EDITORIAL: New businesses will help bolster local economy
In a state that has yet to recover from a damaged economy, Mount Pleasant is doing something right.
The town primarily sustains its economic appetite on funds coming to and from Central Michigan University and Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, both of which employ more people in the region than any other businesses. But these are not the only businesses thriving within city limits.
2010 saw nine new businesses open in the downtown area, helping bring more people downtown to do business.
While this may not be a sign that Mount Pleasant has shaken off recession into full-blown economic recovery, it is a sign of what could come.
In a town that relies so heavily on just two employers, these new businesses offer not only a new place for residents to spend their income, but also new and diversified employment opportunities — the backbone of a recovering economy.
Isabella County already maintains a tie for Michigan's second lowest unemployment rate of 7.2 percent, and if that rate continues to drop it means more cash flowing through the city's businesses.
Like every town, Mount Pleasant has its share of small businesses, but these new businesses show people are starting to take the necessary risks required to revitalize economy from a grassroots level.
As reported in CM Life, the number of new businesses opening in Isabella have fallen in years past, dropping from 631 in 2006 to 532 in 2009. The numbers were unavailable for 2010 as of Thursday afternoon. But given the state of Michigan's economy, this is not unusual. It has been hit harder than most in recent years and has yet to gain the steam needed to pick up the pieces of what was an industry-heavy economy.
The city itself is also taking measures to help make the town more business friendly, and it is starting with one of its most important thoroughfares: Mission Street.
The road has long been seen as a treacherous journey for pedestrians and motorists alike, and because it is a state highway, Mount Pleasant doesn't have much control over what happens to the street itself. But the city is working with businesses to make sure that both the city and businesses are having their needs met.
This push by Mount Pleasant is just as good for the local economy as the new businesses are, and if both work congruently, they could form a potent tandem to help propel the local economy into recovery.
