Contact:
Stefanie Pohl, MEDC
517.489.0557
[email protected]

Tom Rowland
VP, New Buffalo Community Education Foundation
312.450.4184
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 18, 2026

$75,000 goal to win matching grant through MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative

LANSING, Mich. – The New Buffalo Community Education Foundation (NBCEF) is completing the redesign of the community baseball/softball complex to be universally accessible and inclusive to all. This project will be fulfilled through the anticipated success of a crowdfunding campaign that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the nonprofit New Buffalo Community Education Foundation announced today, which is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $75,000 by July 17, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) program. This project is utilizing the PSCP Universal Design and Accessibility Funding Extension to access an additional $25,000 for projects that achieve universal design and accessibility in their public space. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/bison.

“The NBCEF is creating a state-of-the-art playing field that will welcome players, family members, and visitors of all abilities to the new space,” said MEDC Regional Development Managing Director Paula Holtz. “We are pleased to provide resources for this effort through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”

Work is underway on the campus of New Buffalo Area Schools and the adjoining Oselka Park to update and redesign their community baseball/softball complex. They have worked to integrate universal design principles to ensure that everyone—regardless of age or ability—can enjoy the facility. This redesign is an investment in social infrastructure. These fields will be a gathering place for shared experiences as our community comes together to meet the needs and aspirations of our young people.

Funding from this campaign will complete the playing field buildout with universally accessible grandstands and bleacher areas of the complex. This will be a community gathering place for all of Harbor Country with the combining of New Buffalo and River Valley teams. The New Buffalo Youth Sports Rec program has 150+ kids from Pony League down to T-ball that will have access to the fields for practices and games. Furthermore, plans are in motion to bring a collegiate summer league team to New Buffalo that will provide fun family entertainment on summer evenings.

“The New Buffalo Community Education Foundation is excited to be participating in the Public Spaces Community Places Program with the potential to receive a matching grant from the MEDC if we hit our fundraising goal of $75,000,” said Tom Rowland, Vice President of the NBCEF. “With the help of our community and supporters, we plan to complete the construction of stadium seating around our newly renovated field. Our hope is that this project will result in the creation of a centralized gathering place for shared events and experiences enjoyed by residents and visitors to the New Buffalo area for years to come.”

Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League and Patronicity, in which 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.

“This redesigned athletic complex is a great investment for New Buffalo,” said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League. “It speaks to the need to prioritize accessibility in our communities. Their dedication to inclusivity will ensure that athletes and spectators of all ages and abilities can enjoy the facilities.”

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 May 5, 2026, the MEDC has provided more than $14.7 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 428 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with more than $16.8 million raised from 77,110 individual donors. Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning matching funds.

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. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Michigan Municipal League is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest centers of potential: its communities. The League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington, D.C., and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials; and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services. Learn more at mml.org. 

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