City strives for revival
November 5, 2004Corey Crowley
Copy Editor
Vital businesses closing could not destroy the city of Albion.
Despite the loss of many jobs in recent years due to the closing of the hospital, local Kmart and Albion Malleable, area organizations are hard at work to turn Albion’s downtown into a thriving district.
“Albion has many dedicated people working to meet the challenges of the post-industrial era,” said Wesley Dick, Albion College professor of history, in an e-mail response. “One of Albion’s strengths is its minority community. Most notably Albion’s population is one-third African-American. Given the future demographic panorama for the United States, Albion can serve as a multicultural and diversity model.”
One important step toward revitalizing Albion is the restoration of many of the historical buildings. Housing began to deteriorate and the average house value started to decline as the economy suffered, said Sue Marcos, president of the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce.
“The deterioration of the downtown happened over a period of time,” said Nidia Wolf, director of the Albion Downtown Development Authority.
As a result, revitalizing the downtown district of Albion is a gradual process as small business entrepreneurs are slowly moving into the spaces and fixing them up.
According to Wolf, the city does not offer tax breaks for renovation of buildings, but, “If one can get a building listed as a state or federal historical designation then there would be property tax credits for any renovation done to the building if it meets their criteria.” Some buildings along Superior Street were neglected, so lengthy restoration is necessary to return them to an operable state.
Some buildings that line the historic district downtown now house family-friendly businesses, partly as a result of a children’s museum downtown.
“Kids N’ Stuff [museum] brings in busloads of kids week to week,” Wolf said.
According to Wolf, lengthening store hours has benefited many of the businesses as well.
Marcos cites a very active Downtown Development Authority as one of the reasons Albion’s downtown is experiencing resurgence.
According to Marcos, a number of smaller companies are expanding slowly, adding five, maybe 10 jobs a year.
According to Wolf, the city’s revenue is “hurting,” in a large part because many businesses closed down. As the small businesses grow and develop, this in turn will help improve the city’s economy and increase its revenue.
There has also been a growing partnership between the college and the community over the past 15 years, Marcos said.
“The major employer in the community is Albion College,” Wolf said.
“There was a time when [Albion College] was pretty isolated,” Marcos said, but she added that now the college is a “jewel of the community.”
The city, backed by the chamber of commerce, is also enforcing building codes, which may lead to the renovation of more historical homes, according to Marcos. Groups and organizations have renovated historical homes and buildings in the community.
According to Dick, as Albion develops and becomes less industry-dependent, the city needs to include all segments of Albion, including the unemployed, the poor and minorities in its plans for the future.
“[Albion] will never be the same, but it has great potential to be a vibrant downtown,” Marcos said.
Purple Gang members may no longer meet in the balcony of the Bohm Theater and infamous crime bosses may not stay at local hotels, yet the Albion of today is working hard to create a strong community that combines thriving businesses with an historical touch.
