Behind the Scenes - Hegg's Gallery Opening
One of the most anticipated downtown development events of the year is taking place as you read this. The first retail operation on the former Muskegon Mall site is opening for business. Hegg’s Gallery of Fine Furniture is opening this morning in the former Century Club building, which was purchased 18 months ago by Gary Post and Russ Strong. The formal ribbon cutting opening will take place this Friday at 10:00 a.m. As you can see from the pictures below they have done a marvelous job restoring this piece of Muskegon history, and Hegg’s Furniture has done as great a job making the space look fantastic. Stacy Hegg took a few minutes out of her hectic pre-opening schedule to give us the behind the scene details.
MS: This place looks fantastic! How do you feel about the space?
SH: I am truly thrilled. We have a traditional feel to the front and a contemporary “loft” feel to the back. Within the space we also have a “beach look, as well as an extensive design center.
MS: What were the last few weeks like as you prepared for opening?
SH: We ran into a few delays, which were extremely frustrating. We had a couple of deadlines which we missed. However it was worth the wait, as the building is fabulous. Gary and Russ (of Western Avenue Properties) were great to work with.
MS: How has the Muskegon community reacted to your investment and how do you view the future of downtown development?
SH: I am excited about the future of downtown development. I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t confident that the future is promising. We have had nothing but positive reaction from all those involved in the community. Literally, people are welcoming us with open arms.
MS: Are there any special services or niches that Hegg’s will serve for the Muskegon consumer?
SH: We plan to cater to the special order design oriented customer. However we have hundreds of accessories, artwork, lamps, occasional pieces and other items that we will sell off the floor. Our design center and fabric selections will be second-to-none and we will offer many looks not currently available in this area.
MS: Well the store looks amazing and I encourage everyone to come downtown and see it for themselves. Best of luck with the opening and with your business downtown Muskegon.
SH: Again I truly appreciate all of the positive support we have received and look forward to serving this area and beyond. Please come in to see the building (maybe at the ribbon cutting this Friday), even if you are not in the market for furniture at present. I promise it will be worth your while.
Labels: Downtown Muskegon E-News
Downtown Photo-Op - Tipsy Toad Outdoor Seating
Just in time for Summer Celebration the Tipsy Toad debuted their patio seating last week. The deck, overlooking Heritage Landing and Muskegon Lake, is a great place to feel the excitement of Heritage Landing events, or simply to look out over the water.
Behind the Scenes - Downtown Muskegon Make-over
Summer Celebration is in full swing, and while regular patrons may not be noticing it, Downtown Muskegon, near Heritage Landing, has had a facelift since last year’s festivities. The facelift included three separate streetscape/road projects. The projects were initiated and overseen by the City of Muskegon, so Main Street caught up with Cathy Brubaker-Clarke, Director of Planning and Economic Development at the City of Muskegon, to give an overview of the improvements, and how they are being received.
MS: Western Avenue is looking great. What has all taken place downtown Muskegon in terms of public improvements?
CBC: Since last summer a lot of public improvements in the area of Heritage Landing have been completed. Of course Western Avenue was extended through the former mall site including the round-a-bout at Third and Western, a streetscape along 5th street from Western to Merrill wrapped up, and finally a streetscape project along Western from 3rd to 8th was completed. The impressive thing about all these improvements is that they tie together a quality look to the downtown that includes decorative brick concrete work, bike racks, trash receptacles, benches, new trees, and historic street lights. In addition, the Hackley Heritage walking trail snakes through the area providing a route from which people can see all the improvements.
MS: How was the city able to accomplish all of these projects almost simultaneously?
CBC: Since the time of Imagine Muskegon the city has been attempting to implement quality public improvements in the downtown Muskegon area. Each project was achieved through a different funding source, but the overall result is that a lot of improvement has been leveraged.
MS: How are businesses reacting and what effect to you think the project will have on downtown development?
CBC: Downtown businesses and residents have been extremely happy with the improvements. The attractive, high quality finishings have improved the facades of the buildings and definitely let developers know that downtown is high priority for community investment. In addition some of the elements of the projects that encourage pedestrian activity have led to the State of Michigan recognizing the City’s efforts in promoting active communities last year.
MS: Are there any other plans in the works for further public improvements?
CBC: Well especially along Western from Third to 8th there were plans for more comprehensive improvements, but due to funding issues we were only able to implement the improvements you can see today. We hope to sometime in the future to continue to the improvements, eventually implementing the complete plan. Of course, on the former mall site the side streets that branch off of Western Avenue are being constructed as we speak and that project should wrap up by the middle of October.
MS: Well thanks for your work in securing the improvements and your continued work towards the progress of Downtown Muskegon.
CBC: No problem, thank you.
One of the most anticipated downtown development events of the year is taking place as you read this. The first retail operation on the former Muskegon Mall site is opening for business. Hegg’s Gallery of Fine Furniture is opening this morning in the former Century Club building, which was purchased 18 months ago by Gary Post and Russ Strong. The formal ribbon cutting opening will take place this Friday at 10:00 a.m. As you can see from the pictures below they have done a marvelous job restoring this piece of Muskegon history, and Hegg’s Furniture has done as great a job making the space look fantastic. Stacy Hegg took a few minutes out of her hectic pre-opening schedule to give us the behind the scene details. 
SH: I am truly thrilled. We have a traditional feel to the front and a contemporary “loft” feel to the back. Within the space we also have a “beach look, as well as an extensive design center. 
SH: We plan to cater to the special order design oriented customer. However we have hundreds of accessories, artwork, lamps, occasional pieces and other items that we will sell off the floor. Our design center and fabric selections will be second-to-none and we will offer many looks not currently available in this area. 
