The Bridgman Downtown Courtyard is now officially a city of Bridgman park. The city council voted this month to approve the designation.
Bridgman Parks Director Sara Ball tells us the courtyard on Lake Street came together as a result of a partnership involving the city, the Bridgman Corridor Improvement Authority, the Greater Bridgman Council for Growth and Advancement, and Bridgman High School. They took the space between Rochefort’s The Next Generation and the Accents Shop and turned it into a public gathering spot with regular summer concerts.
Ball says with the city now running the Courtyard, the music will continue. That’s not all.
“We’re going to kind of re-evaluate and do a little bit more programming there besides concerts,” Ball said. “We’re working with Ghostlight Theater. It’s not set in stone yet, but we’re hoping to do a small theatrical performance there this summer. We’re going to add maybe a pickleball court, some life-size chess playing pieces, just more programming.”
The Courtyard was supported through a crowdfunding campaign that paid for lighting and concrete improvements. High school students painted a mural at the property.
Ball says the Courtyard really adds to the city’s assets.
“We’re right in downtown Bridgman and I think that’s going to add a better quality of life, and that’s really what we’re looking for. ‘Instead of going to the beach, let’s come to the courtyard.’ You can walk downtown, look at the businesses and then enjoy a concert on Friday night.”
The city of Bridgman always owned the site with the parks department handling landscaping and other duties. Now that the Courtyard is officially a park, the city will handle scheduling for events.
Ball says you can stay on top of the schedule for the Courtyard at the city’s website.
