"We brought our business here because we knew it was only a matter of time before Clawson had its day," said Allan. "It's perfect for small businesses to come to."
Yes, something is happening to Clawson. The little city sandwiched between its big corporate brother Troy and attention-grabbing sister Royal Oak, Clawson is quickly overcoming its middle-child anonymity and breaking out on its own.
"We're buzzing right along," said Clawson City Manager Richard Haberman. He notes how other downtowns in the area are struggling with building vacancies and stagnant business revenues. That's not the case for Clawson.
"Our situation is going the opposite; we've had a lot of growth in the last few years," he said.
While Clawson's developing success story can be attributed to coincidence, timing or other things out of the city's control, Haberman scoffs at such an idea.
"I think it's more than an accident," he said. "I think it's called investing for future success."
City officials and businesses started years ago, he added, reviewing business ordinances, saving for road repairs and making a plan for downtown that would attract business owners, pedestrians and shoppers.
The sentence that stuck out in our mind?
"I think it's called investing for future success."
Bingo –– long-term planning is what it's all about when it comes to downtown development.
For her part, Phillips can't wait to see where Clawson's downtown goes from here.
"You see people just walking around; you never used to see that," she said. "I think we were in a slump; I think (now) we're in a really good position. We've really turned things around."
The folks in Clawson seem to have a great attitude that community leaders across the state would be wise to adopt.
Sure, times are tough in Michigan, but nothing is going to improve by simply moping around. People have to be willing to look at the big picture, capitalize on a city's assets, and plan for long-term growth. Our state's economic revival isn't going to happen overnight, but with a little patience and a lot of hard work, we can move Michiagn forward.