$17,500 goal to win matching grant through MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative
LANSING, Mich. –The city of Charlevoix will soon have a walkable and vibrant dog park at the Carpenter Street Ball Fields with the help of a new crowdfunding campaign, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and city of Charlevoix announced Friday. The campaign is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.
If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $17,500 by September 28, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places program. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/chxdogpark.
“The City of Charlevoix Dog Park will be a community asset for Charlevoix and allow a safe space for residents and their four-legged family members,” said MEDC Senior Vice President of Community Development Michele Wildman. “We are pleased to support and provide resources for this project through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”
The city of Charlevoix strives to be a Michigan community that offers accessible, walkable, and beautiful recreation opportunities for all in the community. Despite having 14 parks with 125 acres, its residents and visitors are lacking a place for their dogs to play.
With public input from the residents of Charlevoix that gave a dog park high priority, the city's recreation department found the ideal location in unused land at the Carpenter Street Ball Fields. The city already has funds committed to enclosing and maintaining the area, and is now seeking help from the community through this campaign to make this underutilized space into a full-fledged park.
“Residents regularly expressed their desire for a park, especially for their dog. Our new dog park is a great addition to the community, and we thank in advance the residents who want to further improve this space with their donations to the Public Spaces Community Places grant program,” said Charlevoix City Manager Mark L. Heydlauff. “Our new dog park is one more way our residents can enjoy the Charlevoix community.”
Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League, and Patronicity, in which local residents can use crowdfunding to be part of the development of strategic projects in their communities and be backed with a matching grant from MEDC. Communities, nonprofits and other business entities can apply at https://patronicity.com/puremichigan.
“The Michigan Municipal League is a firm believer in building community wealth in ways that enhance experiences for everyone, including our pets,” said Dan Gilmartin, League’s CEO and Executive Director. “Creating this dog park in Charlevoix is community wealth building in action. With the public’s support, this park will improve the experience for people and their furry friends for years to come. That is what community wealth building is about.”
The Public Spaces Community Places initiative started in 2014 with MEDC providing matched funding of up to $50,000 for community improvement projects throughout Michigan. As of June 30, 2021, MEDC has provided more than $8.6 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 280 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with $10.1 million raised from 48,922 individual donors.
About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness, and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org
Photo courtesy of Charlevoix resident Alyssa Singles
