Construction begins on new parking lot in downtown Flint

Flint, MI—A formerly fenced-off parcel in downtown Flint has slowly filled with trucks, excavators, and workers in neon vests as the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation looks to replace a dilapidated parking lot with a brand new one by spring 2022.

“It’s true that there was already some surface parking at that location, but it was parking that existed for two former buildings that are no longer there,” said Sarah Schuch, communications officer for the Mott Foundation’s Flint area grant-making program.

“The Mott Foundation got permission from the city to combine the two parcels into one, and then the goal was to improve the property and make it more attractive,” she said.

The combined lot is located at 719/725 Harrison Street, nearby the Flint Farmers Market and Mass Transit Authority.

When complete, the area will consist of 263 regular parking spots and eight ADA parking spaces, but Schuch said the Foundation also made sure the design was in compliance with the city’s Master Plan, which designated the project as “D5” at the time of its approval.

That designation means a smooth new parking surface, but also that downtown visitors can expect updates to the parcel’s sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping in the coming months.

The Mott Foundation has not yet determined whether the parking area will have a cost, like most nearby lots and garages, or if it will be purposed for neighboring businesses and housing complexes or the general public.

“Those details are still being worked out,” said Schuch, who added that “if weather cooperates” the lot may even be completed before the end of 2021.