With input from hundreds of community members and more than a year of planning, the vision for Park Township’s new community center is forming.
“Over the past year, we’ve engaged and heard from hundreds of residents in this process,” says Bryan Jones, who in addition to being co-chair for the visioning committee is a Park Township trustee. “There’s been a lot of excitement and support for creating an easily-accessible space that people will want to use frequently.”
The township’s former community center where mid-winter roller skating and other community events took place burned down in 2022 after a lightning strike. It was 85 years old at the time and had one large room for gatherings. It was last updated in 1992 with accessibility modifications.
The new Park Township Community Center would have multipurpose and fitness rooms, a cafe and lounge, indoor kids’ play zone, athletic courts, and a quiet space where residents could find a spot to get some work done. Park Township residents will not pay a fee for daily use of the facility.
Outdoor gathering spaces and an outdoor fireplace are also part of the proposal. The building will be designed to accept future expansion.
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Courtesy Gather Park TownshipThe proposed Park Township Community Center would complement the community park in the same area.
Town hall
Last month, Park Township hosted a town hall to report out the proposed vision for a new community center, which township officials are considering for construction at the corner of 152nd Avenue and Ottawa Beach Road. The proposed vision would complement development of the township’s Community Park in that area.
It was the final town hall meeting in a series of events designed to attract people from all sectors of the Park Township community and brought more than 60 people as well as local business and nonprofit leaders.
Community Center Visioning Committee chairs Jones and Len Pilon led the Sept. 16 meeting, including touching on how much the construction and operations would cost and how it would be funded. The committee’s presentation, visioning summary, and the Q&As are available for viewing and download at
gather.parktownship.org/vision.
Jones, Pilon and other committee members shared the project’s overarching vision, guiding principles, desired amenities, as well as a recap of how public input formed that vision.
The new community center process started more than a year ago when Pilon tapped several people with varying expertise to be on the visioning committee.
The committee spent a substantial amount of time researching what other similar communities across the country have created for their own community centers. Then, public engagement sessions drew on Park Township residents’ ideas for the center.
Those public ideas were taken into the conceptualization phase— what types of spaces, how many rooms, sizes, what should be next to what, etc.
“The cafe and the lounge is the hub of the whole place,” Pilon says.
The township is exploring the idea of partnering with a locally owned coffee shop to provide concessions. The proposal will be put out for public bids.
Review and request for proposals
The committee is submitting its recommendations for review to the Park Township Board of Trustees. If approved, the project would be bid out early next year as a “design build” where the architect and contractor work together through the entire process in an effort to bring down costs and prevent over-inflated designs.
The design process would take several months and construction could begin in spring of 2026.
From natural lighting and high efficiency HVAC to natural materials and solar panel, the design will need to incorporate green infrastructure and energy use.
“We really want to set the example in Park Township of what a sustainable building would look like,” Pilon says. “We need to do it first before we ask others to do it as well.”
Millage
Cost projections for the community center include initial operating costs and are estimated to be $18 million to $20 million.
Divided by Lake Macatawa with a small portion of the township on the south side where they are served by the Maatman Center, 699 Harrington Ave., the proposal also includes a $1 million refresh of that community center.
The proposal would require a 1-1.5 mill bond, costing about $100-$150 per $100k taxable value. Taxable value is typically half of the assessed value. Operating costs are rolled into the millage and are estimated at $1 million annually. Park Township residents would have the opportunity to vote on any potential millage.
The township has already started a donation campaign with a $5 million goal.
All ages
The committee looked at potential users of all ages, including outreach to schools and to organizations that target seniors.
Every day 850 people walk through the doors of Holland’s 55+ yr community center, Evergreen Commons. Nearly 20% of them are from the North Side, primarily Park Township, says Jill Ver Steeg, president and CEO at Evergreen Commons.
A partnership with Evergreen Commons would allow the nonprofit to conduct classes and events in the Park Township Community Center space, making it more accessible to Park Township residents.
“It has been exciting to be on the journey with Park Township as they evaluate how a future community center could inspire all ages toward wellness and engagement,” Ver Steeg told the group.
Many of the September town hall attendees had participated in the public engagement process since its inception earlier this year, including students from Amy VanAllsburg’s fourth grade class at Lakewood Elementary School. The class played an important role in providing a young students’ perspective on community center needs.
“The committee and the Park Township community members made the students feel valued and important every step of the way, especially on the night when they shared their vision and design boards,” VanAllsburg says. “My students were completely engaged and very passionate about their ideas, and to see some of their ideas come to life was such an honor. This experience will stay with them forever.”
The goal is to make the site a hub of activity for all Park Township residents, regardless of demographics, officials say.
Holland and Zeeland have downtowns that are the hubs of those communities, Pilon says. This would be like a downtown for Park Township.
From the report, many items were clear "must haves" while other possibilities might be incorporated into the design. For the full report, visit
gather.parktownship.org/vision.
Must have
• Athletic courts (for athletics, free/open plan, obstacle courses)
• Group fitness rooms
• Multipurpose rooms for learning, recreation, meeting (art, music, games)
• Kids’ play zone - two stories high
• Quiet space (library, reading, tutoring, relaxation)
• Café/ Lounge
• Reception area & Welcome desk
• Outdoor gathering space (pavilion, covered patio, front porch seating, fireplace or firepit)
• Large events space (for 200 people or more, theater/concert style)
Other supportive essentials:
• Kitchen
• Storage
• Indoor walking track
Other possibilities
• Welcome Center for Park Township (history, farming, art, former airport)
• Aquarium/Indoor water feature
• Art gallery/mural
• Atrium/indoor gardens
• Daycare
• Donations/ Library of Things
• Learning, Tutoring, Mentoring
• Resource center for students, seniors, nonprofits, and social services
• Food trucks (vs restaurants, dining)
• Indoor walking track with special lane for different mobility needs
• Inclusive play area
• Shared workspaces
• Emergency shelter