A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support development of a new park in Chikaming Township.
Kohn Park will be located at 5844 Sawyer Road, the former site of an old fire station that was torn down a few years ago. Chikaming Township Supervisor David Bunte tells us since plans for the park were announced, public support has been high. He says residents of Sawyer could really use something like it.
“We’ve had nothing but great comments and great support from the community,” Bunte said. “Residents, people wanting an area that they can go and enjoy and sit and have lunch and listen to music or do a farmers market or just activities that are centrally located in downtown Sawyer.”
Kohn Park is set to include a children’s music play installation, a sculptural shade shelter, native plant landscaping and pollinator gardens, seating, a bike repair station, and a custom bronze sculpture crafted by a local artist. The township is working with the artist on that now.
Bunte says since the fundraising effort to create the park started, there’s been plenty of progress.
“We currently have raised approximately $535,000 on the project, about another $150,000 or so to go, a little over that, but we have a lot of other outstanding grants also that we’re waiting to hear from.”
The new crowdfunding campaign is seeking $75,000 in the next 60 days. Bunte says the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will match that if it’s raised, meaning the campaign would generate another $150,000 for the park. He says that would likely get the township up to its total goal.
You can find the campaign right here.
Kohn Park is named for residents Jerry and Bev Kohn, who had the dilapidated fire station demolished a few years ago and then donated the parcel and one next to it to the township.
