The Community Foundation of St. Clair County has made placemaking the center of its mission to connect people and places, from the coastlines of the St. Clair River to the rural stretches of the county’s western towns.

Since 2022, the Foundation has been working with rural and smaller communities like Yale, Ira, Emmett, Kimball, and Lynn Township to support their own placemaking projects. With the help of professional consultants, 11 communities have received support to develop local Recreation Plans and apply for key funding sources, including the Wilson Legacy Funds through the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and the DNR Trust Fund Program.

Three of those communities, along with new projects on the Blue Water River Walk, just received new grant funding from the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan through their Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation Legacy Funds. Among them are Ira Township, Emmett Township, and Lynn Township. This is in addition to funding already committed to those projects from the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

“Emmett Township and its residents are very appreciative of the grants that we received for our park development project,” said Michael Butler, Emmett Township Supervisor. “The bulk of our funds go to road maintenance and fire protection. These grants allow us to develop our park into a place where our residents can enjoy the outdoors for years to come.”

Newly enhanced and redeveloped gathering spaces like McMorran Plaza in Port Huron and Riverview Plaza in the City of St. Clair have become lively gathering spots for families, events, and small businesses. They’re great examples of how placemaking can turn a public space into a vibrant community destination.

“Placemaking can happen anywhere,” said Randy Maiers, President & CEO of the Community Foundation. “It’s about making space for people to gather, connect, and take pride in where they live, and we are so thankful that our friends at the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan are supporting this work.”

Along the Bridge to Bay Trail in Port Huron, the Blue Water River Walk is also on the receiving end of new grant funding. The Community Foundation recently announced plans to restore the southernmost ferry dock along the River Walk, including the addition of a new accessible trail extension, lighting, and security enhancements.

This nearly $300,000 project is being made possible by the support from the Acheson Fund, Port Huron Rotary Club, Knowlton Family Fund, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. The Southern Ferry Dock sits on one of the most popular segments of the Bridge to Bay Trail, which is one of the few places where the public can directly access the waterfront in the area.

Whether it’s a viewing platform by the river or a walking trail in a small inland town, each project shares one thing in common: the intentional effort to create meaningful and welcoming spaces that are built around the needs of the people who use them.

Looking ahead, the Community Foundation is preparing to launch the Community Heart & Soul program in Yale—an initiative that invites residents to shape the future of their own town. Through this program, local voices help steer development goals, ensuring that their hopes and ideas are at the forefront of every project.

From lakeshore to farmland, St. Clair County is becoming a model for what’s possible when place, people, and purpose come together. And the Community Foundation is proud to be a part of it all. For more information about our rural and small town work contact Natacha Hayden at natacha@stclairfoundation.org or (810)984-4761.