Traverse City government, downtown, and public spaces
Traverse City commissioners moved forward with several major decisions. The city voted to negotiate with Studio Anatomy LLC for use of the former Bijou by the Bay/Con Foster Museum building as a multi-purpose, all-ages performing arts venue under the working name Parkway Theater. Commissioners also extended Crooked Tree Arts Center’s Carnegie Building lease through October 2027 and approved a nearly $3.7 million contract with Elmer’s for the Lot B/farmers market pavilion project, with work expected after the National Cherry Festival and completion targeted for late fall.
The city also advanced several administrative and infrastructure items: looking for outside legal counsel after the city attorney’s departure, approving a local match for a Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, and exploring the possibility of getting two Traverse City seats on the Northwest Regional Airport Authority board because Cherry Capital Airport is inside city limits.
The DDA also highlighted Cass Street crosswalk work between Front and State streets. Construction is expected to close that section of Cass Street for about 30 days in May, while the farmers market pavilion project remains scheduled to break ground after Cherry Festival.
On the east side of town, Traverse City held a public workshop on the East Side Social District and nearby placemaking improvements. The city received a $100,000 Community Placemaking Grant from Project for Public Spaces and General Motors, and officials are gathering feedback on how to improve the East Front Street/East Eighth Street area.
Parks, recreation, and summer programming
A major parks story was the public opening momentum around Camp Greilick, the former Boy Scout camp now owned by Grand Traverse County. The 196-acre property hosted a public open house, with officials highlighting trails, cabins, activity areas, and new partnerships with groups such as North Sky Raptor Sanctuary, Aloft Disc Golf, and Wilderkin Forest Learning.
The city is also reviving a summer day camp at Hickory Hills, operated by the Grand Traverse Conservation District. Registration opens May 13, and the camp is scheduled to begin June 22 for children ages 7–12, with weekly capacity capped at 40 campers.
Other parks updates include the upcoming Vasa TimBarn groundbreaking, continued improvements at Historic Barns Park, planned Civic Center building demolition and restroom/storage improvements, Silver Lake pickleball work, and Traverse City’s draft five-year parks master plan being opened for public comment.
Schools, colleges, and community organizations
TCAPS is projecting its first year-over-year enrollment growth since 2019. The district’s FY 2026 projection is 8,810 students, up from 8,770 in 2025, with junior kindergarten cited as one important driver. The district also expects nearly $4.4 million more in state funding from a combination of higher enrollment and a higher per-pupil foundation allowance.
Northwestern Michigan College also reported a stronger graduation picture. NMC said its graduation rate increased by 10 percent, with 579 students earning 632 degrees and certificates. College officials credited state aid programs including the Community College Guarantee and Michigan Reconnect as part of the broader affordability picture.
The Traverse City Human Rights Commission announced its 2026 humanitarian award winners. Immigration Law & Justice Michigan legal director Marcelo Betti will receive the Sara Hardy Humanitarian Award, while HelpLink and NMC’s Neurodiversity Support Center will receive the business/organization honor.
In Leelanau County, Leelanau Children’s Center reached a $1 million endowment milestone and announced a leadership change: Jen Reutter is set to become executive director on May 18, while outgoing executive director Heidi Kruse shifts into an endowment-focused role.
Flood recovery and infrastructure
Flood recovery remained active. The South YMCA in Traverse City is still working toward a mid-June reopening after flood damage from the Boardman River affected racquetball, squash, pickleball, and basketball areas. YMCA leaders said remediation would take several weeks and that the organization did not have flood insurance for the building.
In Cadillac, high water continued to affect Lake Cadillac and Lake Mitchell. Cadillac extended a no-wake order for Lake Cadillac through May 22, with officials saying water levels were slowly dropping but still high enough to pose shoreline and flooding concerns.
Volunteers also continued helping flood-affected Cadillac residents. Temple Hill Baptist Church partnered with Focus on the Family to provide cleanup help, appliance removal, resources, gifts, and free mental-health support for residents dealing with flood damage and sewage-related basement problems.
At the state level, Sen. Michele Hoitenga proposed creating a centralized Michigan emergency-resource website after the recent flooding, saying it could help residents find alerts, recovery assistance, and emergency updates without replacing local emergency managers.
Roadwork is also coming nearby: MDOT is investing $4 million to resurface nearly 12 miles of M-55 from Udell Hills Road in Manistee County to M-37 in Wexford County. Work is scheduled to begin May 11 and finish July 2, with single-lane closures expected.
Public safety, courts, and policing
There were several public-safety follow-ups. Bruno, the dog stabbed multiple times in Traverse City, is recovering after emergency surgery and is expected to be adoptable once healed. Zachary Beckham has been charged with animal killing/torturing; as with all pending criminal cases, he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The Rebecca Park murder case remained on hold after a closed competency-related hearing involving Cortney and Bradly Bartholomew. The judge closed the hearing because it involved competency and mental-health privacy issues, and no future court dates were scheduled at the time of the report. The Bartholomews are accused in the case and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Traverse City also hosted the inaugural Great Lakes Region Child Safety Conference, focused on preventing child maltreatment and child sexual abuse, recognizing signs of abuse, online exploitation risks, and reporting procedures.
In nearby Colfax Township, residents raised concerns about blight, including trash, deteriorating buildings, and neglected properties. Township officials said they were talking with an attorney about possible ordinance changes, with the issue expected to continue at a May 13 township meeting.
Business, food, tourism, and events
There was notable food-business news in Traverse City. The owners of Modern Bird purchased the former Mary’s Kitchen Port building and plan to open a bakery/café called DayMade in late fall. Bay Bread is also planning a second location in the former Hagerty Cavallino Café space on Lake Avenue, with a target opening around June 1.
The Traverse City Horse Shows season at Flintfields in Williamsburg is also coming up, running June 3 through September 20. The season includes the Spring Series, Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, FEI Nations Cup, youth championships, Major League Show Jumping, and a charity-ticket program that directs general-admission proceeds to nonprofits.
Sleeping Bear Dunes accessibility is expanding through the Bear Tracks program. Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is adding solar-powered charging support for track-chair trailers, helping the mobility equipment operate in more remote park areas. The 2026 season is scheduled for May 22 through October 11.
Agriculture, environment, and development
A proposed large solar project is drawing opposition from farmers in the Wexford/Grand Traverse area. The project could cover nearly 1,500 acres, and opponents raised concerns about farmland, soil, property values, habitat, and long-term economic effects. Ranger Power said no formal applications had been filed yet and that it planned outreach; a public meeting is scheduled for May 18.
In Leelanau County, cold spring weather created concern for pollination. Beekeepers said bees were staying grounded because of cool, windy, cloudy conditions, raising worries for farms and orchards that depend on pollinators during spring bloom.
The Old Mission Peninsula wineries lawsuit also remains active. A federal judge denied a preliminary injunction sought by the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula, giving Peninsula Township a procedural win while the broader legal fight continues across multiple lawsuits.
Worth watching next
The stories most likely to keep developing are the Traverse City budget and city projects, the farmers market pavilion/Lot B construction timeline, flood recovery in Cadillac and affected Grand Traverse-area facilities, the Old Mission winery litigation, the proposed Wexford/Grand Traverse solar project, and upcoming local decisions tied to parks, roads, airport governance, and homelessness services.
