A couple of years ago, the urge to “reignite Cass County” turned into a movement of sorts, and it all began in the heart of the county seat at the Village of Cassopolis. Working for months with Michigan State University and the Sustainable Built Environment initiative, the village ventured into a visioning, design and planning process that ended up bringing the village, the county, their economic development committee and the entire community like never before.
Now, success is ever closer following action last week by the Michigan Strategic Fund which approved a broad range of initiatives, business expansions, and community revitalization projects all designed to drive the economic recovery of Michigan’s businesses and communities while positioning the state for future prosperity.
One of those projects was the Imagine Cass Streetscape Transformation project in downtown Cassopolis. The Village of Cassopolis last week received $2.8 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for public improvements for their Imagine Cass Streetscape Transformation project which will build on the village’s comprehensive “Imagine Cass” master plan.
The plan focuses on four main themes by implementing physical improvements that impact more than 400,000 square feet of public space in downtown Cassopolis and the surrounding corridors. Those improvements will enhance the aesthetics and infrastructure of the district, while also improving connectivity and access of low- and moderate-income community members to local businesses and services, encouraging private investment and enhancing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Specific activities that will be completed include new striped bike lanes, pedestrian crosswalks, traffic lane reductions to help slow traffic to a safe speed, improved landscaping, lighting, public seating, free WiFi and replacing existing water main infrastructure. The total project cost is estimated to be $5.95 million. The village of Cassopolis is contributing $3.15 million toward the project.
Cassopolis has been working with Michigan State University and Benton Harbor-based Wightman, a planning, engineering and architecture firm, on its master plan in order to have a completed and comprehensive plan driven by the citizens.
Michigan Economic Development Corporation CEO Mark Burton said last week, “Today’s Michigan Strategic Fund actions build on our efforts to deploy every resource available to support Michigan’s businesses, communities and residents as they work to economically recover from the COVID-19 virus,” and adds, “It is more vital than ever that we stay focused on restoring economic prosperity for all Michiganders and the projects approved today are putting our state in a position to not only recover economically, but to thrive.”
With that announcement, the MEDC has deployed 14 response programs in the past two months to support small businesses, communities, entrepreneurs and workers in all corners of Michigan in combating the economic impacts of the pandemic, providing support for more than 2,700 companies and helping retain more than 11,000 jobs for Michigan workers. The programs have reached all 83 counties in the state, assisting businesses across a range of industries, including food service, retail, healthcare, construction and professional services, among others.
The Michigan Strategic Fund support for Cassopolis was one of five community revitalization projects getting the green light as they are helping to create the vibrant communities that attract talent through innovative placemaking. By contributing to traditional downtown districts like Cassopolis, and revitalizing public space in geographically disadvantaged areas, the projects are helping to establish attractive places to live, work and play.
The architectural rendering of one possible vision for Cassopolis accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is from the community’s Broadway Corridor Vision as presented by the Michigan State University School of Planning, Design and Construction.
