Mount Clemens Mayor Laura Kropp delivers the State of Mount Clemens on Sept. 17 from the stage of the Emerald Theater.
By: Dean Vaglia | Mount Clemens-Clinton-Harrison Journal | Published September 26, 2025
MOUNT CLEMENS — On a quiet Sept. 17 afternoon, officials and notables across Macomb County took their places at the historic Emerald Theater for the 2025 State of Mount Clemens address.
Delivered by Mayor Laura Kropp with starting remarks by Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and Stacy Ziarko, president and CEO of event organizer Connect Macomb, the annual speech took attendees on a triumphant look at the city’s accomplishments over the past year, the thesis of it all best said by the disembodied voice of City Manager Gregg Shipman.
“Something powerful is emerging, a force unlike anything this city has known,” Shipman said, his voice narrating video clips of life, commerce and construction around the city. “Rooted in legacy, powered by progress, and now there is no turning back … Mount Clemens is rising, but this is only the beginning. The transformation is far from over, so we invite you to walk these streets with us, to shape this future together and to be part of the resurgence of Mount Clemens. Because this city is not just coming back, it’s coming alive.”
Describing the city as being on the rise is a familiar message to anyone following developments in Mount Clemens, and it came down to Kropp to sell this once more to her neighbors, municipal peers and the city’s stakeholders. After thanking guests and highlighting those important to the city’s daily functions — Shipman, city staff and commissioners — Kropp got to work by going over $2.4 million in road projects in the city, mentioning that the city saw the county’s second highest property value increase this year and highlighting the grant funding it has been able to bring in.
“Over the past three years, Mount Clemens secured $79 million in grant funding,” Kropp said. “Every one of those dollars means more investments in roads, parks, safety and quality of life.”
From there she moved to highlighting the strides taken in the city’s recreation rebuild. Karl Haye was hired on April 7 to serve as the city’s recreation director, a role he achieved on the back of his various efforts at the Cairns Community Center even before it became part of the city in 2022. Improvements made to the Cairns Center got their time in the spotlight.
“The first phase of the Cairns playground is now complete. It is a safe, modern space where kids can run and play and make memories,” Kropp said. “And thanks to a (community block development) grant, we are adding even more inclusive play features so kids of all abilities can enjoy.”
Another grant secured for Cairns has allowed the city to build a commercial-grade kitchen on the property, opening the center up for cooking classes, small business participation and community dinners. A disc golf course has been added to Shadyside Park.
Water infrastructure projects and improvements have been a large focus of the city ever since 2022’s vote to switch to the Great Lakes Water Authority as its water provider. Over $60 million in state grants and principal forgiveness have been allocated to upgrading infrastructure ahead of this switch.
The 2024 State of Mount Clemens address saw Kropp revealing the city’s plans to move its headquarters to 20 South Main Street, a move inching closer to reality after the City Commission approved purchasing the former Oakland University campus for $1.5 million only two days prior on Sept. 15.
“This is an opportunity to redevelop our waterfront and bring economic development right here to our city,” Kropp said.
While the City Hall move was the big reveal in 2024, the big announcement of 2025 was the “Main Street Revitalization Project.” Calling back in name to the ongoing “Downtown Revitalization Project” happening along Macomb Place, the “Main Street Revitalization Project” seeks to bring its own set of improvements to the street that cuts past the 16th Circuit Court, Macomb County’s offices and the future home of City Hall. The project is set to take place from 2026-2027.
“This project was funded through a Michigan Department of Transportation grant and will bring green space, a boulevard, reconfigured parking, new sidewalks and complete a bike path from Shadyside Park into downtown from a bike lane,” Kropp said.
Mark Hackel began his remarks after Shipman’s tone-setting video by favorably comparing taking the Emerald Theater stage to his cameo at the State of Macomb Township address where he popped out of a trash bin in his best Oscar the Grouch impression.
“That intro beats jumping out of a garbage can,” Hackel said, before praising the city’s collaboration with the county government seated within city limits.
“Not all (municipalities) are willing to accept (county) support because sometimes they want to go it alone,” Hackel said. “But Laura (Kropp) is one of those folks that knows how to reach out to the county when there’s a need for discussion to make things better for the city of Mount Clemens. I recognize that is the sign of a true leader, a person who is willing to say, ‘We want that help, we need that help. Here’s what we’re thinking about doing. How can you help us get there?’”
With little under a half hour passing from the opening acknowledgments to the house lights shining once more, the State of Mount Clemens moved at a pace not unlike the city’s development over the past few years. After years of cuts and closures in the face of a recession, it is hard to not see Mount Clemens as a city that has lunged at its opportunities and seeks to get the most out of the ones it has seized. And from those opportunities seized — millions in state aid for water projects, public-private partnerships to develop apartments, acquiring an orphaned community center and using it as the backbone of a revived recreation program — Kropp and company believe a new city is in bloom.
And after pushing that message for a half hour, Kropp’s closing message to guests was to be champions for the city — to tell its story, support its businesses and pass on the good word of a Mount Clemens on the rise.
“Every dollar spent here strengthens the heartbeat of Mount Clemens and fuels the future we’re building together,” Kropp said. “The awakening of a city is not just measured in the projects we complete, but in the people who carry its vision forward — and that means you. That means us. That means all of us, side by side, believing that Mount Clemens’ best days are not behind us. They’re here (and) they’re ahead.”