Island Park will get new pavilion, shared kitchen
An image of the Island Park entrance sign on the corner of Main and Lincoln Street. CM Life File Photo.
Mount Pleasant recently received a $2.79 million grant to build a new farmers’ market pavilion and shared-use kitchen at Island Park.
The grant is from the Michigan Talent Partnership Program, an initiative by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Ground is expected to break on this building in the summer of 2027, with construction expected to be finished by the end of 2027.
"The entire city commission (is) incredibly grateful for the talented staff and teams we have working for the city government that worked tirelessly to bring this opportunity home to Mount Pleasant,” Mayor Boomer Wingard wrote in an email.
According to a Mount Pleasant press release, the current pavilions can’t provide the flexible, year-round space needed for community programs.
"Our farmers' market is an incredibly popular seasonal program that we offer. Being able to maintain the program year-round helps support smaller local businesses and keeps Mount Pleasant as a center of Commerce for Isabella County and the Mid-Michigan area," Wingard wrote.
Andrew Wittbrodt is the farmers' market coordinator for Mount Pleasant. He said in an email that the goals of this new pavilion are to create a multi-use space for events and programs.
This pavilion will include a commercial incubator kitchen, a shared-use facility where business workers can rent space to cook food products.
Wittbrodt said the incubator will keep costs low for small businesses and provide a licensed space that meets health department standards.
“This investment positions the new multi-use pavilion as a powerful economic driver for Mount Pleasant, supporting local farmers and vendors while expanding opportunities for small businesses through a commercial kitchen incubator,” the press release read.
