Grand Park

How lucky are we to have two back to back golf courses sitting empty in the center of our community. 146 acres of the Jewell and 101 acres of Genesee Hills (off McCandlish) are both in a state of limbo.

My new friend John Creasey, Mayor of the City of Grand Blanc, is going after a grant for the Jewell. 

John told me he hopes Township will do the the same with Genesee Hills. “If we were able to purchase both, it would certainly make a grand park.”

Imagine: 265 acres of pre landscaped land right in the center of both the City and the Township. Trails for walking, cycling, cross country skiing if it ever snows again. A Farmer’s Market.  A Dog Park … Organic garden plots, native plant preserve? food trucks…maybe a restaurant? Pickleball courts.

The property was last sold to a holding company, for 750,000. Owner is so far unable to develop, not because of the McCandlish residents who appeared before the Township board to object to his proposals, but because of sewer incapacity. Increasing that is at least 1.5 years and several hundred thousand tap in fees away. Maybe the township makes an effort to purchase this land from the developer. Maybe that is a serious, once in a lifetime priority for us. A few years ago Township managed to purchase the old Playland property, for 550,000. The current plan for that property is an 11M firestation and DPW garage project. Somehow the money is there for this.