Collaborative Partnership to Lead to Park Improvements

This screenshot from SEMCOG’s Trail Explorer shows Mermaid Park in its current form.

A recently formed partnership has led to a redesign of Mermaid Park in Marysville! The result will be community and habitat improvements. The City of Marysville, St. Clair County, SEMCOG, and Friends of the St. Clair River worked with Enbridge, the Canadian oil pipeline company, and the Wildlife Habitat Council to identify opportunities for green infrastructure improvements at this local park in St. Clair County.

Mermaid Park is relatively small and has naturalized over the past few years. Located along the shores of the St. Clair River, local residents may know the site as a potential spot for recreational fishing. There’s a small picnic bench near the entrance where residents may stop to enjoy the park. Thanks to a recent partnership, however, the park may have a whole new look in 2020.

Enbridge, the Canadian oil pipeline company, reached out to SEMCOG last summer looking to build a connection with community partners in St. Clair County. The goal? Enbridge wanted to implement wildlife habitat and community space in the Port Huron area, in order to support the environmental and community needs of St. Clair County. They demonstrated a commitment to being involved in the St. Clair County community and a willingness to work with public partners in the area.

SEMCOG brought together St. Clair County, Friends of the St. Clair River, and the Wildlife Habitat Council, along with Enbridge, to form a partnership and identify a local community project. Bringing all the partners to the table allowed everyone to understand the recreational and environmental goals for St. Clair County and to get a sense of project expectations. Ideas flew throughout the room, with all parties eager to discuss ideas, communicate potential challenges, and enjoy the fact that this partnership had the potential to create a wonderful project.

Two weeks later, the partners toured potential project sites across St. Clair County and joined with the City of Marysville to tour potential areas in their community. Excitement grew at each site, with possible projects including habitat restoration along the river, rain garden plantings at a local park, and implementing kayak launch points and signs throughout the area.

The project that drew the most excitement, however, was Mermaid Park. Potential improvements discussed were new pollinator habitats as well as areas for the public to come, sit, and enjoy the water. St. Clair County and Marysville communicated with Enbridge the wants and needs they had for the site. In the end, it was Mermaid Park that the partners agreed would be the perfect site for the community project.

Less than a year after forming this partnership, Enbridge has already developed a design for the area that features native pollinator habitat and native plantings, picnic table installation, and sea wall improvements. This site redevelopment is thanks to a successful public-private partnership that was formed over the past year. This project is a great example of the value of bringing all stakeholders to the table because, in the end, it helps ensure that every party gets a win from the partnership. I look forward to visiting Mermaid Park next summer and working more with Enbridge, St. Clair County, and the City of Marysville in the future.