Owosso

While Owosso is the largest city in Shiawassee County, it is also the quintessential Michigan small town. As a major railroad hub in the 19^th and 20^th centuries and the place where one of America’s most popular authors, James Oliver Curwood, once lived, Owosso has a storied history and proud heritage that can be felt by residents and visitors alike.

Whether exploring the Steam Railroading Institute, strolling the Shiawassee River or visiting one of the many shops lining Main Street and Washington Street, time spent in Owosso is a taste of Michigan’s past, present and future.

Learn more about how the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) supports the vibrancy and growth of Owosso.

Placemaking in Owosso

The community of Owosso maintains its historic charm with a vision toward the future thanks in part to the MEDC’s placemaking programs, including the Build MI Community Grant initiative and Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) program.

Owosso’s first dedicated microbrewery, Barrister Brewing Co., opened in May 2024 by Barbara and Daniel Nees and Don and Melissa Hall with the support of the MEDC. Located in Westown Owosso in a rehabilitated building on the National Register of Historic Places, Barrister Brewing Co. was supported by a $557,387 MCRP performance-based grant in May 2023. The project also created two second-floor apartments. By activating long vacant and underutilized space, the project added vibrancy to the downtown district and has served as a catalyst for additional revitalization in the community.

In 2025, Shook Riverside Development LLC was awarded a $350,000 Build MI Community grant to assist in the renovation of a functionally obsolete and vacant building in downtown Owosso. The project will result in a reactivated mixed-use development that will include commercial space and two residential units on the second floor.

Owosso was among several communities across the state that received a total of $99.2 million RAP program funds in October 2023 to support community revitalization needs. Owosso received $1,358,000 in RAP funds for Curwood Place, a redevelopment project that will update an old building and create additional housing downtown.

In March of 2023, The City of Owosso, in partnership with local property owners, performed a transformational property improvement by creating seven new housing units in downtown Owosso, with 51% of the units (four of the seven) offered as affordable housing. The property, located at 114-116 West Main Street, is a 3-story, mixed-use building located in the heart of the downtown. The City of Owosso received $723,180 in Community Development Block Grant funds for rental rehab improvements; and the project resulted in private investment of $526,915. Originally built in 1885, this property is listed in the National Register of Historical Places and located in the local historic district. The project supports the MEDC strategic plan by contributing to the development of attractive places that attract and retain talent.

Since 2003, Michigan Main Street (MMS) has been building stronger communities across the state. MMS has been a top coordinating program affiliated with the National Main Street Center, Main Street America, assisting communities interested in revitalizing and preserving their traditional commercial districts. The program provides dedicated technical assistance, consultant-led services and funding opportunities for communities desiring to develop their own local Main Street program through a common-sense approach to tackling the complex issues of revitalization by capitalizing on a downtown’s history and identifying the unique assets of the community itself.

In 2009, the Owosso Main Street program was established to further develop and promote business and activity in downtown Owosso. Owosso Main Street’s mission is to foster an active and thriving downtown that is the heart of its community by promoting historic preservation and drawing both residents and visitors to the city. Through MMS, Owosso has received Technical Assistance and funding, including branding and marketing, business recruitment strategy and vibrancy grants.

The city of Owosso is also engaged with MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities program, which is aimed at driving economic growth, revitalizing historic downtowns and creating more vibrant districts throughout the state.

Visiting Owosso

Contributing to the charm of Owosso’s vibrant downtown are its unique restaurants and shops.

Since 2017, Melissa Wheeler has been sweetening up Owosso with her chocolate shop, Murtle’s Handmade Chocolates. While she never imagined she’d be the next Willy Wonka, she now serves up an array of treats at her shop on Main Street in the former home of Candyland Chocolates and Restaurant. Melissa is carrying on that sweet legacy and drawing visitors from all over.

Founded in Owosso in 2014, Foster Coffee Co. has enjoyed over a decade of “fostering community through coffee” and expanded to additional locations in East Lansing and Eaton Rapids. Thanks to its partnerships with local businesses, civic leaders and non-profit organizations, Foster Coffee Co. is a small business striving to make a difference in the community.

Whether searching for home goods and gifts at Aviator Jayne or vintage finds at Rustic Owl Furnishings, Owosso is a shopping destination for hidden gems.

Owosso also serves as the gateway for one of Michigan’s most-cherished holiday traditions, the North Pole Express. Departing from the Steam Railroading Institute, the North Pole Express takes passengers aboard the historic Pere Marquette 1225 steam train from Owosso to the Village of Ashley for holiday reverie, visits with Santa Claus and plenty of hot cocoa. Pere Marquette 1225 is a piece of cinematic history, as the model for the locomotive featured in “The Polar Express.”

As part of the North Pole Express since 2004, Jane Unterbrink is at the center of the magic, helping to round up volunteers, direct families and even deliver Santa Claus to Ashley while wearing her fur-collared coat and signature black derby hat.

Learn more about Jane in her Voices story.

One of Owosso’s most popular points of interest is nestled along the Shiawassee River: Curwood Castle, the former writing studio for one of America's greatest authors of the early 1900s. James Oliver Curwood was an Owosso native whose novels were estimated to have been read by over 7 million people during his time, and whose stories were turned into major motion pictures in Hollywood. Curwood Castle and his family home, Hoddy House, remain preserved in Owosso and retain the legacy of his life as a writer, adventurer, explorer, conservationist and pioneer.

Curwood Castle is open to the public from April 1 to Dec. 31. Learn more here.

Supporting Businesses in Owosso

From larger companies to small businesses, the MEDC supports growth and innovation in Owosso through resources such as the Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP) and grants through the Match on Main program.

In March 2023, the MEDC supported the expansion of Sonoco Protective Solutions, a subsidiary of Sonoco, with a $162,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Founded in 1899 and with more than 300 locations worldwide, Sonoco was able to purchase new steam chest molding machines, lease new fork trucks, add air compressors, transition to a newer production data system and update the boilers in its Owosso plant. The expansion helped the company meet the demand of current customers and provided the opportunity to secure new customers. In 2024, Black Diamond Capital Management acquired the protective solutions segment of Sonoco, rebranding the business as Ventek Solutions, LLC.

As part of a Main Street community, Owosso’s small businesses benefit from the MEDC’s Match on Main program, which awards grants to small local businesses that will create resiliency and strengthen downtowns. In July 2025, the Owosso DDA was awarded a $25,000 Match on Main grant on behalf of Amy's Place, a breakfast and brunch restaurant on Main Street; this grant will support kitchen upgrades and equipment purchases for the restaurant.

Small businesses in Owosso have also benefitted from the MEDC’s Capital Access program, including online pet retailer Josh’s Frogs. Owner Josh Willard first learned about services from the MEDC through the Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership. When he looked at refinancing the company’s existing commercial real estate to further invest in growth, Willard was connected to the MEDC’s Collateral Support program. Capital Access provided $323,810 collateral support on a $794,476 real estate note, allowing Josh’s Frogs to continue its growth in the years ahead.