Laurium Focuses on Improvements to the George Gipp Recreation Area During a Recreation Plan Input Session

Laurium has begun the process of creating an updated recreation plan. Over the past month, Laurium collected survey responses from residents to gain a better understanding of the community’s needs and desires. Last night the village planning commission held the first opportunity for the public to give in-person input on any potential ideas, projects, or programs. Recreation plans for municipalities in Michigan give key insight into the desires of a community for leadership decisions. Recreation plans also represent a key component in applying for grant funding with specific programs and with state agencies because they give the village a document to point back to.

Laurium has a mixed population consisting of older residents who wish to age in place and young families setting down roots. With a recreation plan in the works, Laurium leaders will need to consider how the community uses public spaces, recreates, and its desires for community assets. Community members interested in learning more about the recreation plan should contact the village of Laurium about future input sessions, survey opportunities, or details about the planning process. 

Much of the focus on the village’s recreation plan will center around Laurium’s George Gipp Recreation Area updating the park’s facilities and grounds, as well as improvements to the Gipp Ice Arena. Other ideas included setting up a dog park nearby that could lead into developing a village trail system, constructing a pavilion in the park, and promoting better handicap accessibility for recreation. Additionally, the planning commission and attendees discussed ways the parks and recreation department can promote activity in the village through events and encourage public engagement to support the parks through fundraising efforts. 

Laurium’s CEDAM fellow will begin working on drafting an initial recreation plan, that will see numerous reviews before being officially approved by the village council. Laurium hopes to complete a recreation plan by August to coincide with when the CEDAM fellow departs. However, the village will have a hard deadline by the end of the year, to qualify for Michigan DNR grant funding in 2025.