Community: City of Saginaw
Population: 10,000+
SVRC Industries, is redeveloping the iconic former Saginaw News building into a 100,000 square foot mixed-use facility, named the SVRC Marketplace. The Downtown Saginaw Farmers’ Market has already been transplanted to the SVRC Marketplace Pavilion and interior shops are planned to open June 22. Once fully operational, the Marketplace will attract an estimated 10,000 people to Downtown Saginaw weekly. It is a sustainable project building on SVRC’s core-mission of creating employment opportunities and community access by offering healthy food options, integrated jobs, supportive services, and vibrant gathering spaces in a single downtown development. The SVRC Marketplace supports a year-round indoor farmers’ market, unique shopping experience offering a wide variety of delicious foods and quaint shops. This eclectic space features opportunities for local entrepreneurs to grow by offering a licensed commercial kitchen, wash/pack food preparation stations, business-incubators, cooler rental spaces, and affordable locations within the Marketplace to grow their businesses.
Replicability:
To replicate this project a group of people committed to making their community a better place must get together and really examine what would type of issues exist and what needs to be done to solve them. Sometimes it can be daunting and it will take time but getting the right people together to brainstorm can lead to some anything things. The SVRC Marketplace is a true labor of love. While the marketplace is grand in size and impact, the way this re-development has incorporated so many unique details needed to revitalize the community is tremendous. This project truly emulates what can take flight from a single thought or idea to make a positive impact on the community and the growth that can take place from others seeing and wanting to participate in making that change. While there may be other indoor markets, what this particular gather place will bring to the Downtown Saginaw Riverfront community will be exactly what this community needed at exactly the right time.
Creativity and Originality:
While we have seen other indoor markets, it is unique in the sense that it is self-sustainable. Not only will there be a variety of small unique businesses, there will be established companies located on subsequent floors. The multi-use function of the Marketplace will create a community hub of activity and supportive resources that are unparalleled for the region. Providing healthy food education, community awareness and services to the surrounding neighborhoods. The headquarters of Spence Brothers Construction a Saginaw born business over 120 years old will have 50 employees in the building. SVRC Industries, Inc will move their administration to this location. The Marketplace will also be home to Mid-Michigan Children's Trauma Assessment Center, as well as Westlund Guidance Clinic opening a state of the art Autism Clinic. Central Michigan University Research Corporation, CMURC, is to have a business incubator space located in the Marketplace to help support new businesses and add to the entrepreneurial spirit.
To help increase accessibility to healthy foods the Marketplace will be the new home of the Downtown Saginaw Farmers Market and the Marketplace Pavilion will also feature other community integrative events. It is the goal of this space to create a completely integrative space where placemaking is commonplace.
Another unique aspect is that the building was restored to preserve as much of its historic nature as possible. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites!
Community Impact:
The SVRC Marketplace has already made an impact on Downtown Saginaw. The Marketplace is making Downtown Saginaw vibrant again. It is helping to spur interest, improve the image, and increase activity. Redeveloping the iconic Saginaw News building has helped to clean up the core of the City while also providing more attractive access to the riverfront. Through this reinvestment not only are the people in the surrounding community impacted, new jobs are being created and they are providing access to shopping opportunities that were otherwise non-existent. Common staples such as meats, cheese, dairy and eggs will be available year round.
