Monthly Archives: October 2011

Focus Groups Announced

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We Need Your Ideas and Insights to Enhance Our
Planning for the Discovery Center ~ Great Lakes

Join us for a discussion about the future of the campus for the Discovery Center ~ Great Lakes. The Discovery Center currently includes four organizations: Great Lakes Children’s Museum, Maritime Heritage Alliance, Traverse Area Community Sailing, and The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay.

Your input will help guide the process for developing a long-range facilities plan for the site.

Discussion sessions will be held on
Tuesday, November 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, or
Wednesday, November 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Both sessions will be held in the activity room at the Great Lakes Children’s Museum located at 13240 S. West Bay Shore Drive. (See map at bottom of post.)

Our discussion will focus on programs, activities and uses of the site and how to create a place that will attract community members and visitors on a regular basis. Input we gather at this session will be used by the four organizations as part of the information gathered to determine a site plan and architectural drawings.

We are looking for a wide range of participants for discussions including representatives of all age groups, interests and perspectives.

Discussion participants will receive free children’s museum passes and an opportunity to win a drawing for a free sail on the Maritime Heritage Alliance’s schooner Madeline or a ride on the Watershed Center’s tug boat, the Bay Monitor. Pizza and soft drinks will be provided.

Registration is required at
November 8 session: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2413167850
November 9 session: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2414291210

Planning Blog Launched

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Planning for the future of the Discovery Center ~ Great Lakes is well underway. Cornerstone Architects, a highly qualified architectural firm has been retained to develop the design for new buildings on a beautiful campus that will best serve the members of the Discovery Center and the community.

In early October, Pam Evans, lead consultant from NorthSky Nonprofit Network, facilitated a planning summit involving members of all of the Discover Center’s member organizations. Community focus groups will be conducted by NorthSky in November. Following that, a  survey will be submitted to a broad range of people to get their input on potential plans

These activities will glean new and creative ideas from folks from around our region, well as identifying what the community needs might be fulfilled by an expanded Discovery Center.

Recent improvements at Greilickville Harbor Park and the upcoming and exciting proposed Elmwood Marina improvement project will continue to expand the potential for the M-22 corridor in Greilickville to become a destination and waterfront attraction. Elmwood Township’s stated goal is to tout Greilickville as the “Gateway to Leelanau County.” The Township’s focus is now on developing a waterfront district throughout the corridor.  A modernized and expanded Discovery Center fits squarely within those trends.

Today, on October 20, 2011, we launched this blog to share updates and new developments, as well as to capture feedback about the Discovery Center’s long-range facilities planning process.