Through hundreds of donations totaling tens of thousands of dollars, a project to bring a new park with an amphitheater and splash pad to downtown Fennville has received a major boost.
The city of Fennville reached its goal in a crowdfunding campaign to support the new City Square Park on June 10. By raising $50,000 ahead of deadline June 14, the city will receive $50,000 in matching funds from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation through the Public Spaces Community Places Program.
City Administrator Katie Beemer said the city is grateful for the support and excited to see the project come to fruition.
Upon completion, the park will have several amenities, including an outdoor amphitheater, a splash pad, a fireplace and seating areas.
“There will be some great features for our downtown,” Beemer said.
City Square Park will be located on the southwest corner of Main Street and Maple Street on a previously vacant lot. Construction began recently and could be finished by early fall, Beemer said.
The overall cost for the project is around $1 million. Funding comes from several sources: the DDA, donations and matching funds from the state, a grant from the state, and ARPA funds through the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
“It’s really a great partnership across many levels of government,” Beemer said.
According to the project page on crowdfunding platform Patronicity, the project had gathered $55,953 in support from 456 donors as of June 11. Those donations included $10,000 from both the Saugatuck-Douglas Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Allegan County Community Foundation.
Michigan Gas Utilities contributed $2,500 after working with the city during a major gas outage in the area in April. Several local businesses held fundraisers to support the project, as well.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Fennville exceeds fundraising goal for amphitheater, splash pad. Here’s what’s coming
Reporting by Mitchell Boatman, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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