2008 Promising Projects — Encouraging Civic Progress

Building on a wealth of prior local research including the City of Grand Rapids’ master plan and subsequent neighborhood level plans, Midtown Neighborhood Association (Midtown) received grant support to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study and strategic plan for a proposed expansion and modernization of the Fulton Street Farmer’s Market (market). The market, a prized community asset for more than 80 years, showcases thirty seasonal vendors from Michigan who sell plants, fresh fruits, vegetables and artisan products to local and regional visitors.

Partnering with a national content expert, Midtown will explore a variety of options that might enhance the market including capacity, year-round viability, and potential vendor mix. A portion of Midtown’s grant was structured as a 1:1 challenge grant to encourage public sector participation in the initiative.

The 2010 election will signal a remarkable era of transition in which term limits will require the election of a new governor and new senators and representatives in more than two-thirds of all state legislative districts. To capitalize on this historic opportunity, the Center for Michigan plans to put forth a new citizen-driven, policy agenda that targets the state’s most pressing challenges including the structural deficit, legacy costs, prison costs, Medicaid, the need for talent and the environment.

With the launch of a comprehensive public engagement campaign titled 'Michigan’s Defining Moment', the Center for Michigan has a strategy to engage a minimum of 10,000 pragmatic civic leaders who can endorse and advocate for a new shared public agenda. Three rounds of public engagement activities are planned state-wide over the next two years. A statewide citizen conference will follow, where strategies based on the reform agenda endorsed by more than 10,000 leaders and residents, will be developed to influence the gubernatorial debate and candidate debates in every legislative district in Michigan. Ultimately, the Center for Michigan expects to develop a set of action steps that citizens can take on behalf of the future of the State.