By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
BUCHANAN, MI – Two Berrien County communities have been honored by the Michigan Municipal League for their recent projects. The City of Buchanan and the Village of Berrien Springs have been named as finalists for the Michigan Municipal League’s 2026 Community Excellence Award along with the cities of Rochester and Sterling Heights. The award has been described as the state’s highest community honor for innovative placemaking.
Established in 2007, the Community Excellence Award celebrates thoughtful, creative placemaking projects that help Michigan communities thrive. The award is intended not only to recognize strong local projects, but also to share ideas that can inspire other cities and villages to invest in vibrant places, strengthen community pride, and improve quality of life.
“The award celebrates projects that reflect a love of community and a commitment to making places vibrant and thriving,” the MML press release stated.
The four finalist communities will make five minute presentations and host exhibit booths at the MML’s annual convention Oct. 7-9 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City. Event attendees will then vote for their favorite project with the winner announced at the convention’s closing general session.
The community receiving the most votes will be presented with the CEA Cup during the closing general session and will display the trophy for the following year. The award represents ingenuity, collaboration, and a commitment to creating vibrant, thriving communities throughout Michigan.
Buchanan’s “Downtown for the 21st Century” project will compete with the “Playground of Kids’ Dreams” in Berrien Springs, the city of Rochester’s “Mini Forest” and the city of Sterling Heights’ project that “Regrows a Beloved Third Space.”
The Berrien Springs project involved the building of a new playground in the village’s Grove Park overlooking Lake Chapin to replace the Wolf’s Prairie Playground which was demolished last year due to its poor condition. The village raised funds and received grants to help fund the $1 million project. The vision for the new playground came from the community’s children who helped design it.
Buchanan’s finalist project is the City’s nearly $20 million downtown reconstruction and placemaking initiative.
“Being named a finalist for the League’s highest community honor is a tremendous recognition for Buchanan,” said Mayor Mark Weedon. “Our residents, businesses, staff, and partners made this possible, and we are proud to represent Buchanan and southwest Michigan on a statewide stage,” he added.
During the project, around 90 percent of the critical infrastructure in the downtown project area was replaced including water mains dating back to 1925. Improvements included water mains, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, streets, sidewalks, lighting, and streetscape elements.
Replacing deteriorated sewer lines also reduced daily wastewater treatment flows from approximately 1.1 million gallons to about 500,000 gallons by eliminating significant groundwater inflow and infiltration. After the underground work was complete, the downtown streetscape was replaced with a tabletop design that places streets and sidewalks at a unified grade.
The layout accommodates normal vehicle traffic while allowing downtown blocks to be converted into pedestrian oriented spaces for festivals and gatherings. The project also added new and refurbished streetlights, four blocks of string lighting, stormwater separator units, landscaping, benches, and other public amenities.
Most of the work was completed in November 2025 with the redesigned downtown already supported one new festival as well as the already established farmers’ market, summer music concerts, and other community events. The City received approximately $2 million in grant support, with Buchanan residents financing the remaining investment as a long term commitment to the community’s future.