Flint as a College Town
Nick Malburg
Issue date: 3/2/10 Section: News
How can one of the cities with the highest crime rate become a safe college town? Believe it or not, we are getting very close to reaching that goal. I recently heard a speech presented by the mayor of Flint, Dayne Walling, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Sigma Alpha Epsilon. The new house is to be built at 1509 University Ave., two blocks down the road from Kettering's campus. The mayor spoke of how the new fraternity house is just one of the many steps towards revitalizing Flint. He also told of what the city has already done to improve, and some of the future plans to help make Flint a college town.
One of the first things that have changed is the name of the street that connects the University of Michigan Flint and Kettering University campuses. The name was recently changed from Third Ave. to University Ave., in an attempt to show how close the two colleges really are.
Old and worn down buildings and houses are also being torn down throughout Flint. There are many abandoned homes and lots that have served their purpose, and are being retired and replaced. Trees, plants, and parks are taking the spots. There are also new apartments that are going to be used to house both Kettering students and U of M Flint students. These apartments will hopefully bring a new sense of community to an area that has not been felt in a long time.
In addition to the apartments, other new buildings are also being put up. These new buildings are going to be the new clubs, hotels, and restaurants that will bring downtown Flint back to its glory days, and turn it into a college town. They have already cleared most of the land around Atwood Stadium, and made it into a park. They also added a new lighting system to the area so it is going to be a lot safer around that area. With that done the strip of land is looking like it should belong in a college town, and not a city that is on its last legs.
There are also many projects in the works that will make Flint more of a college town. Within the next 10-15 years there is expected to be another sorority house to be built on University Ave. City boosters are beginning to call this strip of land the "College Corridor", as it is serving to connect Kettering University, the University of Michigan Flint, and Mott Community College. With fraternity and sorority houses being planned and constructed so close to Kettering's campus, the Greek population of Kettering students is predicted to increase. As Greek fraternities are more likely to do local community service projects, these future projects will serve to further make Flint a college town. With enough time and effort, Flint may one day reflect the college atmospheres of Lansing and Ann Arbor.
One of the first things that have changed is the name of the street that connects the University of Michigan Flint and Kettering University campuses. The name was recently changed from Third Ave. to University Ave., in an attempt to show how close the two colleges really are.
Old and worn down buildings and houses are also being torn down throughout Flint. There are many abandoned homes and lots that have served their purpose, and are being retired and replaced. Trees, plants, and parks are taking the spots. There are also new apartments that are going to be used to house both Kettering students and U of M Flint students. These apartments will hopefully bring a new sense of community to an area that has not been felt in a long time.
In addition to the apartments, other new buildings are also being put up. These new buildings are going to be the new clubs, hotels, and restaurants that will bring downtown Flint back to its glory days, and turn it into a college town. They have already cleared most of the land around Atwood Stadium, and made it into a park. They also added a new lighting system to the area so it is going to be a lot safer around that area. With that done the strip of land is looking like it should belong in a college town, and not a city that is on its last legs.
There are also many projects in the works that will make Flint more of a college town. Within the next 10-15 years there is expected to be another sorority house to be built on University Ave. City boosters are beginning to call this strip of land the "College Corridor", as it is serving to connect Kettering University, the University of Michigan Flint, and Mott Community College. With fraternity and sorority houses being planned and constructed so close to Kettering's campus, the Greek population of Kettering students is predicted to increase. As Greek fraternities are more likely to do local community service projects, these future projects will serve to further make Flint a college town. With enough time and effort, Flint may one day reflect the college atmospheres of Lansing and Ann Arbor.
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