October 20, 2020

When you look at Albion today, it’s easy to see the positive changes. The progress that is breathing new life into our community. The renovations that are keeping the downtown area’s rich history alive. When we published our first blog about Albion’s happenings a little over a year ago, we began talking about some of these new changes taking place.

What hasn’t changed? Caster Cares™ is still working with civic organizations and Albion’s city government to bring the downtown business district back to its former glory and is involved in many other initiatives. Since our last post, two more businesses have opened downtown and another one is in the final touches.

An investment into the community

And these changes haven’t gone unnoticed. In a recent Caster Cares video, Shane Williamson, Interim Executive Director for the Albion Community Foundation and Executive Director of the Bohm Theatre, sat down with us to tell us about the positive changes he has seen the local community.  “Caster Cares has led the way in setting the example for how businesses and industry can invest in a community in a smart and strategic way,” notes Shane. “It serves a higher purpose of creating a great environment for not just their employees, but for the entire community.”

One recent example is the west side of Superior. All the storefronts between Albion Malleable and the Foundry Bakehouse and Deli have been completely renovated with new brick, new windows, and new facades to match the original style and construction.

Above these businesses will be the new BrickStreet Lofts, featuring one- and two-bedroom apartments. These lofts are part of a bigger plan to offer better housing opportunities to the Albion community.

Along these lines, ACE Investment Properties provides high-quality and affordable residential housing options and desirable commercial properties in Albion, Michigan, and the surrounding areas. This service is critical to the rebirth and long-term sustainable growth of the people and businesses in the community.

Innovation happens

Down the street, INNOVATE Albion continues to support budding engineers. Some of the classes offered are new, like Girls Who Code, a program designed to educate, equip, and inspire girls with computing skills that they will need in today’s technical climate. Last summer also saw several STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) classes offered to students.

Caster Cares™ continues to introduce new initiatives to improve our community’s quality of life and economic health. We do it to build a better Albion. And with plenty of heart and hard work, the positive results are being seen and appreciated.