Copyright M Live Michigan
CHELSEA, MI — Traveling through Chelsea, visitors can easily notice progress at a new public park that is transforming a former factory site downtown. Once complete, the park will feature a skatepark, climbing structures, and spaces for the community to gather and play sports. Ongoing construction is not the only recent progress. The Main Street Park project recently secured more than $1 million through a state Natural Resources Trust Fund grant. In addition, a public mural is on the way. Park organizers are seeking proposals from artists through the end of November. A rock-climbing structure, pavilion and other features have been under construction, as Main Street Park steadily becomes a reality at the former Federal Screw Works site at 500 S. Main Street. Locals and visitors have also watched environmental cleanup, with a lot of dirt removed and replaced. “This project is transforming a former industrial site into a vibrant public space where families, kids, and seniors can gather, play, and enjoy the outdoors,” state Rep. Kathy Schmaltz, R-Jackson, said in a release. “It’s a great example of what can happen when state and local partners work together to invest in our communities’ quality of life,” Schmaltz said. The state grant will be used toward the city’s future purchase of the nearly three acres from the Main Street Park Alliance, a local nonprofit organization that purchased it in 2023 and has spearheaded park improvements. The city will pay a $463,000 local match. The new state grant is in addition to millions secured through other grants, contributions and local donations from the community. Chelsea city officials are also pursuing additional funding to connect the park to Chelsea’s non-motorized pathways, potentially linking it to the Border-to-Border Trail, local schools, retirement communities, and other area parks, according to the release. In addition, park organizers are also seeking artists to create a mural on the exterior of the park pavilion building. “We are seeking a design that is abstract, inspiring, and contemporary, a work that moves beyond literal depictions to evoke the deeper energy of the project,” the call for artists states. “The mural should suggest the interconnectedness of people and nature, the rhythm of renewal, and the uplifting spirit that comes from reclaiming space for wellness, play, and belonging,” it states. The Main Street Park Alliance will collect mural proposals from artists through Sunday, Nov. 30. Mural panels would be installed on the southeast corner of the building in April 2026. The budget for the mural is between $1,200 and $2,500. Main Street Park will feature an approximately 8,000-square foot skatepark with a half-pipe, rail, and other features for both advanced and beginner skaters. Los Angeles-based Spohn Ranch Skateparks helped design it. Plans also include about 11,000 square feet of courts for basketball and multiple sports, two bocce ball courts, the rock-climbing wall and an additional climbing structure for children. Other planned amenities include a sensory musical play area, swinging benches, a “hammock grove,” a gas-powered fire pit on a timer and a walking path, trees and native plantings. It is also planned to be universally accessible for people of different levels of ability. Construction of the new park is expected to wrap up next year.
