State awards grants to support downtown placemaking projects in Niles, Otsego, Saline, and more

What’s happening: Placemaking projects in several Michigan communities have received significant financial help this month, thanks to the state’s Main Street Vibrancy Grant Program. Eight Michigan communities — and the majority of them outside of the state’s major population centers — are each receiving $20,000 in support of their downtown enhancement and improvement projects. The winning communities can be found in both peninsulas and all over the map, and include Grand Haven, Grosse Pointe, Lansing, Lapeer, Niles, Otsego, Saline, and Sault Ste. Marie.

Common thread: Each of the winning communities are either Select or Master level Michigan Main Street communities; just 27 Michigan communities qualify as either Select or Master level Michigan Main Street communities, that program’s highest echelon of participants.

The Michigan Main Street program itself supports those communities that work to preserve and revitalize their traditional commercial districts and city centers. This year’s winning communities “have all worked diligently to enhance the sense of place and vibrancy in their downtowns, engage residents and businesses, and drive economic growth,” says Michelle Parkkonen, managing director of community development technical assistance programs for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Exciting plans: The eight winning communities each have their own placemaking projects in the works. In Niles, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) plans to make improvements to outdoor dining areas and install color-changing spotlights in the trees downtown. In Otsego, the DDA plans to make riverfront enhancements that include art installations and outdoor games, as well as improvements to outdoor dining areas. In Saline, significant upgrades to their downtown 109 Cultural Exchange venue are planned. And the Sault Ste. Marie DDA plans to install a new wayfinding project with fabrication and signage installations.

What they’re saying: “We, at Saline Main Street, have been dreaming about this moment since we founded The 109 Cultural Exchange in 2019,” says Holli Andrews, executive director of Saline Main Street.

“From the very day this prominent storefront became available, our 'people space' has become a year-round nexus for Main Street planning, artist installations, wellness programs, and small business development – bringing together a wide variety of diverse audiences and helping hands. With the funds from our Vibrancy Grant award, we will be able to install equipment at the 109 that may finally reward our amazing partners and volunteers who have made magic with the bare minimum.”