Most college towns in the U.S. are either placed in the middle of big cities or in a town where the university is basically all there is. But East Lansing is stuck somewhere in the middle, with the population being nearly half students and half permanent residents.

Despite whether permanent local residents choose to admit it or not, MSU makes up a large portion of the city and the people who live here. And for about three months a year, a majority of those students bolt from East Lansing and take their money elsewhere.

It’s this exact reason that makes downtown East Lansing such a challenging market to break into. It’s likely many businesses are tentative to attempt to institute themselves in the area because a large group of their clientele disappears every summer. A good portion of local businesses have formed a loyal following, and East Lansing presents a challenging market.

That might scare some businesses away from the area, and with justifiable reason.

The East Lansing City Council was working toward the City Center II development for nearly a decade before abandoning the idea earlier this summer.

Now, all that sits there is another empty building. In addition to the empty former Barnes & Noble building, a large stretch of Grand River Avenue remains vacant and, frankly, not too appealing to the eye.

With those concerns being stated, the city should look for businesses that can be relevant to both local residents and students, in an attempt to banish the fear of losing clients during certain months. To do this, one could look at the main things people travel to neighboring cities or areas for.

One obvious answer? A grocery store.

There are multiple convenience stores littered throughout the downtown area for basic needs, but what downtown East Lansing lacks is a large grocery store within walking distance.

If students or residents need to go food shopping, most either look to the Meijer on Lake Lansing Road or the Meijer down Grand River Avenue, in Okemos. There is no quick place for those who live in the downtown area to head to.

The East Lansing downtown market might be unusual compared to other cities and tough to break into, but that isn’t an excuse to ignore all the empty buildings.

East Lansing never will have a downtown area like other big Michigan cities — such as Ann Arbor, which has a population more than double East Lansing’s — but there has to be a way to fit the unique niche the city has. The way the downtown area is now is unacceptable, and hopefully the city will find a way to make East Lansing thrive.