Legacy Plaza grand opening is Thursday.

Legacy Plaza grand opening is Thursday.

LUDINGTON — A ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 1 to mark the grand opening of Legacy Plaza, the former James Street Plaza in downtown Ludington. The $2.1 million dollar project in the 100 block of North James Street, honors Native Americans, along with the area’s lumbering past and maritime heritage. The space features a 40-feet by 90-feet farmers market pavilion, a new restroom facility, a raised stage for performances, green space and native rain gardens, as well as a gas fire pit with seating wall.

The public is invited to join the Downtown Ludington Board at the grand opening on Thursday to celebrate with light refreshments and guest speakers, which will include Mayor Steve Miller, Community Development Director Heather Tykoski, Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Sue Devries, State Senator Curt VanderWall, followed by a Little River Band of Ottawa Indian ceremony by Jay Sam and a ribbon cutting by the Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce. Live music featuring Cheryl Wolfram will follow the ceremony, as well as a ribbon cutting at Keeper’s Fish Shack, a new business located in Legacy Plaza.

“The re-imaging our central gathering space has made the plaza more accessible and vibrant.” said Tykoski, “It’s exciting to see the result from three decades of planning and fundraising come to fruition.”

Local contractors began construction on the plaza space last fall. While the space is near complete, fundraising will continue to install a few additional features, including an archway, a digital kiosk and canvas sides for off-season use of the pavilion.

To fund the additional features, the Downtown Ludington Board is teaming up with the Ludington Area Center of the Arts (LACA) to create the Ludington’s Family Tree mosaic, which will be installed in the vestibule of the new restroom facility. Donors will have the opportunity to leave their legacy in the plaza by decorating clay tiles with a family name, positive saying, or their own artwork. The tiles, which are in the shape of leaves, apples, and branches, will create a pair of apple trees, a nod to the agricultural history in the Ludington area.

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