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Walnut Neighborhood Park

One of Crossroads Church’s driving tenets is to be an asset to their neighborhood. So, when they were given the dilapidated home that was adjacent to their church building, they began dreaming about what the space could become. Working closely with Elements Studio, they developed a neighborhood park where community members can play basketball, use the playground, and relax under the pavilion.

A red and pink mosiac heart is painted on a concrete basketball court with the words "Love the City"
The Love the City logo painted by City Life Church for Crossroads Church reminds neighbors of Jesus’ love for them
Neighbors and church members gather to celebrate the grand opening of the park
Neighbors and church members gather to celebrate the grand opening of Walnut Neighborhood Park
Church members give away sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, bananas to neighbors
Church members gave away fresh fruits and vegetables at the park
The arching walkway meanders through the park. People of all ages gather to use the park.
The arching walkway meanders through the park connecting the sidewalk at César E. Chávez Ave. to the pavilion, the playground and the basketball court.

The church maintains the newly established neighborhood park so that they can use the space to host Wednesday night community dinners and block parties.

The Design of a Neighborhood Park

Elements Studio developed the conceptual site plan for the proposed park. On the site plan, the pavilion is intentionally positioned off-center. Crossroads encourages all people to “Approach God as they are.” Approaching God is an experience filled with surprising realizations. So, the layout of the pavilion and the winding walks reflect that unpredictability. With the pavilion situated along the existing drive, Crossroads takes advantage of the close proximity to the kitchen inside of the church. They also use the concrete driveway for setting up buffet tables for weekly community dinners during the summer months.

Crossroads Church used the site plan and 3D perspective renderings to raise money with a Patronicity grant. The church met their goal of raising $50,000 on November 28, 2021! Then the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) matched their funding dollar for dollar.

A plan view site plan of the neighborhood park
This conceptual site plan shows the proposed layout of the park as if you were a bird flying above it.
A 3D view of the pavilion with tables and chairs underneath as seen from César E. Chávez Ave.
A 3D view of the pavilion as seen from César E. Chávez Ave.
A 3D view of the basketball court and playground at the north end of the park
A 3D view of the basketball court and playground at the north end of the park

After developing the conceptual design, Elements Studio also developed the necessary construction documents. We assisted the church with obtaining a Floodplain Permit from EGLE (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) and navigating the overall construction process. Pastor Curt Wright was a fantastic owner/teammate throughout the design, fundraising and construction process. It was truly a pleasure to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony in 2023 to celebrate with Crossroads Church and the whole Walnut Neighborhood community as they officially opened the park!

We had the privilege of working with Elements Studio on a park project for our neighborhood and we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. From the very beginning, they took the time to listen to our values, vision, and hopes for the space. Their ability to translate those into a thoughtful, beautiful design was truly remarkable. Throughout the entire process, they demonstrated professionalism, care, and a genuine commitment to serving us. The final design exceeded our expectations and has become a powerful reflection of who we are as a church. We are deeply grateful for their work and would highly recommend Elements Studio to anyone looking for excellence in landscape design.

Curt Wright, Senior Pastor
Crossroads Church
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Location

Lansing, MI

Completion Date

Summer of 2023

Project Type

Community Amenity, Non-Profit / Religious

Professional Services

Concept Landscape Plan, Presentation Graphics, Site Plan, Construction Documents, Cost Estimate, Municipal Approval, 3D Renderings
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Landscape Architecture

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