What’s happening: A new waterfront park overlooking the Saginaw Bay is planned in the Village of Linwood, transforming an unremarkable paved lot into a community asset. Linwood has partnered with the townships of Fraser and Kawkawlin, as well as Bay County, on the project.
What’s planned: The Linwood Scenic Access site – a public space that offers views and boating access to Saginaw Bay but little else – will soon become a destination. Project leaders are planning to remove existing rubble and decayed pavement to install a new 400 ft. steel seawall and create a universally accessible public greenspace. Features are to include picnic tables, spotting scopes, a universally accessible fishing platform, kayak launch, and more.
Partnerships abound: “The Linwood Waterfront Park is a great example of how community leaders can come together to transform underutilized areas and create a positive impact,” says Dan Gilmartin, executive director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League. “Its new, universally accessible amenities will invite visitors to make connections with each other and the world around them. This project ensures that the only public access point of the Saginaw Bay is welcoming to all who wish to visit and enjoy what the shoreline has to offer.”
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How they’ll do it: Linwood’s Waterfront Park project has been accepted into the state’s placemaking initiative Public Spaces Community Places, a joint effort from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan Municipal League, and Patronicity. As part of the initiative, organizers have launched a $25,000 crowdfunding campaign on the Michigan-based Patronicity platform. Should they successfully reach their goal by Saturday, Oct. 26, the MEDC will contribute a $25,000 matching grant to the project.
Learn more about Linwood’s Waterfront Park project on
Patronicity.
Why it’s important: “The Linwood Waterfront Park is placemaking at its finest,” says MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz. “This project is collaborative and gives inclusive access to a beautiful public space that includes trailways, greenspace, picnic spots, an accessible fishing platform, and a boat launch. We are pleased to support and provide resources for this project through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”
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