Port Huron’s McMorran Place Plaza Revitalization

Project Description

McMorran Place has long served at Port Huron’s civic center where the City welcomed high-profile entertainment such as the international Silver Stick hockey tournament, Port Huron Town Hall, graduations, commencements, and even weddings and other special events. Despite all the exciting things happening inside, the outside plaza was dull, deteriorating, and deserted. With the once underutilized plaza now reenergized, downtown Port Huron sees live music all summer long, an outdoor skating rink during the winter, space to hold special events and festivals, and, most importantly, a gathering spot for families, friends, visitors and residents to enjoy year-round. With this revitalization, McMorran Place Plaza once again serves at the beating heart of downtown Port Huron, a natural gathering spot for residents and visitors.

Is your project easy to replicate in other communities (clear in its impact and execution for other communities)?

The McMorran Place project started as desire by the City of Port Huron to reactivate underutilized space in front of McMorran Place Entertainment Center.

The key to replicating a project like this is identifying opportunities in your community and executing the vision. The City of Port Huron identified there was an opportunity with this underutilized and dilapidated space, that also aligned with the desire of the downtown community, to create a green gathering space to serve as a connection and entertainment hub in downtown Port Huron. Through the vision of City leaders and stakeholders, meaningful conversations took place and the brainstorm process started on what exactly this space could look like and be.

With the support of the City and stakeholders, the City of Port Huron secured grants and donations, both corporate and private, in a multi-year effort to raise over $1-million dollars for this transformational project.

What is the Community Wealth Impact (based on one or more of the categories you selected) of your project?

McMorran Place Plaza now serves as a community asset providing aspects of public health and arts and culture, while also serving as an economic driver for the Blue Water area.

Public Health. Through partnership with the local YMCA, “YMCA Wellness on the Plaza” is a free community offering of 15 different classes over six days a week for the entire summer of June through August each year. These free classes are aimed at varying fitness levels and age groups in order to best serve all members of the community. Additionally, the gathering space, featuring a splash pad, patio furniture, an open space AstroTurf throughout the summer, and an ice skating rink in the winter, invites residents and visitors downtown to gather, meet up with friends and families, or to simply enjoy the outdoors.

Arts and Culture. This flexible community space hosts a variety of City-led and privately-led special events highlighting arts and culture including free live music every weekend during the warmer months, YMCA Wellness on the Plaza, the Port Huron Theatre District festival, Port Huron ChillyFest, Port Huron Pride, Oktoberfest, Recreation Department’s Movies on the Plaza and more.

Economic Drive. McMorran Place Plaza served as a catalyst and compliment of additional investment in Downtown Port Huron including bringing in downtown’s only grocery store, Port Huron Country Style Marketplace; the multi-million dollar mixed use Wrigley Center set to come online in late 2023; and dozens of newly completed lofts, new businesses, and complimenting downtown activity. McMorran Place Plaza events often host local businesses and food trucks to drive additional foot traffic and dollars into our local economy.

Describe the creativity and originality of your project.

The revitalization efforts at McMorran Place Plaza took a drab, underutilized, and dilapidated plaza area to one that is reenergized, vibrant, and exciting. Originality and creativity is seen in this project in everything from:
• The AstroTurf out front to keep main street looking green and vibrant year-round
• The wintertime ice rink underneath the colorful, glowing overhead lights
• The strung lights above our patio seating, where we serve fresh and exciting Social District drinks for patrons to enjoy while listening to live music
• The universally accessible fountain feature that is our plaza splash pad for families to enjoy on hot summer days while having a picnic on the lawn
• Flexible greenspace for wellness classes, concert goers, special events, or just enjoying a spot to sit down and read a book
• Keeping intact the historical McMorran fountain “Day and Night” which was created in the 1960s and is original to the building
• Local business partnerships such as local coffee roasters following morning yoga hosted by the YMCA, food trucks servicing hungry concertgoers, and pop-up events in conjunction with community endeavors