McKenna Adds Six More Michigan Communities to Expanding Client Roster
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Community Planning Firm Announces New Projects in Partnership with Armada Twp., Athens Twp., Chelsea, Grandville, Saginaw and St. Johns
NORTHVILLE, Mich. (Sept. 8, 2020) – McKenna – a community planning, design and building services firm, headquartered in Northville, Mich., with offices in Detroit, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo – is pleased to announce the addition of six more Michigan communities to its roster of clients. The announcement was made by McKenna President, John Jackson.
“It’s humbling to think about the impact our work has had, and hopefully will continue to have, in so many diverse communities and neighborhoods across our great state,” said Jackson. “It’s our privilege to partner with outstanding people and places around Michigan to help make their hometowns home.”
McKenna’s new client work includes:
- Armada Township: Armada Township, Mich. is a rural, agricultural community located on Macomb County’s norther border. Originally organized in 1832, the area, noted for its prominent apple orchards, today is a mixture of small farms and residential areas, including the Village of Armada. McKenna will provide Armada Township with ongoing planning, zoning, design and economic development services.
- Athens Township: Athens Township, Mich. is a rural community in Calhoun County, located along a key wind corridor that has been marked for new wind energy facilities. To protect the community’s character and natural resources, while providing a clear regulatory system and pathway to approval, McKenna is assisting the Township with a new wind energy section to its Zoning Ordinance.
- City of Chelsea: Chelsea, Mich. is a vibrant city located about 15 minutes west of Ann Arbor. The close-knit community places importance on the arts, local business, good food and healthy living. McKenna will provide a Zoning Ordinance update that implements the goals and objectives of the City’s recently completed Master Plan and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Redevelopment Ready Communities Best Practices.
- City of Grandville: Established in 1833 and incorporated as a city in 1933, Grandville is small community nestled along the shores of the Grand River on the southwest side of Kent County, Mich., less than 10 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. McKenna will provide a thorough review of the City’s Zoning Ordinance, with specific focus on signage and an expansion of the City’s Form Based Code, the latter of which will help Grandville bring vitality and sustainability to 28th Street, its portion of an important regional corridor.
- City of Saginaw/Spicer Group: A riverfront city located in the heart of the Great Lakes Bay Region, Saginaw flourishes from the culture and diversity of its neighborhoods. In its first partnership with Spicer Group, the primary contractor for Saginaw’s Master Plan, McKenna will be conducting a Housing Study to gain understanding of the housing needs of the Saginaw community now and over the next 20 years. The study will help to identify gaps, inefficiencies and inequities in Saginaw’s housing market.
- City of St. Johns: Known as the Mint Festival City, St. Johns is located in Clinton County, Mich., just miles from downtown Lansing. A safe and friendly city, St. Johns offers a charming small-town lifestyle with the many conveniences of a larger city. McKenna will conduct a thorough review of St. Johns’ Zoning Ordinance, focusing on residential density and parking. McKenna also has been engaged to create a new Form Based Code for the City’s downtown, which will protect the community’s unique and historic character, while providing opportunities for redevelopment in the nearby industrial district.
ABOUT MCKENNA
Founded in 1978, McKenna is a full-service community planning, design and building services firm. Headquartered in Northville, Mich. with offices and teams in Detroit, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, McKenna is in the business of making hometowns home. For more information, visit mcka.com.