WYOMING, Mich. — On March 1, the Wyoming's City Council approved the new master plan, called Wyoming [re]Imagined. The plan has been a 16-month process, involving multiple resident meetings and input. It is the framework for growth over the next 15 to 20 years.
The plan focuses on five key areas of growth. Those include: 28th St. SW, Wilson Ave. SW, Burton St. SW, Division Ave. SW, and the Kelvinator industrial site near Clyde Park Ave. SW.
One of the major resident goals discovered in the planning process was creating a more vibrant, walkable city space in some of those key areas.
"How can we bring restaurants into that area that have patios and sidewalks? How can we create this more walkable environment? " said Nicole Hofert, Wyoming's city planner, "When you walk down Division Ave. right now, it’s very, very loud, a lot of vehicle traffic. How can we calm some of that down and make it more pedestrian oriented?"
Wyoming has more than 70,000 people, and is West Michigan's third largest city. According to the city's website, the population grew by 3,000 people between 2010 and 2017. It is expected to be home to more than 8,854 households by 2045.
The city has had some economic blows in the past ten years, including the closings of Roger's Department Store and Studio-28. When the movie theater left, local restaurant owner Frank Vitale said it was "a major blow." His restaurant, Frankie V's, has been in Wyoming for 20 years this year, and sits directly next to where the theater used to be. Now, the location is in the process of renovation into the HŌM Flats at 28.
Despite that blow years ago, Vitale believes the city is now facing a positive trend. He would also like to see more restaurants and retail space in the area, as the plan suggests.
"We put a major renovation into this restaurant, because we feel we’re on an upward climb," said Vitale, "[Improving] street views would be a big plus as well. We still have a lot of empty buildings I’d like to see filled. But, I think we'll attract more people, and the economy is already growing."
Wyoming lacks a traditional downtown space. Hofert said the goal is to transform 28th St. SW into a city center location.
"We’re talking about bringing in mixed-use, incorporated commercial uses," said Holfert, "bringing in new restaurants, creating vibrant spaces where people can come, wander, sit around, and have time with their friends, and then go home."
Holfert said while the master plan is decades-long, the first result residents may see are new, diversified housing options, like townhomes and apartments. Also, they may also see those mixed-use businesses. She said the zoning code currently does not allow for those, but that is a step the city will have to take.
Wyoming is working with the Cities of Grand Rapids and Kentwood on the Division United project. That project looks at how the Rapid bus route can be utilized to best serve residents who live, work, and play on Division Ave.
"A lot of residents talk about wanting to have restaurant access or grocery stores," said Hofert, "But, a lot of that can’t come until you start to see population directly on that corridor."
Hofert reminds residents the master plan is a living, breathing document, and will continue to be refined for years to come.
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