Could Fenton be Genesee County's next one-stop shopping town?

FENTON, Michigan -- Move over Flint Township, there may be a new municipality turned retail shopping juggernaut in the county. If a new study proves successful in Fenton, the city could become the Flint Township of southern Genesee County, possibly luring area shoppers into a potential one-stop retail town. "We want (Fenton) to be the destination," said Fenton DDA chairman Craig Schmidt. "We want you to shop, we want you eat, we want you do it all." Flint Township's retail corridor -- located about 20 miles north of Fenton -- is packed with stores, restaurants and a shopping mall on its Miller, Corunna and Linden roads. It caters to the township's 33,000-person population in addition to many Genesee County shoppers. Tracey Tucker, Flint Township Economic Enhancement director, credits the close proximity of I-75, U.S. 23 and I-69 for the estimated 30,000 cars a day that travel its three main roads. "We get people from all over Genesee County and Shiawassee County and Saginaw County," ...  more