Traverse City Bayfront Plan in Traverse City, Grand Traverse County
TYPE OF GRANT
Capital Challenge Grant, Planning and Assessment Grant
AWARDED
June 2005 – $25,000 conceptual plan for Traverse City’s Great Lakes Waterfront
December 2009 – $5,000 Traverse City Waterfront Plan, Capital Planning Grant
October 2010 – $75,000 Bay Front Plan, Capital Challenge
TOTAL LEVERAGE
Over $1 million has been directly leveraged to date for the project involving a two-mile development stretch of West Grand Traverse Bay. Total costs are estimated at $26 million. Other funding will come from the Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Zone Management Grant. A first-time-ever collaboration of regional funders(*), organized earlier by Rotary Charities and the Oleson Foundation to network and share knowledge, provided $452,500 for the project. Significant funding came from Traverse City’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in the form of a $450,000 match for a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant. An earlier grant from the DDA of $100,000 was designated for a preliminary engineering study. In June, DTE Energy Foundation announced a $150,000 grant in honor of former Governor and Mrs. William Milliken for their contributions to the state of Michigan and its natural resources.
(*)Regional funders joining Rotary Charities to fund the Bay Front Plant include the Beers Family Foundation, Biederman Foundation, DTE Energy Foundation, Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, Consumers Energy Foundation, FIM Group (Utopia Foundation), Oleson Foundation, Hagerty Foundation, Schmuckal Family Foundation and the Traverse City Chamber Foundation. Other funders also include the Falconer Group, Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau and Traverse City Light & Power.
SUMMARY
“Your Bay, Your Say,” the initiative that spawned the Traverse City Bay Front Plan, resulted from a discussion among Rotarians active on the club’s water studies committee, the year Rotary provided a $1 million grant to NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute. The exchange was about improving the area where the Boardman River spills into West Grand Traverse Bay. Following plenty of public input, hours of discussion and planning,“Your Bay, Your Say” was turned over to the city. At that point the results of the study were in limbo, mayor Chris Bzdok recalls. That is until the DDA stepped in with support from its director and board, and a $100,000 grant for a preliminary engineering study. “This was TIF (tax increment financing) money at work,” notes Mike Jackson, the Bay planning committee’s second chair, as well as a member of the DDA board. “This is the same fund that has helped start so many of the community’s civic projects.” The city then turned the study over to its parks and recreation commission, chaired by volunteer Nate Elkins. Mayor Bzdok credits Nate and his committee with catalyzing the project, along with the support of an additional $900 thousand matching grant from the DDA.
COMMUNITY NEED
Interest in planned development of the city’s critical bay front has been topical for years by citizens and elected officials. The “Your Bay, Your Say” initiative reflected that visioning interest with hundreds of participants. Its results were later affirmed by the overwhelming input into the Grand Vision, a six-county citizen led initiative developed by residents and civic, business and governmental leaders to help bring economic revitalization to the area.
Chris Bzdok, Mayor of the City of Traverse City
“What I see…”
“I liken the Bay Front project to a boulder. It was three groups (the DDA, city parks and recreation committee and Rotary Charities and its collaboration of funders) that put its hands on the boulder and started the momentum. That motion and momentum continues today with the city still submitting grant applications as they become available.”
Nate Elkins, Chairman of the Traverse City Parks and Recreation Committee
“What I see…”
“A third party was needed to coordinate the Bay Front project. And it was Rotary Charities who reached out and played an appropriate role with the funders’ collaborative.
“What Rotary Charities did for the Bay Front project is what I envision a new organization doing, one which can minimize governmental oversight in administering our city park system.
“There is currently a void here. Great parks in other communities are run by conservancy type organizations. It’s my goal is to establish a similar type arrangement right here, a Traverse City Parks Conservancy if you will.”
Mike Jackson, Chairman of the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority
“What I see…”
“I’ve been fortunate in my professional career to travel the world, and thus have seen a lot of beautiful parks and bay fronts.
“What the Bay Front project does for Traverse City is take it from being a nice city on the Bay—-to a world class city on the Bay.
“The revitalized Bay Front will attract citizens and visitors long after we’re gone. It will enhance the entire area and spill over to energize the downtown economy.”
