Groundbreaking Held for Historic St. John Street Neighborhood Memorial Park 

FLINT, Mich. — The City of Flint hosted the official groundbreaking ceremony for the St. John Street Neighborhood Memorial Park on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 3400 W. Boulevard Dr., at the corner of West Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue.

The ceremony marked the beginning of a transformative project that will honor the legacy of the historic St. John Street neighborhood while creating a new community gathering space for future generations.

In May, the City approved a $1.2 million contract with Gross Construction to revitalize the park. The project is funded primarily through a $1 million Michigan Department of Natural Resources Spark Grant, along with City General Fund and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

“The St. John Street Neighborhood Memorial Park represents an important investment in preserving our community’s history while creating new opportunities for education, recreation, and reflection,” said Mayor Sheldon Neeley. “This project honors the residents and families whose lives were forever changed and ensures that their stories remain a lasting part of Flint’s history.”

The St. John Street neighborhood was once a thriving, racially diverse community of Black and immigrant families. In the early 1970s, the neighborhood was demolished and thousands of residents were displaced to make way for the construction of Interstate 475 and industrial expansion.

Planned features of the park include:

• An expanded Flint River Trail connection
• A historically themed playground inspired by former neighborhood structures
• A 50-by-70-foot pavilion for educational and community programming
• Historical and interpretive markers documenting the neighborhood’s history

The groundbreaking ceremony brought together residents, former neighborhood families, community leaders, and other members of the public to commemorate the start of the project and honor the history of the St. John Street neighborhood.