HASLETT - Meridian Township was a hot topic at Michigan State University's annual College of Engineering Design Day.

Six teams of civil and environmental engineering students presented a plan for a mixed-use development at the current site of the Haslett Village Square shopping center, to be used as preliminary designs for Meridian Township.

The teams worked closely with township officials in the process of formulating their suggestions to maximize green space, increase environmental efficiency and make the shopping center friendlier for pedestrians and bicyclists on Haslett and Marsh roads.

"Currently right now, (Haslett Village Square) allows for a lot of pedestrian and vehicle interactions or conflicts," said Jake Patin, project manager for Terrafirm Engineering, one of the teams that worked on the Haslett Village Square project. "With our proposed design, we hope to minimize that and kind of make it safer for walkers, pedestrians and bicyclists throughout the site."

Patin's team suggested replacing most of the current Haslett Village Square site with a multi-story development that has living space on top and retail space on the bottom.

The team also suggested moving the site closer to the roads and sidewalks for easier access using alternative forms of transportation.