IONIA, Michigan — The City of Ionia is deciding what to do with their former correctional facility — and they need your help.
The city is reimagining the 164-acre former Deerfield/Riverside correctional facility site. Officials say it's part of their plan to breathe new life into Ionia, rethinking existing properties rather than expanding into new spaces.
The site offers views of the Grand River and valley below. They believe the new uses could include mixed housing stock, a high-tech business park, educational facilities, a green space and more.
The Riverside Correctional Facility, located at 777 W. Riverside Drive, has been known by multiple different names since it opened in the 1880s, including the Ionia State Hospital. At a time of prison expansion across the country, the property also became home to the Deerfield Correctional Facility in the 1980s.
Officials say as prison populations decreased, the Michigan Department of Corrections vacated the land in the early 2000s, closing the facilities.
The state assigned funds to demolish the buildings in 2022. By June, the site will be entirely cleared.
“This is a rare and transformational opportunity to imagine new uses for a large parcel in our community,” City Manager Precia Garland said. “As local leaders, we know that shaping future land use will have a big impact on the lives of our residents. That’s why it’s so important we engage all our community members and businesses in this master planning process.”
A community-wide engagement session will be held Tuesday, July 30 at 6 p.m. You can see concept drawings, get your questions answered and provide feedback at the Armory Community Center, located at 439 W. Main Street in Ionia.
If you can't make that session, there's also a community open house on August 15 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Ionia City Hall, 114 N. Kidd Street.
You can also provide feedback in this online survey by August 15 here.
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