The City of Howell and the Village of Fowlerville were each awarded $2 million on Sept. 26 by the Michigan Strategic Fund through its Community Development Block Grant program to use for public gathering spaces in their communities.
Howell’s $2 million will be used to reconstruct the city’s Depot Lot and Walnut Street project. The city is working to transform the area of town north of Clinton Street and east of Walnut Street, near the train depot and Summit Gardens, to include a large pavilion and ice rink that could be used in the summer for other events. Features of the plan include public seating, a fire pit, splash pad, restrooms, and an area for concessions.
“The City of Howell is very excited about being one of a small handful of communities awarded the Public Gathering Grant,” said Erv Suida, Howell’s city manager. “We look forward to working with the MEDC and the State of Michigan to bring forward one of the most transformative projects for our community in years.”
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin previously secured $750,000 in federal funds toward the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Depot Lot.
“Howell has invested over $50 million in our infrastructure over the past 15 years with the majority of that investment coming from either low interest state loans or state and federal grants,” Suida said. “This grant for $2 million will help bring to life a project that this community has wanted for several decades; it will provide safe and well-lit public parking for our downtown, along with an incredible public gathering space that can be used throughout the year.”
The Village of Fowlerville also applied for and received $2 million for improvements to its Fowlerville Community Park, with plans to use the funds for a recreation pavilion with restrooms and concessions, pickle ball courts, a fenced dog run, ice skating rink, two new playgrounds, three paved parking areas with room to add future lots, and accessible walks.
In addition to the $20 million in CDBG funds for the 16 projects, MSF also approved up to $800,000 in CDBG funds to provide administrative services to assist the communities with the compliance and administrative requirements of the awards.
In February 2023, the CDBG program opened the 2023 Public Gathering Spaces Initiative competitive funding round; the initiative received 25 eligible applications with over $30 million in requests. The selected communities meet a national objective by providing benefit to at least 51-percent low- and moderate-income populations in the state, increasing usability, accessibility, and seasonality within new or existing community spaces.
Projects received funding to improve parks, town squares, amphitheaters, plazas, waterfronts, and playgrounds. In addition to the City of Howell and the Village of Fowlerville, the other communities awarded with CDBG funds are the cities of Three Rivers, Cadillac, Corunna, Alpena, Manton, Reed City, Fennville, Caspian and Litchfield; the villages of Cassopolis, Mackinac City, Port Austin, and Muir; and Briley Township.
