Civic Center Park Project Updates

July 7, 2025

This will be our final update as the final touch-ups are now taking place!

We invite you to visit the park and check out the new amenities. Here are some fun upcoming public events:

• Food Truck Fridays in the SE corner of the park: July 11, July 18, August 22, and September 19
• FREE Saturdays in the Park Concert Series at the Amphitheater Saturdays through August 30 7:00 PM-9:00 PM
• TC Phil concerts
  • FREE Jazz Camp Concert at the Amphitheater July 11 7:00 PM
  • John Williams + Movie Magic July 21 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
  • Beethoven 7 & Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto at the Amphitheater July 28 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
  • FREE String-a-palooza! Civic Summer Pops at the Amphitheater August 4 6:00 PM

June 30, 2025

We're excited to announce that the new bridge is open, the pavilion parking lot is paved and looking great, fitness stations are installed and available, and the construction crew is in the final stages. A few pictures are below! Come by and check it out!

June 23, 2025

The paths are now complete and the new bridge should be opened to pedestrian traffic soon. Concrete work for ADA ramps and crossings has been done as well, and now the team moves onto paving the pavilion parking lot and putting the final layer of asphalt on the entrance at Titus. Thanks for hanging in there with us, we're so excited to share the final results with you! In fact, on Friday the 27th we're hosting a Food Truck Friday at the southeast side of the park near the playground- why not come out, grab a drink or a bite, and check out the upgrades?

June 16, 2025

Here's a sneak peek at one of the fitness stations. These will placed in locations all around the paved walking track. They look pretty great! Also this week, work will be done on some of the concrete sidewalks, curbing, and ramp. If you need to use the ramps to access property please scope out your usual route when you arrive to ensure that it's still the best way for you to get where you are going. This work will be temporary and all ramps will be usable again in short order!

June 9, 2025

Last week saw a beautiful ribbon of asphalt make its way around the park. The construction team is also working on repaving the Titus entry and that will lead into paving the pavilion parking lot- a wonderful addition that will improve conditions and increase accessibility. There is still some touchup work to be done around the track- the edges need to be feathered, dressed, and seeded, some concrete work remains, and the fitness stations will be installed. All within the next few weeks! Thank you for your continued patience and use of caution on the track as we get into the home stretch of this project.

June 2, 2025

The end of June is when we should have what is called "substantial completion." Between now and then we've got a lot going on! This week alone we have the Titus Ave entry asphalt being removed/replaced, the new deck being poured on the bridge, and the repaving of the trail starting towards the end of the week. Please continue to use caution and be aware of construction traffic on the site! 

May 27, 2025

Taking a break from bridge coverage this week to show you something a little different. This is where one of the fitness station areas will be- all excavated and staked out!

May 19, 2025

We've received a few questions about why the bridge looks rusty, so here is some interesting information on the material used:

May 16, 2025

The new bridge has been set in place! Next up the crew will begin concrete work on the deck and some of the sidewalk areas. Please continue to be mindful of construction traffic as you move about the park, and remind your kids to do the same. Thank you!

May 12, 2025

Greetings from sunny Civic Center Park! No pictures today because the magic happens midweek. The new bridge is slated to arrive by Wednesday with tentative plans to install on Thursday. We will update you later this week.

May 6, 2025

Things are moving right along over here at Civic Center Park! The new wing walls on the north side of W. Civic Center Drive have been poured, and the crew is now working on the south side. The new paved path is now fully under construction as well. The new bridge will go in after school lets out (mid-June) so that we can minimize disruptions to students at Oak Park School. We are so excited to see how things progress!

April 28, 2025

The day has arrived! This morning, under bluebird skies, the old bridge was lifted off and gently placed off to the side, near Norte's HQ:

We had a number of people tell us about their favorite Civic Center bridge memories:

And we also welcomed volunteers from DTE to plant some fantastic new trees around the park:

Next up, work continues on the re-paving of the walking path. There is a lot of heavy equipment moving about the property, so please stay off the path! The new bridge will not arrive for a while, and we estimate that it will be placed sometime in mid-June. Stay tuned!

April 23, 2025

April 21, 2025

The parallel running path is just about done:

Pouring of footings and anchors for bridge abutments on both the north and south side are about done as well!

Frost laws are officially off, so the bridge may be removed as soon as this week. Please stay tuned as traffic patterns may shift.

April 14, 2025

In the past week, the new footings for the bridge have been poured, the parallel running path has been cut, and it's starting to get filled in with gravel. Pictures below!

April 7, 2025

It's snowing. Again. We are still awaiting frost laws to come off so that the crane can be brought to remove the bridge. In the meantime, the crew has excavated both the north and south side abutments. We also have new wayfinding signage going up around the park! Check out a few of our new signs:

April 2, 2025

Just a quick midweek update to share a neat picture of the bridge removal site work. As you can see, the team has moved the earth away from the bridge support along the north side- this picture is taken from the vantage point of our parking lot looking towards the west (towards Garfield). 

March 31, 2025

Despite this white stuff that keeps falling from the sky, work has begun on the project. The new soft path has been staked out, equipment and signage is staged on site, and we are anxiously awaiting frost laws to come off. This will allow the team to transport the crane that is needed to remove the bridge. Thank you to our TCTC runners for beta testing the new path and giving us feedback! Also, the poster to leave your favorite bridge memories is still available in the Civic Center lobby on the right hand side- feel free to add to it!

March 24, 2025

Welcome to springtime in Michigan! Despite the fact that we had a going away party for the bridge last week, you may notice that it's actually still there. Much of our construction is dependent on weather conditions and the weather is not particularly cooperating with our plans. For this reason, we have rescheduled the timing of the bridge removal. HOWEVER, the path/track portion of the project will continue as planned, so the path will be closed as we are staking and having heavy equipment moving about the property. We estimate that the path will be closed until June for everyone's safety.

Another piece of the puzzle is ensuring pedestrian and park user safety. For this reason, snow fence is being installed along Fair St. at the east perimeter of the property and along Munson Ave. at the north end. All foot traffic should plan to enter the park from the south (Titus/Civic Center) or the west (Garfield/Civic Center). We are actively working with our partners who hold programs onsite to ensure that plans and communications are in place. Here are a few options for alternate places to walk while the path is closed:

Medalie Park- 1910 S. Airport Rd. Traverse City, 49686

From Medalie Park (on the east side of Logan's Landing) you can access the paved Boardman loop trail at the south end. Head west (left) to cross the pedestrian/bike bridge over Boardman Lake, after which the trail heads uphill. Alternately, head east (right) to follow a mostly paved and level trail along the east edge of the lake. The full loop would be just over four miles. 

Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve- Multiple access points along Cass Rd. and Keystone Rd. Easy unpaved trail with some elevation changes. May be icy in some shady areas!

Thanks to all who attended our party last Friday, and especially to Bubbie's Bagels, who generously provided snacks.

We did get a few interesting questions about the bridge's history at our party on Friday:

Q: What year was the bridge put in?

A: We believe it was installed in 1984

Q: Was the bridge previously constructed with a wood deck?

A: We think so!

March 17, 2025

Drop in on Friday March 21 between 12 and 2PM to say goodbye to the old bridge. We'll share memories, laughter, and hopefully very few tears. Snacks and Civic Center swag will be available!

March 10, 2025

Happy Monday! Some big news regarding the Civic Center Walking Track this spring.  GTC Parks and Recreation officials are preparing for Civic Center Walking Track Improvements that will get underway the week of March 24th with the removal of the bridge over W. Civic Center Drive.  

The removal will require closing of the road for at least one day, possibly two. After the bridge is removed, crews will begin working on the abutments and wing walls that support the new bridge. Officials are expecting the new bridge to arrive sometime in May and for installation to occur in June.  After installation, a new concrete deck will be poured and then the crew will be completing additional work on the bridge before it opens. 

It is anticipated that the bridge will be unavailable from March 24th through mid-June. The road will be available during that time. The work will begin with the installation of the parallel soft running path. This path will be 3’ wide and be composed of fine crushed gravel.  The track will see intermittent closures during this time to accommodate heavy equipment.

Following the soft path, the crew will pulverize the existing track surface, prep that surface with gravel, and then overlay a new course of asphalt.  This process is estimated to take two weeks and will require closure of the track. 

The last portion of the project includes grading and paving of the gravel parking lot at the SW corner of the park that serves the amphitheater and pavilion, along with adding connecting pathways and a crosswalk. Additionally, seven fitness stations will be added along the track. Substantial completion of the project is expected by June 27th with full completion by July 25th. 

AJ’s Excavating is the contractor navigating the project.  They are aware that the park is an active recreation space and will be sequencing activities to minimize disruption to park visitors as best as possible. That said, GTC officials do know there will be some disruption and appreciate visitors being patient during the process.

The project is funded primarily through a Michigan Spark grant for $998,800, along with generous support from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the Traverse City Track Club.  Total project cost is approximately $1.1 million. 

"We are proud to be able to bring this improvement to the Civic Center. This park sees the highest use with the widest range of activities of all Grand Traverse County Parks. The walking track alone averages more than 200 users daily year-round, with much higher numbers through the warmer months. By our calculations using the data from trail counters along the path, visitors walked an estimated 104,423 miles in 2024. We believe the current surface to be approximately 30 years old. It has lived a great life and has served residents and guests well. It’s time for a refresh,” said John Chase Director, Parks and Facilities Grand Traverse County.