On Saturday, Sept. 13, members of the Albion community and representatives from Albion College gathered to celebrate the opening of Collaboration Corner, Albion’s newest park.
The park, located at the corner of Michigan Ave. and Monroe St., is a result of a collaborative effort between the community of Albion and Albion College. Collaboration Corner is designed to be a place of relaxation and beauty and also the beginning of an effort to link the college and the city of Albion.
The park’s opening was part of a series of events in conjunction with the inauguation of Albion College president Mauri Ditzler. A theme of the weekend’s events was a renewal of projects linking the community to the campus. The community of Albion plans to use Collaboration Corner as an anchor to kick-start a string of parks, businesses and other projects where the college and community intersect.
Albion College president Mauri Ditzler and Albion mayor Joe Domingo spoke to a group of students, faculty and community members before breaking the ground at the park.
Ditzler said that in the past, members of the college “forgot we were part of the community. The point of this park is to refocus on that idea.”
More work is planned for the park in the upcoming weeks, including a mural to be painted on the park’s back wall.
This is wonderful news. I am happy to see the college connecting more with the local Albion community. I and many of my fellow students love both Albion College and the town of Albion. I have spoken with countless alumni, faculty, students, and students’ relatives who want to see the town of Albion and the college grow and work together positively. This park is just one of many good signs I am seeing with the college’s new president.
I got the chance to see the first features of the park the other day and I already like it. I can’t wait to see how it will eventually flourish to help make this town look more beautiful than it already is.