Hoyt Park Revitalization In Progress!
A 99-Year Lease Has Been Signed With The City of Saginaw
May 21, 2009
By: MyBayCity Staff
Ice Skating Followed By A Hot Cocoa To Be Revitalized!
Friends of Hoyt Park recently signed a 99-year lease with the city of Saginaw with hope that the park will be a staple to the community for generations to come.
This project is a perfect example of a community stepping up to the plate and revitalizing when the government can no longer support such.
Hoyt Park was maintained and enjoyed by residents for decades, that is, until 2002, when budget constraints and lack of community interest prompted city officials to end the parks program. Today the city handles basic maintenance, including snow removal and occasional grass-cutting.
The city of Saginaw proclaimed to host the largest man-made ice rink, at 393,690 square feet east of the Mississippi!
Playing baseball, ice skating and drinking hot cocoa from the concessions in the warming hut were a thing of the past.
Friends of Hoyt, a group targeting the revitalization of Hoyt Park, recognizes the park's importance and is striving to revitalize those memories.
Eric M. Rutherford, the group's president, is leading the project of refurbishing of five baseball diamonds.
With $50,000 in donations, and the help of 150 Dow Chemical Co. employee volunteers, the group renovated the diamonds in preparation for the 16th annual Ken Kipke Men's Softball Classic.
A men's modified softball league also began last week.
The group has about $4,000 remaining in its account for field maintenance. Rutherford hopes to generate revenue through concessions, league fees, Friends of Hoyt membership fees, donations and grants.
A five year plan to reopen the warming house and the winter ice rink restoration are underway. A preliminary estimate on the warming house renovations is $850,000.
Hoyt Park also has plans to construct a memorial dedicated to the soldiers who died in the Middle East called Veteran's Memorial Plaza. Friends of Hoyt and the Saginaw County Veteran's Memorial Plaza Organization increase the chance of a brighter future for the historic park.
Many communities throughout Michigan are currently turning to federal stimulus money and contributions to preserve their parks. Other states are contemplating or actually closing parks. Saginaw continues to move forward with preservation of their landmarks!