Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Separate groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting events were held Wednesday afternoon for big projects in the City of Howell.

City staff, council, and members of the community first gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Howell Depot Fire & Ice District that will transform the downtown area.

Immediately following the groundbreaking, the crowd moved over to Scofield Park to cut the ribbon on the newest enhancements - brand-new ADA-accessible bathrooms and concessions located on the beachfront of Thompson Lake.

The Howell Depot Fire & Ice District will feature a prominent, outdoor “shed” or open-air pavilion that will house an ice-skating rink for winter, and a destination for downtown events. Restrooms, rentable space, concessions, lockers, and skate rentals are included – along with a high-end sound and lighting system. Three firepits are part of a gathering space; along with a playable, interactive fountain with lights – not to be confused with a “splash pad”. Those will all be ringed around the Historic Depot Museum. Other amenities are coming that will be a “surprise”, and legacy naming sponsorships are also being made available.

During the event, Mayor Bob Ellis said the project will enhance the beauty of their award-winning downtown and help the City to become even more of a cohesive community and regional family destination. He told WHMI the project has been years in the making - with people clamoring for an ice rink and complaining about parking downtown. This new project will boast more than 200 spaces when complete. Ellis said they’re in the demolition phase now at the property with a tight timeline, and anticipated completion in November.

City Manager Erv Suida is among those most excited about the project – and even brought his own shovel to the groundbreaking. He thanked Council, staff, the DDA, Planning Commission and various other partners in making everything possible. Suida said “how fitting is it that a two-time Main Street winning community is still doing projects like this, that are only going to make it better”. Suida said over the past two decades, the City’s spent over $60 (m) million investing in the community – with almost half of that in grant funding. He said Council’s hard work and strong belief in fiscal responsibility along with investing in the community is really an example for other communities of “what good governance is”.

C.E. Gleeson Constructors is the contractor. Charles Gleeson III said they’re proud to partner with the City to bring the Fire and Ice Depot project to light - a destination designed to elevate year-round community experiences in the heart of downtown. He said the vibrant hub is all designed to “celebrate Howell’s small town feel and growing energy”. Gleeson said they have a lot of experience with such public projects and stressed they understand how important it is to get them right and be good stewards of the budget, timeline, and vision. From concept to ribbon cutting – Gleeson said they’re committed to delivering a space that resembles Howell’s character and will bring residents together in every season.

For the ribbon cutting at Scofield Park and the beach area, Ellis joked he’s now presided over two public restroom grand openings in his term as mayor in delivering humorous speech – saying he was “flushed with excitement” about the project. He said providing clean and accessible restrooms is no small feat, and a matter of public health, comfort and convenience. Ellis went on to say the project was easy and got “backed up” for a while but he was happy to report “everything came out ok”.

Director of Public Services Matt Davis and Deputy Director Mike Spitler also shared a few words, commenting on how parks are a very critical part of every community. It was said Howell is fortunate to have nine neighborhood parks for people to enjoy the outdoors and activities – as well as sports fields, a boat launch and ADA-accessible kayak launch, and pavilions for gatherings among others.

Scofield Park was described a “true gem” with all of its amenities – further being the only municipal beach in Livingston County.

The new ADA restrooms and concessions were said to be a huge project, with many partners making it possible. A concrete pad was poured for a new snack and dining area, and more sand also added to expand the beach area. During the summer, it was noted the beach is always full and the park is used extensively by residents and others, so now being able to offer treats and snacks and spots to enjoy lunch is exciting. The City continues to pursue adding further amenities, possibly rentals to the kayak/boat launch.