Capitol Correspondent
LANSING–When Rick Preuss saw the neglected old car dealership-garage, he knew it was the right place to relocate his business, Preuss Pets.
"I'd be lying if I did not say it was the building that was the first thing we noticed," said Preuss. "What made that particular area, that made (the move) almost an inevitability, was the people."
And Preuss's love of the Old Town community has lead to a rather nontraditional advertising campaign which might just win the up and coming community a $50,000 IKEA grant. In an interview for the contest's video, Preuss coined the phrase, "Just a little past normal."
The phrase stuck.
"It's exceptional to be in business in the first place, but then to be in business and have the more unique perspective – nothing is corporate or institutional or carbon copied (in Old Town) – they are uniquely special," Preuss explained. "The people who are behind that are the exceptional individuals. That is what makes up the character of Old Town."
"The little past normal was not intended to be the beginning. It became the theme of the video," said John Addis, owner of AE Studio and Gallery in Old Town. "I think it is great because it is less contrived than if it were a marketing strategy."
He said that when he decided to go into business for himself – he is a graphic designer – Old Town was the place he could afford to have a storefront.
"One of the reasons I wanted to move to Old Town I left my job to start my own business, and as a start up my chances to have a storefront were limited in Lansing and East Lansing," he said. "Old Town seemed to be a growing creative community. They still haven't gotten big enough to charge the outrageous rates of E.L. and Lansing."
Jamie Schriner-Hooper, executive director of the Old Town Commercial Association, concurs with both Preuss and Addis that the culture of Old Town is part of why the area is thriving.
"Old town has a definite small town feel that you are not going to find in Detroit. There are some outlying areas that are getting like Old Town," she said. "We are an urban environment that very much has a small town feel."
She said an example of this is how the community pulls together in various ways. One business owner might volunteer to watch another's store while he/she runs errands. Or when new businesses are moving in, the community may throw a party and help paint the interior of the building for the new business.
"It is very much a small town community, we are truly a family.
I think because we are a very welcome and open community. We don't care who you are, it doesn't matter," said Schriner-Hooper. "If you want to be a part of the community and make it better we want you."
