Madison Heights In Final Four of Statewide Placemaking Contest
Madison Heights, MI – The final four projects in the statewide Community Excellence Award (CEA) competition have been selected and now move on to the final round in September.
The finalists in the Michigan Municipal League contest are:
Bay City – Uptown Bay City Project
Dearborn – Dearborn’s Unified Dispatch Center
Madison Heights – Madison Heights Visualizes the Future
Mason – City of Mason and Mason Public Schools City Hall Partnership
“Every year it’s exciting to see the innovative ways that Michigan communities are creating vibrant places to live and work,” said League CEO and Executive Director Dan Gilmartin. “This year was no exception and I’m especially impressed with the four projects that have risen to the top.”
The finalists were among 17 projects, programs, and initiatives involving 17 Michigan communities vying for the statewide Community Excellence Award (CEA)—the most prestigious Michigan Municipal League honor bestowed on a community.
Suggested topics for the projects ranged from civic engagement and innovative delivery of services to placemaking and redevelopment. Each entry was ranked by a panel of judges, and the public had a chance to weigh in through an online voting component. The projects’ final score was based on the judges’ ranking (75 percent) and online voting (25 percent). This year, nearly 10,000 online votes were cast for the 17 projects. The top four entries advanced to the final round.
Representatives from the final four will now present their projects at the League’s 2019 Convention in Detroit, Sept. 25-27. After hearing the presentations, Convention attendees will vote for their favorite project and the winner will be awarded the coveted CEA Trophy Cup at the conclusion of the Convention.

The Madison Heights Art Board, made up of 15 residents, set a goal to bring art and creative quality of life to the city. They developed a goal of creating public art throughout the city. They have raised enough money to create the city’s first mural. The momentum and excitement this board has started in order to get this idea off the ground is impressive. They have energized boards and committees across the city to set the future in motion across various areas including tree planting, beautification, and citizen safety. The Arts Board is committed to further promoting public art and intends to involve the community in art throughout the city…This group of volunteers hit the ground running and has created an infectious energy throughout the city setting the future in motion with their own kind of cool. The goal was to raise funds for a Civic Center Mural, however, throughout this process they have involved the whole community and spanned various issues including everything from beautification projects, pop-up art stores, to reducing single use plastic with bottles and bags. Events are held around the mural creation such as painting classes for younger students and planting for older residents. The energy from the Art Board has inspired other sleepy boards to come to life. Each groups is making big changes in the city with no city funds, making this very easy to replicate.

About the League: Michigan Municipal League is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest centers of potential: its communities. The League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington, D.C., and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials; and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services. Learn more at mml.org.
Learn more:
Madison Heights – Madison Heights Visualizes the Future
Power of Imagination Inspired Artist Jennifer Ramirez’s Mural in Madison Heights (July 10, 2019)