FARMINGTON, Mich. – Farmington is looking to transform the heart of its downtown with a new public space. Thanks to donations from the community, that space will soon become a reality.
From $5 donations to $10,000, the funds poured in as the Farmington Downtown Development Committee crowdfunded to raise enough money to transform a piece of property downtown into something more desirable.
“This is a really special community,” said Kate Knight, the Director of the Downtown Development Committee. “The volunteer spirit is incredible.”
Knight said this is exactly what the downtown needs.
“This is a really high impact, small footprint, but we have a historic building behind us,” said Knight. “There’s, as you can see, it’s in the part of downtown Farmington. It’s a trailhead for both our Farmington Road streetscape and our Grand River Avenue streetscape.”
More than 400 donors contributed to making the space possible.
Now that the money is available through donations and grants, crews broke ground on the project this week. Little by little, the plot of land will soon be a place where the community will gather.
“So really contemporary public art, trees, lighting, it’s universally accessible, which I think is important to point out. We were grading the sidewalks back so it’s really effortless to roll in,” said Knight. “You can bring a wheelchair, a stroller, a walker, and just ease into the park.”
Knight said this will certainly attract more businesses to Downtown Farmington, which has already gained 12 new small businesses in the last year alone.