Properties has built, adaptively reused or renovated a variety of other properties, including restaurants, a marina, a conference center, a convention center, apartment and retail space, and residential homes. The latter spurred other apartment and housing developments, leading to further growth.
“In 2009, when we came to Muskegon, we viewed it as an opportunity to be ahead of the curve,” Rooks says. “Now, Muskegon has more new projects than any other community on the eastern Lake Michigan shoreline.”
Building A Legacy in Downtown Muskegon
Muskegon births creative, innovative residents, and Corey Leonard is no exception. When he started his advertising agency after graduating from Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, he needed office space but wanted to avoid rent and build equity. So, he bought a 1920s building, renovated it and moved his agency into the space.
“My main goal, as a lifer here, was to bring business back downtown.”
Corey Leonard, developer in Muskegon, MI
And 10 years later, Leonard went to work for a sign company and eventually founded his own BigSigns.com branding business, operating out of his basement. Its subsequent growth forced a move, so Leonard took on the biggest developing challenge yet – constructing from the ground up what would become The Leonard building in Downtown Muskegon.
“I knew this $10.3 million project would be quite the learning curve, like going to university all over again,” Leonard says. “I may be self-taught from a development standpoint, but I’m a risk-taker and a very fast learner. The Leonard has turned out to be a great business investment and a downtown success story.”
Leonard purchased the property in 2017, broke ground in 2020 and completed the multiuse development in January 2022. It includes 18 luxury apartments, six Airbnb short-term rentals and the office of BigSigns.com, with a 3,000-square-foot coworking office environment coming soon. The bottom floor houses retail, including a coffee shop and ice cream shop, with the remaining 3,400 square feet already filling up fast.
“My main goal, as a lifer here, was to bring businesses back downtown,” Leonard says, “and I saw a great opportunity with this property. People want to live and be entertained downtown, and it’s definitely a prime location for future business growth.”
Leonard has commissioned Mathison | Mathison Architects to build two eight-story buildings named in honor of his daughter Dylan and in memory of his dog Marley. They will each offer seven floors of residential housing and one floor of retail, and it will be the first development project built for a reason other than the need for personal office space.
“This one is all about building a legacy and knowing I’ve made an impact,” Leonard says.
Get to Know the Muskegon Lakeshore
Thinking about moving to the Muskegon Lakeshore? Check out the latest edition of Livability Muskegon Lakeshore, Michigan.