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candgnews.com APRIL 24, 2024 Vol. 35, No. 9
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DRIVING IN THE ‘CROSSFIRE’
Council approves grant transfer to help mall redevelop BY ERIC CZARNIK eczarnik@candgnews.com
STERLING HEIGHTS — In a split 4-3 vote, the Sterling Heights City Council approved deals April 2 that will transfer received grant money to Lakeside Mall’s ownership to resolve real estate negotiations needed to get the Lakeside area’s redevelopment process moving forward. The council action approved an agreement with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and a subagreement with Lakeside Out of the Box Ventures LLC — Lakeside’s ownership — so that Lakeside can use a $3 million grant toward acquiring property on the site. City officials said the property acquisition is essential to the mall area’s redevelopment. When the final vote came, Mayor Michael Taylor, Mayor Pro Tem Liz Sierawski, and councilwomen Barbara Ziarko and Maria Schmidt voted yes. Councilwoman Deanna Koski and councilmen Michael Radtke and Henry Yanez voted no. Sterling Heights officials have long wanted to see Lakeside Mall redeveloped, due in part to the mall’s decline amid changes in shopping trends. In November 2022, the City Council heard the mall ownership’s plans to demolish the main mall complex and at least some of the department stores in order to See LAKESIDE on page 14A
ABOVE: Sterling Heights Stevenson senior Ty Jenkins makes contact with the ball. RIGHT: Sterling Heights Stevenson junior Ryan Rumble pitches during a matchup against Macomb L’Anse Creuse North April 6 at Stevenson High School. Photos by Erin Sanchez
‘YOU’RE GOING TO GRIND’
PROGRAM CULTURE HAS STEVENSON BASEBALL TAKING MAC RED HEADON BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com
STERLING HEIGHTS — No matter what sport or what team, a Macomb Area Conference Red game is going to be a dogfight. A team could be winless in the league, but the op-
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posing team will still treat them as if they’re one of the top programs in the state. For Sterling Heights Stevenson baseball, winning a MAC Red title last year, going 13-1 in the league, for the first time since 2017 meant everything. Only problem is when conference play is over, the See BASEBALL on page 9A
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CITY CONFIRMS LAKESIDE PLANS LAG BEHIND SCHEDULE
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