Bay City, Mich., June 2023 – Bay Future, Inc., The State Theatre, Bay City DDA, and the City of Bay City are pleased to announce the continued improvements of Wenonah Park with the award of a $900,000 Revitalization and Placemaking
(RAP) Program grant. The four entities collaborated to secure grant funding made available by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

The grant award will fund an unfinished portion of Phase III of a three-phased enhancement project for the bandshell at Wenonah Park and Phase II of a two-phase site enhancement project for Wenonah Park overall. Phase I and II of the Bandshell improvements consisted of renovations to the 42-year-old bandshell, including an expansion of the stage and a “Hollywood Bowl” redesign look, and a remodel of the dressing rooms for a total investment of $1,500,000 and was completed in 2021. Phase I of the park site enhancement project for Wenonah Park included 18 new benches, four concrete picnic tables, eight concrete chess tables, and 16 new trash cans for a total investment of $27,500 and was completed in 2021. Phase III of the Bandshell improvements and Phase II of the park site improvements consist of four components. These improvements are currently underway, thanks to the RAP program grant and will be completed by the end of 2023.

“Wenonah Park is known for drawing tens of thousands of people to it every year. The impact to the community that this project will bring is on multiple levels,” said Mike Bacigalupo, Chief Operating Officer, the State Theatre. “When you have higher quality sound equipment, the experience of listening to a band or a performer is enhanced. When the grass is green and lush, it’s more comfortable to sit on. Special lighting helps take an underutilized spot in the park and makes it a more appealing place to visit. Having the right lighting system creates a safer walkway for guests to enjoy a nice day or night in the park.”

The State Theatre is responsible for managing the project including these four components:

• Component A is the addition of a sprinkler irrigation system in Wenonah Park, to help keep the grass greener and healthier throughout the summer months, during the festival season. This system will be sustainable and ecologically friendly, recycling water from the nearby Saginaw River and using that water to retain the lush landscape and contributing to the beautification of the grounds.
• Component B is the addition of icicle lights hanging from the trees in the north and south plaza areas at the east end of Wenonah Park. These will be a welcoming and an aesthetic addition to the park that has seen updates in sitting areas and chess tables, since the onset of the pandemic. These additions are a part of an ongoing effort to encourage residents to use the park to enhance their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Icicle lights will
add to the beauty of the park offering dazzling changing colors to the area of the park as enhancing the safety of the park.
• Component C is the addition of sound and lights to the newly renovated Wenonah Park, World Friendship Shell Stage. Renting sound and lighting equipment can be very costly and the addition of sound and lights would alleviate this financial expenditure when putting on summer festivals and concerts. These shows boast world-class entertainment including a recent performance by Nelly as well as educational entertainment and a free children’s concert series.
• Component D is the replacement of the square box lights from the 1970s in Wenonah Park with updated LED Arlington lights that are brighter and more effective for safety and energy efficiency. 

“Wenonah Park is the most utilized park in Bay City. Events at the park can be enjoyed in many ways by all groups of people and these enhancements will enable the State Theatre, the City of Bay City, and our partners to continue providing these amenities while contributing to the mental, physical, and emotional health of the city’s residents and other visitors to Wenonah Park,” said Dana Muscott, City of Bay City Manager.

The State Theatre has an agreement with the City of Bay City to maintain Wenonah Park, The State Theatre created an endowment fund at the Bay Area Community Foundation, for the maintenance and upkeep of the park. The new equipment is energy efficient, which makes better use of these funds. The City of Bay City provides mulch, chlorine for the fountain,
flags, and labor for seasonal fertilizing, mowing, and snow removal. Additionally, Bay City Downtown Development Authority provides trash removal and clean-up services and provides an annual fund contribution to the city’s park fund for the maintenance of the playground.

The Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) program is intended to spur investments that will address the inventory of vacant, underutilized office, commercial, and community spaces due to the pandemic by supporting efforts to repurpose them for the community to enjoy. Approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund to support MEDC’s strategic focus on innovative placemaking and continue to help communities recover from the impacts of COVID-19, the RAP program utilizes $100 million in federal American Rescue Plan dollars to support investments in projects that promote population and tax revenue growth to proactively address negative economic impacts of COVID-19 in traditional downtowns, social zones, and public spaces. One of the goals of the program is to deploy federal American Rescue Plan funding to support investments that will
create the environment necessary to attract and retain talent, add new housing options, enable business creation and attraction and provide resources for Michigan citizens and communities.

 

“We’ve had the pleasure to announce hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment and expansion projects in Bay County and Bay City over the last few years, bringing with it the announcement of hundreds of jobs. Those new and expanding companies need access to skilled and qualified talent from inside and outside of the community,” said Trevor Keyes, President & CEO of Bay Future, Inc. “Talent wants to live and be where things are happening. This placemaking initiative in the heart of our downtown will be a critical aspect in this effort, allowing visitors, potential job seekers, and potential new residents, to see, hear, and experience what our community has to offer, in an environment that is safe, accommodating, and friendly.”

 

Wenonah Park was established in 1908 and is a 6.1-acre park located in the traditional downtown of the City of Bay City. The Park boasts an amphi and is used for special events and arts performances at the World Friendship Shell. It is decorated with a large oval sculpture and water fountain that can be seen down the length of Center Avenue. It also has a seawall that
can accommodate all sizes of vessels and has frequently hosted the Tall Ships Festival. A recent addition was the Nickless Family Community Pavilion, which serves as an outdoor meeting place for several community groups, events, and classes as well as children’s programming and concerts. Wenonah Park was built with all ages in mind and is fully handicap accessible. The Park is equipped with two sets of restrooms, a concession stand, a 50 x 100-foot pavilion, and a playground. Universal Design was utilized in the last renovation of the park, allowing for accessibility to all amenities, including restrooms and building doorways.

 

“Continuing to improve Wenonah Park, which is an incredible asset in downtown Bay City, will provide recreational opportunities to enhance the quality of life for residents and attract people to the community,” said Michigan Economic Development Corporation Community Development Manager Joe Frost. “The goal of the RAP program is to support projects that will make communities more vibrant and attractive places where people want to live, work, visit, and play, and this project is a great example of that.”

 

To view of full list of events in Wenonah Park World Friendship Shell and Nickless Family Community Pavilion

 

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Established in 2004, Bay Future, Inc. is a public-private alliance of government, business, and other organizations that support economic growth in Bay County, Michigan, and the Great Lakes Bay Region. Through the support of its investors, Bay Future is working to execute Bay Future: Drive. Forward., a five-year plan to drive existing business and entrepreneur development, new business recruitment and job growth, workforce initiatives, market available “shovel ready” locations and sites, and both local and regional communication and collaboration. These strategies are all in an effort to create quality jobs for community residents