WYOMING, Mich. — The City of Wyoming is growing, neighbors and city officials say the changes along 28th Street are hard to miss.
Since the 28th Street pedestrian bridge opened in September, the corridor has seen a surge in foot traffic, new businesses and hundreds of new housing units — all signs of a city on the rise.
Nicole Hofert, deputy city manager of Wyoming, said the area around 28th Street has become a focal point for development.
"This is the downtown where we're trying to make a connection. You know, since the pedestrian bridge opened in September, we've already seen 20,000 users," Hofert said.
New businesses have followed. Starting at the intersection of Division and 28th Street, the Bojangles recently opened, joining Rodriguez supermarket, and Popeyes along the corridor. There is also residential development that is coming to the busy area.
"Home Flats, phase three is coming online. When that development is complete, we would have added over 600 housing units to 28th Street. That's a really big deal," Hofert said.
City officials say the growth is driven in part by what neighbors want.
"We continue to hear from our residents that they want to be able to patronize businesses in Wyoming that are close to where they live," Hofert said. "Anytime you can attract new, exciting businesses to the area, that's always a benefit for our residents."
Not everyone experiences the growth the same way. Joyce, who moved to Wyoming three years ago, notices the changes most in daily life.
"Just how the homes going up and just more traffic, try[ing] to take a left is a lot harder in some of the areas," Joyce said.
Marg Wilson, owner of Marge's Donut Den — a Wyoming staple for decades — shares a hope to see more growth.
"I hope that we get an entertainment center up the street, like they have downtown," Wilson said. "Where they have concerts there and ice skating a variety of things."
Wilson says her shop on 28th Street has given her a front-row seat to the city's evolution, and she credits the community itself as Wyoming's greatest asset.
"Wyoming is a great place to live for families, we have a lot of variety of churches. We have parks, which are my favorite," Wilson said. "The people of Wyoming, you can count on them. They have a lot of integrity."
Hofert says the city plans to continue pursuing projects that draw residents and investment to Wyoming.
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