About

The Sturgis Electric City Project

Community: Sturgis Downtown Development Authority
Population: 6,001-12,000

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Project Description

Through the Electric City Project, the Sturgis Downtown Development Authority (DDA) sought to embrace that heritage while re-energizing the downtown core through creative placemaking, lighting, and digital engagement. The project was designed to activate public spaces, celebrate local history and art, and strengthen community connections while supporting local businesses. The Electric City Project proposed four main components:

Downtown Lighting Over 2,900 linear feet of LED accent lighting was installed along Chicago Road and nearby downtown corridors, illuminating the skyline and highlighting architectural details. The lighting enhances safety and ambiance while celebrating Sturgis’s “Electric City” identity. Minor delays during installation were quickly resolved in collaboration with property owners, and the results have been widely praised by residents and business owners.

Food Truck Park A new outdoor food truck park was developed featuring four permanent electrical hook-ups, ADA-accessible picnic tables, and landscaped seating areas. The adjacent historic pumphouse was transformed with murals, decorative lighting, and fresh paint, turning it into a vibrant focal point. The park has quickly become a popular community gathering space with strong attendance at food truck events.

Electric Alley An underused alleyway was reimagined as “Electric Alley,” a pedestrian-friendly corridor with artistic lighting, public art installations, and inviting seating. The transformation created a safe and attractive connection between neighboring businesses and has become a distinctive downtown feature that encourages exploration and social activity.

Interactive DDA Website & QR System A new DDA website, sturgisdowntown.com, was launched featuring an interactive digital map with more than 25 public art and historic sites. QR codes installed throughout the district allow visitors to access stories and images highlighting Sturgis’s heritage, increasing engagement and foot traffic downtown.

Community Impact & Engagement The Electric City Project united residents, business owners, and local organizations in a shared vision for revitalization. The crowdfunding campaign met its goal, unlocking MEDC matching funds and strengthening civic pride. The visible improvements have energized the downtown district, boosting evening activity and reinforcing its role as the heart of the community.

Is your project easy to replicate in other communities (clear in its impact and execution for other communities)?

Yes it can be if you have a good team that works well together. It took the City, The Sturgis Downtown Development Authority, The Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce, The Sturgis Area Community Foundation, the downtown businesses and private donors to come together to make this project happen with fundraising and grant matching. Make sure you have a clear path to get there from conception, planning and producing results, then your downtown will benefit from the results.

What is the Community Wealth Impact (based on one or more of the categories you selected) of your project?

Early coordination with property owners proved essential to the project’s success, ensuring smoother implementation streets, and long-term collaboration. Looking ahead, the DDA and City plan to expand the initiative with additional lighting on side new art installations, and enhancements to the interactive digital platform. Through creativity, collaboration, and community spirit, the Electric City Project has honored Sturgis’s historic legacy while creating a vibrant, modern downtown that reflects both the city’s innovative past and its bright future.

Describe the creativity and originality of your project.

The City of Sturgis is known as the “Electric City”, we have events like the Sturgis Fest Electric Night Parade that highlight the lighting up of the parade entries, we had lighting on two side streets that we use for events, and when the Sturgis DDA (Downtown Development Authority) board members started to discuss this project and capitalizing on our “Electric City” name which dates back to the 1800’s with Sturgis producing it’s own electricity, we knew we could electrify our downtown and make it a tourist destination along with community pride.

This project was a chance to highlight our downtown in a new and unique way through lighting, while also complementing and advancing our placemaking strategy at the same time. The lighting had strong community support and has had universal positive feedback from residents and visitors alike. The Public Spaces Community Places grant has been a tool we have had the ability to utilize for a variety of projects in Sturgis and has proven to be a wonderful way for the community and governmental organizations to work together to invest in place based improvements.”