Mount metropolis?
Many of the stores currently in Mount Pleasant were non-existent when East Lansing senior Amina Bofaris came to CMU five years ago.
However, over the past few years, Mount Pleasant and its surrounding area has seen more and more businesses come to town.
Within the past two months, officials have approved plans for Coco Joe’s Beach House bar/restaurant, Starbuck’s Coffee Company and Qdoba Mexican Restaurant.
Students have different opinions about the recent development trend in and around Mount Pleasant.
“It has expanded a lot since I came here in 2002,” Bofaris said. “I’m really impressed that a town this size has expanded so much when it comes to business.”
Coming from a bigger city, Bofaris said it was nice to be here when new businesses opened.
Everyone knows about it, she said.
“When Cold Stone opened up, everyone went crazy and tried it, and now it is a popular place,” she said.
That same excitement may happen again when Kohl’s, Menards and Sam’s Club open soon, Bofaris said, and the construction will only lead to more stores.
Last week, officials said Kohl’s could be opening this week. The store is part of the Union Commons Retail Project, located on Bluegrass Road.
“Starting out with this mall is great,” she said. “I would like to see the main stores like Gap, Express, Marshall Fields and Victoria’s Secret, but that’s going to take a while.”
Adding a mall might make the area more attractive for students to live here, said Erie freshman Drew Morrin.
It’s good new businesses are coming to Mount Pleasant, he said, because it’s helping the community grow.
“I hope that over the years it just keeps getting better and not the opposite direction,” he said.
Bay City junior Sarah Cronks said she would like to see other stores, including more clothing options, because the closest mall is almost an hour away.
It would be nice to have another thrift store too, Cronks said.
But even though the developments on Bluegrass Road will create more jobs and revenue, Cronks said it also will cause problems.
“That is going to congest traffic so much it’s sick,” she said. “It already takes so long to get out of Wal-Mart anyway.”
Another thing Cronks said she takes exception with is the new Starbuck’s, which is set to open in early 2007.
She said she couldn’t believe one would open up in Mount Pleasant and would rather keep a college town small.
Starbuck’s will make the city less personable, she said.
“I would hate to see it like MSU — a faceless community,” Cronks said. “Once you start going on that path, you can’t go back. You lose the small town appeal.”
Warren junior Rosemary Cesaro agrees.
“I feel little by little it’s turning into a big city,” Cesaro said. “I like the small town. I love Kaya and how quiet and how simple it is there.”
But Morrin said having a Starbuck’s is not bad and will be a good addition because it’s popular and trendy.
Bofaris said she expects the community to continue to develop.
“I expect to see it expand even more,” she said. “I’ve talked to alumni from five years ago and they say ‘Wow. We didn’t have that.’ Maybe when I come back in five years, I can say ‘Wow. We didn’t have this.’”
