Bayfront Park is the primary feature and activity center of the Petoskey waterfront. The major goal of the park development was to provide increased public access to Little Traverse Bay and to establish an effective pedestrian and functional linkage between the waterfront and the renowned downtown “Gaslight” shopping district.
Main features of the park include a central promenade linking the downtown to the City pier, marina and waterfront walkway; waterfront playground, softball tournament field, river mouth boardwalk, new City Hall and Public Service Buildings, open picnic and activity greens, and arboretum. Services provided by our firm included design, engineering and construction administration for all park facilities, roads, utilities, shoreline stabilization, and the pedestrian tunnel linking downtown to the waterfront park under the highway. Improvements to the park were funded primarily by local sources through the Petoskey Tax Increment Finance Authority, with projected State of Michigan participation through the Waterways Division and Recreation Services Division of the Department of Natural Resources and a total project commitment of up to five million dollars.
Beckett and Raeder, Inc. has served as the design and engineering firm on all waterfront projects since the inception of the waterfront master plan in 1979 - 1980. Since that time, over thirty projects have been implemented consistent with the original concept for the waterfront area.