There are some big changes that will start to take shape soon, as the city of Sturgis, Michigan just got approved for a $200,000 grant intended for new development in the Downtown area. I reached out to Andrew Kuk, the Assistant City Manager for more details on how the money was obtained and what the plans were for spending this money on, which we will update upon receiving. From what we know so far there will be new apartments being built, as well as a new, locally owned & sourced steakhouse.

A lot of people are already talking about the project, and as expected, there are mixed feelings:

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More Dining Options

Although there seems to be a divide among residents online, many people are happy that there will be a new Steakhouse. One woman, who identified herself as a vegetarian, even showed her support, saying:

I mean, I'm vegetarian but Sturgis needs more restaurant options for sure!!

In the meeting they didn't reveal when they would start the project, but did estimate that once they broke ground the project would take about 16 months to complete.

One Lingering Issue

The issue of the homelessness situation is still a topic that is being brought up in groups, with one resident giving a little more detailed viewpoint at solving the problem, claiming it will take more than just money to solve, while also showing hope that the new developments will do a lot of good:

This is going to help bring Sturgis back to life. The homeless issue is a sad one, but more times than not, there's not a lot we can do. The root of homelessness is usually a substance abuse issue, or some form of trauma, something along those lines, that can't be fixed as easily as everyone seems to think. "Oh, just fix the homeless problem in town..." shows the lack of insight some of you really have, into why people are in that position to begin with. People don't choose it because they want it, so I can promise you the solution isn't that easy...

Can You Make Out Your Southwest Michigan Cities' Magic Eye?

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