"We are excited to bring our concerts back into this area once this area is completed," Fenton assistant city manager Michael Hart told WNEM this spring about the riverfront behind City Hall. That was March 30. The work along the Shiawassee River was mostly in by then: playground equipment, walkways and two kayak launches. Seven months later, the piece he was talking about still isn't finished. That piece is the gazebo end of Millpond Park, with its plaza, concert seating and fishing docks.
That ordering explains most of what has changed downtown. The Millpond Park Improvement Project has been building from the water's edge toward the gazebo. The parts you can use for a walk or a paddle came first. The part Fenton uses for gathering comes last, and it is still behind the fence with Jinglefest a month away.
Three Updates, Three Different Finish Dates
The finish date has slipped with each public update:
- May 2025. MLive reported construction would start in summer 2025 and wrap up in spring 2026.
- March 2026. WNEM reported the goal was to have the riverfront done "later this year."
- October 2026. The Tri-County Times reported that all major work should be complete "this winter."
None of these is a firm date, and the latest one is still a forecast. Each update pushed the finish into a later season. Over the same stretch, the project grew from one construction contract to a third phase with its own contractor.
What Is Already in the Ground
The first phase went to Trojan Development Company, Inc. City Council awarded it a $1,376,610.49 construction contract on April 28, 2025, and capped OHM's construction engineering and oversight at $139,000. The 2025 package covered the river side of the park: a riverwalk with a boardwalk segment along the bank, a replacement pedestrian bridge near the gazebo, two kayak and canoe launches, a launch plaza, and a universally accessible playground.
By March 2026, the playground, walkways and both kayak launches were built, according to WNEM. Hart described the new bridge as a practical fix more than a cosmetic one.
"Before we used to have ice on the bridge and or have, puddling, pooling of water. Now it will, drain away. It's also a lot wider. So if you're on a wheelchair, you can go ahead and ingress egress through that before you weren't able to necessarily do that."
Hart told WNEM the work started with maintenance problems in the downtown core the city calls Dibbleville, and grew from there. "We're also not only maintaining, but we're investing," he said.
The Gazebo End Is the Last Piece
The second phase moved the work toward City Hall. In a construction update posted November 24, 2025, the city said Phase One was nearly complete and Phase Two was underway. A crane was going in behind the Fenton Police Station for work on the raceway tied to the millpond's sluice gates. Benches, the kayak sculpture between City Hall and the police station, and the election drop box were moved into storage while that work went on.
The same update listed what was planned behind the blue fencing on the west side of the park near the gazebo: ADA ramping, viewing decking, picnic areas, a fishing pier, and better seating for concerts in the park. Those are the features WNEM still described as plans four months later.
On June 22, 2026, City Council approved a third phase and awarded it to Evergreen Landscape Group, which does business as Spurlocks, for $1,019,490.04. The same meeting approved up to $155,000 for OHM's construction engineering and on-site oversight, and up to $22,000 for geotechnical work by G2 Consulting Group.
The newest item turned up under the gazebo itself. On Monday, Oct. 12, council approved a $75,298 change order for the materials, labor and equipment to remove a vault crews found partly underneath the Fenton Millpond Gazebo, the Tri-County Times reported. In practice, that means the ground under downtown's main gathering spot was still being dug up in mid-October.
What the Rebuild Has Cost So Far
The approved contracts on record add up quickly. The money comes from several sources, and one of them goes back six years.
| Item | Amount | Approved or reported |
|---|---|---|
| Phase I construction, Trojan Development | $1,376,610.49 | April 28, 2025 |
| Phase I oversight cap, OHM | $139,000 | April 28, 2025 |
| Phase III construction, Spurlocks | $1,019,490.04 | June 22, 2026 |
| Phase III oversight cap, OHM | $155,000 | June 22, 2026 |
| Phase III geotechnical cap, G2 Consulting Group | $22,000 | June 22, 2026 |
| Gazebo vault removal change order | $75,298 | Oct. 12, 2026 |
The two main construction contracts alone total about $2.4 million, and the phase-two contract isn't on that list. On the funding side, MLive reported a $300,000 Michigan DNR Natural Resources Trust Fund grant the city received in 2020, plus Fenton DDA funds and an anonymous donation. In a separate May 2025 report, MLive said Fenton received a $1 million MEDC Revitalization and Placemaking grant aimed at the gazebo area and Millpond Park. That money is also tied to the end of the park that is finishing last.
Downtown Around the Fence in November
The fencing isn't the only thing changing near South Leroy Street this fall. A few blocks from the park, Cascara Coffee is building its third cafe at 104 S. Leroy St., in the building it shares with Fenton Pilates Studio. Construction was underway as of a September report, but no opening date has been announced.
If you drive in from the Owen Road side, the city's Alloy Drive rehabilitation still affects your route. Alloy Drive has been northbound-only between Owen Road and Fenway Drive since September 23. Southbound traffic detours via Fenway Drive and Owen Road. The city estimated the work would run through mid-November, weather permitting, so plan on the detour for at least another week or two.
December 5 Comes Before the Plaza Is Done
Jinglefest is set for Saturday, December 5, 2026, according to the Fenton & Linden Regional Chamber of Commerce. That is well before "this winter" is likely to mean a finished gazebo plaza. The day runs on a fixed schedule:
- 9 a.m. Breakfast with Santa, with registration through the Chamber's page
- 10 a.m. Fenton Rotary's Christmas tree decorating at Bush Park, plus the Jingle, Mingle & Shop holiday shopping spree
- 3 p.m. Free activities: cookie decorating and crafts with Fenton United Methodist Church, horse-drawn wagon rides, ice sculptures and a live ice carving demonstration, the JingleJam warming tent, Letters to Santa with the FHS Key Club and Kiwanis Club of Fenton, a live nativity by First Presbyterian Church, live reindeer, and photos with Santa from Kiwanis
- 6 p.m. The holiday lighted parade, then the community tree lighting, fireworks from Fenton Festivals Inc., and Cookies with Santa from the Fenton Beautification Committee
Food stops include a Center of Hope bake sale, chili and hot dogs from Boy Scout Troop 212, hot chocolate from FHS Project Graduation, pizza from the Fenton Lions Club, and popcorn from St. Augustine Knights of Columbus. The JingleJog 5K has its own registration link.
As of the Chamber's latest update, the 2026 event map is listed as "coming soon," and the only map posted is labeled 2025. Until the new map is out, nobody can say where this year's ice sculptures, warming tent or tree lighting will sit relative to the fencing. Check the Chamber's page before you pick a parking spot or a curb for the parade.
Next summer is a different story. The city has said concerts will come back to the riverfront once the gazebo end is finished. That work is set to wrap up this winter.
Downtown projects like this one shape how a neighborhood feels for a season or two, and they come up when people weigh a move or a listing date. If you own near the Millpond and want to plan a sale around the construction schedule, or you're watching downtown Fenton from somewhere else, Jeremy Taljonick | Mid MI HomeSellers can walk you through the timing. Schedule a consultation and we'll go over your plan.
