Sssh... Michigan has a gold coast!

Perhaps one of our best kept secrets is that the west coast of Michigan is a “gold coast”. What’s a “gold coast” you may ask? A gold coast is a strip of land adjacent to a large body of water that has the potential to develop in a big way and generate a lot of income (gold) for lots of people. Needless-to-say, this is something that Michigan’s economy needs at the moment.

Why is it a secret? Many of the good folks who already live along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan are not anxious to share their good fortune with others. Long time residents remember the time the Federal government came in and made them give up some of their prime shoreline property for our nation’s 1^st national seashore, the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The Michigan retirees who have recently moved there, see potential new residents as competitors for the good stuff: lakefront property, well-stocked fishing and boating lakes and rivers, and uncrowded local services. They’re not about to advertise to “foreigners” the fact that the west coast of Michigan has beautiful dunes and harbors, good weather (becoming better with each passing year), diverse year-round recreation, unlimited fresh water, and a remarkably low cost of living.

What would happen if the prosperous but overcrowded peoples of Chicago and other mid-American states and cities got wind of the remarkable charms of western Michigan? They’d pour into the region, renting and buying up vacation properties, settling into sprawling gated retirement communities, make demands on construction, retail, and health services, and generally spend money like mad. The quaint coastal towns and villages would explode in population and be transformed into vibrant communities – much to the chagrin of those already there.

Who are the people who would bring all this gold and prosperity to western Michigan: Well-healed Chicago-area commuters and seventy-eight million retiring Baby Boomers (with mobile pensions) all desiring to stay and recreate on a coast where hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, floods, pollution, and unending droughts don’t happen.

The main limitations at the moment to the growth of Michigan’s gold coast are its snowy, but not bitterly cold, winters and poorly integrated transportation. Regarding the former, western Michigan’s winters are in fact getting milder while its summers remain pleasant due to the lake-effect of Lake Michigan (far better than the other side of this big lake).

Regarding transportation, effective growth is retarded by the lack of a passenger rail line, safe airports, and a scenic coastal highway. Indeed, one of the best investments the State could make would be in a high-speed rail linked to Chicago speeding vacationers and others to Traverse City in two hours, Charlevoix in three, and Petoskey in four. Unfortunately, Lansing appears quite oblivious to the remarkable opportunities afforded by western Michigan’s unique gold coast. Well, that’s because it’s a secret. Sssh!