Funding secured for St. John Street Memorial Park with final total of $2,009,862

Flint community members were invited to enjoy a walking tour of the St. John Street Neighborhood Memorial Park site and be the first to hear news about the park at a free community event hosted by Mayor Sheldon Neeley last Friday. At the event it was announced that all the funding for the park had been secured, and a check in the amount of $2,009,862 was presented to A/E Collaborative, the architectural and engineering firm tasked with the design of the park.

The City of Flint and Mayor Sheldon Neeley have partnered with the St. John Street Historical Committee to develop a vision for a park commemorating the neighborhood that was demolished to make way for I-475 in the early 1970s. The St. John Street neighborhood was a thriving, racially diverse, self-sustaining community, home to local businesses and families. It was bordered by the Flint River to the east and the railway and Buick City to the west. The memorial park will be developed along the Flint River in this area.

Mayor Neeley previously announced $250,000 from the City's General Fund and $500,000 in ARPA funds to support the park development. In 2023, the City of Flint was able to leverage these investments to secure a $1 million Michigan Spark Grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The plan for the park includes improved and accessible trails, repaving over 3.5 miles of the Flint River Trail, which runs through the park, as well as a new playground, improvements to trail crossings at street intersections, repairs of seven existing scenic river overlooks, and a new parking lot. The community is invited to tour the park site during the event this Friday, at 3400 W. Boulevard Dr. between Massachusetts Ave. and Dort Hwy.

"I am proud to partner with the St. John Street Historical Committee to ensure that an important part of Flint's history will be remembered through reinvestment in recreational opportunities in north Flint," Mayor Neeley said. "As a society, we have a responsibility to support communities of color that were harmed by racist urban renewal practices. Today's investment will help ensure that the stories and legacy of the St. John Street neighborhood continue to hold a special place in the hearts and minds of our children and our children's children in Flint."