The Saline City Council paved the way for a vibrant community gathering area pending state grant approval.
Image: The undeveloped plaza as it is today behind Murphy’s Crossing with a conceptual rendering of its development as a public gathering space. Photo by Sue Kelch. Rendering provided by Edge Design Associates/TTT Design Studio
At a special meeting on January 27, 2025, the Saline City Council voted unanimously to allocate up to $500,000 toward a new downtown green space, contingent on the receipt of a matching grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The resolution, titled 25-15, formalizes the city’s commitment to the project, which aims to create a vibrant community gathering space on an unused spot behind Murphy’s Crossing on the southeast corner of US-12 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road.
A Vision for Downtown
Acting City Manager Elle Cole framed the green space as a key piece in downtown Saline’s long-term development strategy.
“Imagine a downtown where people gather not just to eat, but to stay and connect,” Cole said. “A social space will provide the missing piece and create the ‘and’ that our downtown is missing. The ‘and’ is what transforms a meal into a memory, a visit into an experience, and our downtown into a local destination.”
The project aligns with the city’s 2023 Master Plan, which identified a public park space as a priority. A working group, comprised of council members, city officials, and community stakeholders, conducted extensive public engagement, site analysis, and feasibility studies before recommending a public-private partnership as the best path forward.

A Structured, Data-Driven Approach
Councilmember Nicole Rice expressed confidence in the plan, emphasizing the careful evaluation process that led to the selection of this site.
“One of the things we really strive to do up here is listen to the community and provide enough background about the decisions we make,” Rice said. “This is probably one of the first projects that I’ve been involved in where the support has outweighed all of the negatives in my mind.”
Mayor Pro Tem Dillon cautioned that while the evaluation matrix was a valuable tool, the process was not without challenges.
“We put a lot of time and effort into the matrix. It’s not perfect. It was a very short turnaround,” Dillon said. “There were five different properties that we evaluated. They are very different properties with different outcomes, different purposes, and so it’s not really a level playing field.”
The scorecard analysis weighed factors such as economic impact, accessibility, cost, and environmental benefits to ensure a fair and data-driven decision.
Funding and Next Steps
The $500,000 commitment comes from the city’s Tax Increment Finance Authority (TIFA) funds, which are legally designated for downtown improvements. No general fund dollars will be used.
If the MEDC grant is awarded, the city will finalize land leases with property owners and negotiate a development agreement. The site will be leased for 25 years with an option for renewal, ensuring long-term public use.
Mayor Marl: “A Paradigm Shift” for Downtown
Mayor Brian Marl, a long-time advocate for a downtown gathering space, praised the project as a turning point for Saline.
“There are always reasons to vote against a proposal like this,” Marl said. “But I think this is probably the most advantageous opportunity we have to move forward with a green space in our downtown. The stars aren’t perfectly aligned, but they’re about as close as they’re ever going to get.”
With construction projected to begin in 2026, the city envisions a multi-functional, accessible space that will serve as a central hub for events, recreation, and community engagement.