Marshall enters final stretch in fundraiser for new park with splash pad and pickleball

What’s happening: In the City of Marshall, a vacant lot nestled around the backstop of a Marshall Athletic Field baseball diamond could soon become a community asset of its own. But first the City of Marshall will need to hit a late-inning homerun of a different sort as an important deadline nears and the Marshall Athletic Field Expansion Project enters its final days of a weeks-long crowdfunding campaign.

What it is: The vacant lot found at the intersection of Hanover and Fountain streets is on the backend of the Marshall Athletic Field campus, a corner parcel donated to the city by the Eaton Corporation in 2020. Eaton employs around 170 people in the region and utilizes more than 600 acres of Marshall’s rural countryside for its automotive testing facilities and tracks.

What it’s to become: The new park will be activated with six pickleball courts, a splash pad, parking lot, public restrooms, and pavilion. New landscaping, tree planting, and walkways are also planned. The development of Eaton Park, as it’s to be called, has a total project budget of $2.4 million with all but $100,000 secured.

How they’re doing it: The Eaton 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 $50,000 crowdfunding campaign on the Michigan-based Patronicity platform. Should they successfully reach their goal by 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 19, the MEDC will contribute a $50,000 matching grant to the project.

Learn more about the Eaton Park project on Patronicity.

Why it’s important: “The Marshall Community Pickleball Project is more than just new courts and a splash pad; it’s an investment in community connection and health,” says Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League. “By transforming an underused lot into a vibrant recreational area, the project will make the city of Marshall more welcoming to both residents and visitors. It brings people together across generations, creating an environment that is accessible and enjoyable for all. This is what placemaking is all about.”