Some Saginaw city residents and small business owners are being asked to make individual sacrifices for the good of bringing a major sports tournament to The Dow Event Center.
Street resurfacing is set to be delayed for one year on Janes (Sixth to 23rd) and on East Genesee (Janes to Hartsuff), in deference to smoothing streets such as Jefferson and Tuscola that surround the former Civic Center.
This would help Saginaw put its best foot forward when Canada’s youth hockey national tournament, the Memorial Cup, arrives in April 2024, an achievement of the local and regional civic leaders in cooperation with the Saginaw Spirit youth franchise’s membership in the Canadian Hockey League.
An economic benefit of $25 million is estimated for the Great Lakes Bay Region, which consists of 400,000 people in the traditional Tri-City area extended to Mount Pleasant.
City Council members did not react when the switchover was explained at their most recent meeting April 17. They also did not respond to a Saginaw Daily survey on the topic during the past week, leading to tonight’s 6:30 meeting, with the exception of Mayor Pro Tem Annie Boensch, who wrote, “I think the staff is still revisiting what work will be done now that we know about the Memorial Cup. If they come back with a recommendation to postpone and fix the streets around The Dow, I could support that but hopefully they have a plan and the funds available to get both done even if some work is postponed.”
Pastor Craig Tatum of New Life Baptist Church at Janes and Seventh street presented the news to his Board of Deacons. He said sentiments existed that their East Side “Mission in the City” neighborhood was being overlooked once more after missing out on any share of federal ARPA funds.
The monies to be switched from Janes and East Genesee to downtown are not from the American Rescue Plan Act. Funds come from regular annual federal/state/local street repair and maintenance allocations, which advocate groups like the Michigan Municipal League complain have been sharply reduced.
The street work also is not related to plans for an outdoor gathering place beneath the I-675 overpass that spans Washington Avenue northwest of the arena.
At the same time, Tatum reported that some church elders said the lack of summer roadwork on Janes Street may prove to be a blessing in disguise. Concerns already exist with speeding motorists due to a lack of police traffic patrols, he explained, and lingering potholes — similar to speed bumps — could prevent the problem from becoming worse.
“The streets definitely need to be repaired,” Tatum said. “(Neighbors) were referring to the fact that back in the bustling ’70s, there was a lot of traffic. There were stores, schools, and other businesses. Now that those things no longer exist, the pace of traffic both ways may be okay.”
Saginaw city government opened the Civic Center in 1973 with Wendler Arena featuring the Saginaw Gears, who eventually folded along with the city operation. The arrival of the Saginaw Spirit near the millennium’s turn helped lead to countywide passage of a property tax that has ranged from 0.25 mill to 0.45 mill, saving the facility.
When Saginaw won the bid in late March, Dr. Craig Goslin, president and managing partner, announced: “On behalf of Dick Garber and the Saginaw Spirit franchise, we are grateful to the Memorial Cup Selection Committee. It is an honor for the community of Saginaw and the 400,000 people that call the Great Lakes Bay Region home to be the host of the 2024 Memorial Cup. Saginaw is both honored and prepared. We respect and understand the significance that the Memorial Cup has in Canadian culture and we plan to illustrate this respect and honor throughout the event.”
