Page 20 - LRCC FOCUS March 2020

#LOVELANSING

Capital Region Community Foundation Honored with

Community Impact Award

LEADERSHIP IN CREATING ROTARY PARK CITED

ROTARY PARK IS A TRUE COMMUNITY JEWEL that
is at the heart of efforts to build the riverfront and
downtown community into a vibrant regional asset.
The Capital Region Community Foundation’s
commitment to placemaking and its leadership were
instrumental in seeing this great project come to
fruition. For its efforts, the Community Foundation
was honored with the Community Impact Award at
the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual
Dinner on Thursday, Feb 27.

In 2017, the Community Foundation commenced a
significant initiative to revitalize Lansing’s riverfront
to create a vibrant, thriving region where people want
to visit and live. After two years of fundraising and
planning, the Community Foundation raised more
than $1 million from private donors for all riverfront projects and has committed “We don’t want these projects to compete with other non-profit giving
$1.5 million so far to match funds raised, dollar for dollar. In partnership with the in the community,” said Baumer. “This is an economic development
city of Lansing and Wieland, the Community Foundation created Rotary Park, investment that helps make our region more attractive to the talent our
located in downtown Lansing on the Grand River, stretching from the Lansing businesses need.” n
Center to the Shiawassee Street Bridge.

“Rotary Park was the first among this string of pearls along the river of 12 or so We Consider Your Business Our Business
projects that we envision,” said Laurie Baumer, executive vice president, Capital
Region Community Foundation. “It was our first win to show the community we
could do this privately funded project in public space and jump start the rest of it,”
said Baumer.

Rotary Park features a sandy beach and patio, a vibrant plaza with a large fireplace, a
magical lighted forest, which are lighted trees that automatically change colors, and
a new venue for small concerts and events under the bridge. The exciting nature of
the project was attractive to donors.

“They could see and envision what it might look like,” said Baumer. “It became real
for them. They also had a lot of confidence in the Community Foundation because Patty Barnas Jennifer Marsh Melanie Squires
we were fronting $1.5 million in matching dollars and we had made a commitment Market President Vice President Vice President
of staffing.” Commercial Banking Treasury Management

Rotary Park’s financial contributors include the Rotary Club of Lansing
Foundation, Delta Dental, Dewpoint, Red Cedar Investment Management, Commercial Banking
Auto-Owners Insurance, Gillespie Group, Team Lansing Foundation and the
Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau, as well as several individual Treasury Management
donors. Also, the Lansing Brownfield Redevelopment Authority awarded
$343,000 for the park and Ingham County Parks Board allocated $100,000
toward bank stabilization, bringing the total riverfront investment to almost $3
million for all riverfront projects to-date.

The Community Foundation is currently raising funds for two new projects. One
is a renovation of Turner Park in Old Town, including a community stage at the
Fish Ladder. The other is a destination playground for children of all abilities in
collaboration with Carter’s Kids, a national organization that builds similar projects
around the country. The key to these projects is to secure new corporate donors fnbmichigan.com
who want to make an investment that will pay dividends in a talented workforce. LPO
These are investments beyond regular charitable/social responsibility giving. 330 Marshall St., Suite 200 | 517.319.8000

20 FOCUS / MARCH 2020 LANSINGCHAMBER.ORG 21