SPARTA, Mich. — The Village of Sparta has begun a $1.1 million renovation of its Town Square, a project officials and local business owners believe will attract more people to the downtown area.
WATCH STORY HERE
The project includes the addition of a performance stage, a replica of Sparta’s historic train depot that will house public restrooms and a community room, a resurfaced parking lot, and a winter skating rink.
"It's going to be a place that's going to draw people to our downtown and draw people to our businesses here," said Sparta Village Manager Jim Lower. "It's already done that, but now we're going to lean into it and make it a permanent thing that I think everyone's really going to love."
Funding for the project is provided by grants and Sparta’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA).
Elizabeth Morse, the DDA Director, said investing in the square is money well spent.
“There's nothing better than having a town full of people,” Morse said. “Having that public restroom has long been a need in the community. So, we're meeting that need with this type of public investment.”
Local business owners are hopeful the improvements will provide a boost.
Jackie Barber, owner of The Sassy Chicken and The Book Pile, which are located near the square, said the timing is welcome.
“Retail has been rough right now, but I love that Sparta is doing this, and Sparta does a great job of bringing people in and bringing people to Town Square into downtown Sparta,” Barber said.
She noted that the village is renowned for its community events, and the upgraded space will further enhance its reputation.
“It's really great to have a nice town square where people can come, and it's going to be much nicer for families,” Barber said. “The improvements down there will make shopping great here in Sparta, and a reason to come to Sparta, besides the beauty of the farming community here on the ridge.”
Lower noted that the Town Square has long been a central point for the community.
“If you look back, even going back to the 50s, a lot of people in town, this has been somewhere where they would just naturally congregate throughout time,” Lower said. “And we've the village has really leaned into that.”
According to Lower, the project has an aggressive timeline, intending to be completed by Dec. 15 to be ready for Christmas events.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
