Contact:
Contact: Kathleen Achtenberg, MEDC
517.489.0557
[email protected]

Marcia Strange
Director of Community Development- City of Marshall
[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 30, 2025

$50,000 goal to win matching grant through MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places initiative

LANSING, Mich. — The City of Marshall is leading an effort to bring a new splash pad and six new pickleball courts to the Marshall Athletic Fields, transforming vacant lots into vibrant recreational spaces. This effort will be fulfilled through the anticipated success of a crowdfunding campaign that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the City of Marshall announced today, which is being offered through the Michigan-based crowdfunding platform Patronicity.

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $50,000 by June 29^th, the project will win a matching grant with funds made possible by MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) program. For project details and to donate, please visit: patronicity.com/marshall.

“The creation of these new public recreation facilities will improve the quality of life for all community members in Marshall,” said MEDC Regional Prosperity Managing Director Paula Holtz. “We are pleased to support and provide resources for this project through our Public Spaces Community Places program.”

This project has been some years in the making. In 2020, the City of Marshall received a generous land donation from Eaton, located at the corner of Hanover and Fountain Streets. Since then, the City of Marshall has worked closely with community members to transform this vacant lot into a vibrant, inclusive recreational space that will serve residents and visitors for generations to come.

This campaign will bring the Marshall Athletic Field Expansion Project to completion; it is a transformative investment in outdoor recreation, wellness, and community connection. The design includes six pickleball courts, a splash pad, new parking, new public restrooms, and a pavilion for convenience and community gatherings. This project has a total budget of $2.4 million, and the city has already secured the majority of the funding through public and private sources. Now, through this campaign they are entering the final phase and are just $100,000 away from bringing this full vision to life.

“The PSCP matching grant is helping us complete a once-in-a-generation investment in outdoor recreation for Marshall,” said Justin Miller, Marshall Parks and Recreation Superintendent. “This support allows us to finish the project with critical amenities that ensure comfort, accessibility, and long-term use for all. We are grateful for this partnership in building a stronger, healthier community.”

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

“The Marshall Community Pickleball Project is more than just new courts and a splash pad; it’s an investment in community connection and health,” said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League. “By transforming an underused lot into a vibrant recreational area, the project will make the city of Marshall more welcoming to both residents and visitors. It brings people together across generations, creating an environment that is accessible and enjoyable for all. This is what placemaking is all about.”

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 April 24, 2025, MEDC has provided more than $13.8 million in matching grants. Since the launch of the program, 408 projects have been successful in reaching their goal, with more than $15.9 million raised from 74,571 individual donors. Communities have a 97 percent success rate in achieving their goals and earning matching funds.

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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