Ann Arbor's Broadway Park West development receives $1 million grant for public pavilion

The nonprofit Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy was recently awarded a $1 million grant to support the largest brownfield redevelopment in Washtenaw County’s history, Broadway Park West in Ann Arbor. The grant came from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's Revitalization and Placemaking program (RAP). 

"We're so grateful for the RAP grant and the folks at the state of Michigan for seeing and believing in this vision of what this space can be," says Marie Klopf, president of the Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy. "The grant is really all about placemaking and revitalization, which are the exact two things that Broadway Park West is designed to do."

Tucked between Broadway Street, the Huron River, and US-23 on Ann Arbor's north side, Broadway Park West is the conservancy's first project. The three-phase initiative is currently transforming the formerly contaminated space – once a 14-acre coal gasification plant – into a public mixed-use development along the Huron River. Plans include four six-story buildings with 96 condos, a nine-story hotel with 148 rooms, a riverfront restaurant, retail spaces, public green space, and walking trails. 

The RAP grant will help fund the construction of an 8,800-square-foot event space called The Pavilion, which will serve as the centerpiece of the revitalized seven-acre park. The Pavilion is part of the second phase of the park's development, with construction expected to begin in the fall. When complete, it will serve as a versatile year-round community space and provide revenue for the park's maintenance. 

"It's going to be perfect for weddings and conferences. It will seat 300 people for a sit-down dinner at round tables and there's a space for a stage and a dance floor," Klopf says. "Maybe we'll install a pop-up ice rink in the wintertime with artists and markets, or hold a jazz festival in the summertime. There could be yoga held on one day, and running groups could meet there on another day. There will always be something to do there."

She adds that the public can view renderings of The Pavilion at the conservancy's website to get a deeper sense of its potential.

"Ann Arbor is about trees and nature, so it'll be a midcentury modern-style facility with lots of windows. It will fit in with the nature and the vibe of what Ann Arbor typically projects. And it will be the only place that has views of the river," Klopf says. "You can look at a picture and look at a picture and look at a picture, but I cannot wait for it to be built. What a beautiful asset for downtown Ann Arbor."