Chevy Commons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chevy Commons |
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Chevy Commons in 2018
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Map of Chevy Commons
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| Type | Public park |
| Location |  Flint, Michigan |
| Area | 60 acres (24 ha) |
| Created | 2018 |
| Operated by | City of Flint |
| Status | Open all year |
Chevy Commons is a cool park in Flint, Michigan, right along the Flint River. It's located between downtown Flint and Kettering University. This park used to be a huge Chevrolet car factory, known as "Chevy in the Hole."
Since 2015, it has been turned into a beautiful green space for events and fun activities. You can find restored grasslands, meadows, wetlands, and woodlands here. It also has nice green areas, easy-to-care-for native plants, and walking trails. The park was built in five steps, and the first three parts were open by July 2018. The whole project is expected to cost about $17.3 million. It's part of a bigger plan to improve the Flint River area in Downtown Flint.
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What Was Here Before?
Before it became Chevy Commons, this land along the Flint River in Flint, Michigan had a long history. In the 1880s, it was home to the Flint Wagon Works. Later, it became a big Chevrolet factory. People often called it "Chevy in the Hole."
The Factory's History
Car making at the factory started in 1904. At its busiest time, it had 14,000 workers! It was also the place of the Flint sit-down strike, a famous event in labor history. The last factory buildings were taken down in 2004. This left the land as a brownfield, which means it was an old industrial site that needed cleaning up. For many years, people thought about how to clean up and use this empty space.
How Chevy Commons Was Created
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In 2014, Mayor Dayne Walling announced grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These grants helped turn the city-owned "Chevy in the Hole" into a park. This was the first time in almost 200 years that the land wasn't used for factories or businesses.
A New Vision for the Land
Mayor Walling wanted Chevy Commons to be a place for events and fun. He also wanted it to honor the area's history, including its car-making past and Native American history. He imagined it as "an interesting, natural space right in the heart of the city."
Christina Kelly, from the Genesee County Land Bank, explained that the project needed federal money. The plan was to cover the ground and add new soil on top, rather than just focusing on deep cleaning. Before the EPA grant, thousands of trees were planted to help clean the land naturally.
Building the Park in Stages
In March 2015, work began to turn the 60-acre (24 ha) site into a park. This started with removing fences and working on sewer lines. On April 17, a special ceremony celebrated the start of the project. The old brownfield was changed into beautiful grasslands, meadows, and woodlands. New walking trails were also made. The park's design includes green spaces, easy-to-care-for native plants, and wetlands. These wetlands help manage stormwater runoff.
The park was built in different steps, called phases.
- Phase One: This involved planting shrubs, building walking paths, and creating parking areas.
- Phase Two: This focused on connecting the park to other trails. It also improved views of the Flint River and made it easier to go fishing. By 2015, a lot of money had been spent cleaning up industrial waste. The next step was covering the old concrete slabs with 2 to 10 feet of topsoil. After that, grass and trees were planted, and more walking trails were created.
By June 2015, the first phase was well underway. Chevy Commons also became the start of the Genesee Valley Trail. This trail connects the park to Flint Township. In the same month, phase two began, continuing the work of building the green cap.
Park Events and Future Plans
On September 24, 2016, Chevy Commons hosted its first event as a finished park. It was a children's biking event called Cycling Circles. In May 2017, plans were made for a pedestrian bridge. This bridge would link Chevy Commons with Carriage Town and connect two parts of the statewide Iron Belle Trail.
By this time, the first two phases of the project were done. More phases were planned as part of the bigger Riverfront Restoration Project. This project aims to make the Flint River more natural and easier to use for fun activities.
- Phase Three: This covered 9 acres of land along Kearsley Street. It was finished by the end of 2017.
- Phase Four: This focused on making the area along the river greener in 2018.
By July 2018, the third phase was complete, and the first three phases were open to the public. The fourth phase was expected to be done by October 2018. After that, money from grants would be used for the fifth and final phase. This last phase will add more walking trails, a parking lot, and maybe even a sledding hill. It is expected to be finished by July 2019.
Other Projects Nearby
Chevy Commons is a big part of a larger $36.8 million project. This project aims to change the look of the Flint River in Downtown Flint. It includes removing the Hamilton Dam and making Riverbank Park greener. It also involves making the river more natural with native plants and rocks. This big project started in summer 2017 and is expected to be done by 2019.
Another 20-acre brownfield that was part of "Chevy in the Hole" is also being redeveloped. Kettering University and General Motors are turning it into special areas for testing cars. This includes testing autonomous vehicles, which are cars that can drive themselves.
