A crowdfunding campaign to support the development of a new public space in downtown Bridgman has reached its goal. The Greater Bridgman Area Chamber and Growth Alliance started raising $50,000 for the Bridgman Courtyard, a space on Lake Street, last month. The group’s Tara Heiser told us at the time the courtyard started during COVID as a safe space for people to gather and has grown since then. The plan now is to add a wooden pergola structure with bistro lights and a new electrical source for events.
“We’ll be pouring all new concrete because the structure needs to be pretty far deep into the ground to ensure its safety and longevity,” Heiser said. “With that, once the concrete is poured, the high school art students are going to come in. They’re currently designing a rug mural for the ground that will really help define the space and make it look more like an outdoor room.”
Heiser says the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will match the $50,000 raised by the crowdfunding campaign through its Public Spaces Community Places grant program, making this a more than $100,000 project. The campaign raised $53,000 with a total of 154 donors.
