City of DeWitt Breaks Ground on New Downtown Farmers Market
City of DeWitt Breaks Ground on New Downtown Farmers Market
Permanent Home for One of the Region’s Largest Farmers Markets Made Possible Through LEAP’s Community Enhancement Grant and Dedicated Community Partners
DeWitt, Mich. (July 14, 2026) — The City of DeWitt, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) broke ground at what will become the new home of the Downtown DeWitt Farmers Market on Monday, July 13, 2026. The site is located at 119 W. Jefferson St., DeWitt, MI 48820, just a half block from North Bridge Street, in the heart of the central business district.
For the first time in its history, the Downtown DeWitt Farmers Market will have a permanent home, featuring a covered market structure for vendors, public restrooms, on-site storage, and a pavilion surrounded by green space. Sponsored and operated by the DeWitt Downtown Development Authority (DDA) with support from the city, the market runs June through October and draws approximately 35-40 vendors and 600 visitors each week, making it one of the three largest farmers markets in the region. Currently, the market operates in the street by closing the 100 block of North Bridge Street, impacting roughly thirteen businesses each week, eliminating critical on-street parking and leaving vendors in pop-up tents exposed to the weather.
“This space is exactly what our downtown has been missing,” said Mayor Susan Leeming. “When we create spaces where people want to gather, we create a community where families want to stay, where young people want to build their lives, and where businesses want to grow. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the new home of the Downtown DeWitt Farmers Market.”
The $1.8 million project is funded in part through LEAP’s Community Enhancement Grant (CEG) program, administered in partnership with MEDC, which invested $500,000 in the project as part of a broader effort to revitalize downtowns and public spaces across Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties. The Community Enhancement Grant was provided via funding through the Michigan state legislature called the Revitalization and Placemaking (RAP) program. In addition to the CEG funding, the City provided a local match of $1.3 million.
Beyond the market, the project will transform a formerly blighted parcel, home to an excavating company since the 1970s, into the first public gathering space in downtown DeWitt since 1896, when the original Central Town Square was built over just one block east of the site. On non-market days, the site provides off-street parking for visitors to downtown shops, restaurants, and events.
“Congratulations to the City of DeWitt, its DDA, and everyone who worked to bring this project to life,” said Bob Trezise, president & CEO of LEAP. This is exactly what the Community Enhancement Grant program was built to do. A permanent home for one of the region’s great farmers markets and a beautiful public space where people want to gather. That’s not just a nice-to-have, it’s economic development, as important as any incentive package. We’re grateful to our partners at MEDC and the state’s Revitalization and Placemaking program for their support, and we can’t wait to watch this project come to life.”
Site operation and maintenance will be handled by the City of DeWitt’s Department of Public Services, which owns, operates, and maintains nine city parks and a 2,400-square-foot community space at City Hall. The project is expected to be completed by December 2026.
