Contact: Renee’ Ihlenfeldt
231-723-4325
renee@allianceforeconomicsuccess.com

For Immediate Release 

OPEN FORUM TO FOCUS ON DESIGNS FOR MANISTEE LAKE

 Manistee, Michigan – A community-wide process to help design the future use of property surround Manistee Lake begins on Thursday, October 18, 2007 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the First Baptist Church on 1201 Lakeshore Road in Manistee.

Warren Rauhe, director of Michigan State University’s Small Town Design Initiative (STDI), is dedicating the resources of their students, faculty and staff to provide design options based upon community input.

Manistee Lake and its deep water port currently support a variety of industrial, commercial and recreational uses and are of immense economic and cultural significance to the City of Manistee, adjoining townships, county and state. Nearly 800 jobs are reliant upon commercial navigation that is supported by the port. The importance of this resource, along with the potential relocation of rail around the lake, is the catalyst for this open discussion.

The area of study includes Manistee Lake, the surrounding area, existing rail lines and parts of Manistee Township, Village of East Lake, City of Manistee, Charter Township of Filer and Stronach Township. The STDI will work with the community to prepare various redevelopment options for the north and northeast side of Manistee Lake, in the event that existing rail lines are removed. It will establish design options for the integration of rail infrastructure at the sound end of Manistee Lake. It will also support design options and images for effectively integrating and/or establishing corridors of areas for emphasis upon industrial, commercial, residential, recreational or other forms of development.

The STDI effort will involve two additional public forums and be completed in spring of 2008. The final STDI report will include a conceptual master plan and design images for the study area,

The University STDI program has helped over 50 Michigan communities understand land use designs, based on community input. The STDI recently complete a county-wide project to develop design concepts as a follow-up to the county-wide visioning process, Envision Manistee County.