Tawas City Shoreline Park

Situated on the coast of Lake Huron in Northern Michigan, the Tawas City Shoreline Park testifies to the power of long-term investment, local leadership and strategic partnerships to transform communities.

Over the past decade, Tawas City has leveraged programs from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to strengthen its downtown, improve public spaces and create an environment that encourages private investment and community pride. That all starts with Shoreline Park.

With MEDC support, Shoreline Park was completely rehabilitated and reopened as a fully accessible public gathering space, creating a welcoming waterfront destination for residents and visitors alike. A new boardwalk, improved parking lot, play structures, electric vehicle charging station, repaired pier and more brought renewed life to the park. Through this sustained collaboration, Tawas City has transformed its waterfront into the heart of the community, creating a development-ready environment for future investment and building momentum that continues to attract new visitors, businesses and opportunities.

Knocking It Out of the Park

Previously known as Tawas City Park, the evolution of Shoreline Park has been a focus for the community for several decades. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Tawas City expanded the original park through several property acquisitions, which nearly bankrupted the City.

The structures on the acquired property were demolished and filled, which created uneven ground that wasn’t accessible or up to ADA standards. The steep hill from the parking lot to the park area also provided accessibility challenges for visitors.

Tawas City reimagined the shoreline as an asset that supports recreation, tourism and future economic growth. The City applied for grants to rehab the park and in April 2013 received a Community Development Block Grant Downtown Infrastructure Grant through the MEDC in the amount of $368,862.

The rehabilitation of Shoreline Park was completed in 2014 with a combination of grant funding and local investment. Grant funding helped the city reconstruct and expand the parking lot, improve traffic flow and add barrier-free parking spaces. The new parking surface used permeable asphalt, which supported an innovative drainage system that captures stormwater for irrigation of landscaped greenbelt areas.

The improvements included a new electric vehicle charging station – the first of its kind in the area at the time – as well as a new ADA-accessible boardwalk extending the length of the park to help improve public access while protecting the shoreline from erosion. The project also added an accessible play structure designed for multiple age groups, benches, a bike rack, new lighting and updated signage.

The success of the park rehabilitation also prompted Tawas City to look more closely at a connected waterfront asset: the Lake Huron pier. Originally built in the 1940s, the pier underwent several upgrades and improvements over the years, but eventually fell into disrepair. In 2017, high wave activity caused additional damage, and access to the end of the pier had to be closed for public safety.

Tawas City sought grants to help fund the cost of upgrades to the pier and received a Community Development Block Grant through the MEDC for $3,589,949 in May 2019. The total project was more than $4.5 million and completed in 2021.

The project stabilized and expanded the aging structure, extending the pier to 400 feet long with a new 100-foot L-shaped addition, while also widening it to provide safer public access. The enhanced pier now offers dedicated spaces for fishing, sightseeing and 10 day-docking slips, giving recreational boaters direct access to downtown Tawas City. Designed with future expansion in mind, the project has strengthened the connection between the waterfront and downtown while creating a year-round recreational asset that supports tourism, local businesses and quality of life.

Making Waves with the MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities toolkit and Match on Main program

Tawas City's commitment to thoughtful planning was further recognized in May 2023 when it became the 12th community in Michigan to receive the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Essentials designation. The designation reflects years of work to modernize planning and zoning practices, reduce barriers for investment and position the community for future redevelopment opportunities.

“With the RRC toolkit, it really encouraged us to rewrite our zoning ordinance, which had gone through its last iteration in the late '90s,” said City Manager Annge Horning. “It was an old ordinance and had a lot of antiquated regulations that weren't necessarily user friendly or development friendly. We've made development a lot easier; people who have done a lot of construction in Tawas City and neighboring communities have noted the difference and how streamlined it is.”

Engagement with the RRC toolkit has opened Tawas City up to eligibility for Match on Main grants from the MEDC, which serves as a tool to support new or expanding place-based businesses as they launch and grow in core downtown areas and commercial districts.

The Match on Main program has already supported a local business situated across the street from Shoreline Park; in July 2025, Tawas Axe N Lanes was the recipient of a $25,000 Match on Main grant for improvements to the building’s exterior, restaurant area and outdoor access. The upgrades have inspired other local businesses.

“Our businesses see the impact that funding can have. They see how Tawas Axe N Lanes was able to use its grant to make significant improvements, and how much better the business looks because of that investment,” said Horning. “That success has businesses excited to keep applying. They’re seeing what’s possible with MEDC funding, and they understand that putting together a strong application is key to being considered in future years.”

Shoring Up the Tawas City Community

Tawas City's success is the result of strategic investments that have been built upon one another to create lasting economic and community impact. Today, Shoreline Park is constantly busy, and it’s gone from a rundown, inaccessible park to a place where people of all abilities love to gather and enjoy the beautiful waterfront.

As home to the Tawas Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual craft shows over Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends since 2015, Shoreline Park has drawn new vendors and visitors to the events. In 2026, there were 374 vendor spaces – all small businesses that have benefited from the MEDC’s financial support of reconstructing the park.

The city has plans to continue developing property on the south end of Shoreline Park to provide additional amenities and opportunities for community events, including an amphitheater.

“We do have a structure there right now that was part of the acquisitions back in the late 80s and early 90s,” said Horning. “We know there’s still a lot of potential, and we have long-term goals that we’re going to continue working toward. Area businesses see what’s happening here. They see the improvements, and they’re excited about the opportunity to come to Tawas City and open their businesses. We’re proud to be a part of that.”

Learn how the MEDC supports the vibrancy and revitalization of communities like Tawas City.