Majestic Riverview Park to welcome people to downtown Cheboygan
CHEBOYGAN — Majestic Riverview Park, which will be developed on a piece of land donated to the City of Cheboygan, will soon welcome residents and visitors alike as they travel into downtown.
The property was donated to the city in June 2021, with the request that the property be turned into a park.
"It is the last view of the river as you come into downtown from the south, and the first view of the river as you leave downtown and head south," said Connie Rieger, who has been working on the development of the park.
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Rieger said one of the first things happening at the park right now is to contract with an artist — Russell Lalonde of Cheboygan — to paint a mural at the north end of the park.
Rieger and her husband have the panels for the mural in their garage. She came before the city council on Tuesday to get formal approval to hire Lalonde as the artist. He had already been approved through the Art Vision Cheboygan group and the Cheboygan City Parks and Recreation Commission.
"He's a tribal member," said Rieger. "He has lots and lots of ideas."
The council members saw a depiction of what the new mural could look like. The concept depicts trade beads, a flower, the lighthouse at Gordon Turner Park and other scenes and items unique to Cheboygan. Lalonde also proposed writing "Welcome to Cheboygan" in both English and Anishinaabe.
Rieger and Cheboygan Area Arts Council Executive Director Owen Goslin are currently working on writing a grant to provide seed money of $500 to provide some of the paint needed for the new artwork and to give Lalonde a good faith down payment.
"The total cost of the mural, because all of the material is paid for already, is going to be approximately less than $3,000," said Rieger. "That's to pay the artist and to buy the paint."
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Lalonde was chosen by the Art Vision group from three artists who had submitted proposals to create art for the new pocket park. He will be using many of the same materials used for the mural currently in Washington Park, as those materials have proven to be durable with the Northern Michigan weather conditions.
"We're following in their footsteps. We're using the same paint, because they've already investigated all that, so we don't need to reinvent the wheel," said Rieger.
When Joe Chastain donated the property to the city last year, he requested the park be named after his mother's family. He came up with the name of Majestic Riverview Park.
"He wants some information about the Majestic family in the park. I have been talking to Leo Forster at the History Center and he has some photographs of things that were on the property before, way back in the late 1800s, early 1900s," said Rieger.
Rieger said the park could also include some information about Native American history in the area.
"I think that's very significant," said Rieger. "I like the idea of sharing culture and tribal pride for everybody, but especially young children, the children who are tribal members, and I think this piece would do it."
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Some members of the community are working together with the city's parks and recreation commission to begin development of the park. Former Cheboygan City Manager Tom Eustice has agreed to investigate some grant funding and do some grant writing for the group. Other people have committed to making donations towards the project.
The council voted unanimously to approve the design for the new mural and allow the development of the park to move forward.
Contact Reporter Kortny Hahn at khahn1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @khahnCDT.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: New pocket park on Main Street to offer views of Cheboygan River
