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3 plans submitted for big horse park

Saturday, June 13, 2009
By Heidi Fenton
hfenton@citpat.com-- 768-4945

Officials from the Michigan Equine Partnership are reviewing proposals from three Jackson-area groups vying to construct a multimillion-dollar horse park. The Springport Township Equine Partners, The Enterprise Group of Jackson, and a third group backed by Albion Economic Development Corp. and Albion College met a June 1 deadline to submit site plans. Officials from the partnership will schedule in-person presentations for each group and make site visits in July, Executive Director Val Vail-Shirey said. A decision on the selected location will come in September.

The Lansing-based partnership, which promotes the horse industry, received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2007 to determine the feasibility of a multiuse equine facility in southern Michigan. Officials affirmed the project’s feasibility and recently collected site proposals.

``What we’re looking at in the goal to build, is a facility that does not exist in the United States. This will be a premiere and sought-after facility that folks will want to contract with for their events,’’ Vail-Shirey said.

General plans call for a minimum of 600 acres of open land that has easy access to highways, restaurants and hotels. The facility could include a convention center, stalls for 2,000 horses or other livestock, campgrounds and show arenas. Vail-Shirey expects local contractors would do a large portion of the construction work.

``This is a Michigan project for Michigan businesses and Michigan job creation,’’ she said.

Scott Fleming, president and CEO of The Enterprise Group, said his proposal includes two possible sites in Columbia Township, one in Grass Lake, and another that borders Blackman and Leoni townships. Whether a Jackson site is chosen or one in Springport or Albion, the whole area could see an economic boost. Fleming projected the facility’s outreach to be at least a 100-mile radius.

``People that go to a lot of the horse parks and events spend a lot of dollars on their animals and equipment and all of the other things that go with it,’’ he said.

Officials say the park will be open year-round and will be large enough to hold circuses, tractor pulls and rodeos. Once the Michigan Equine Partnership selects a site, Vail-Shirey said, it will apply for state and national grants along with the developing group.

Bill Russell, chairman of the Springport Township Equine Partners, is confident financial support will come through. A large portion of funding, he said, likely will come from private investors. Russell has made presentations in Eaton Rapids and Charlotte. He said both communities are on board with the plan.

``We have a huge portfolio of support letters,’’ he said. ``I’m confident the funding could be generated.’’