The bulletin kiosk at Grand Rapids' newest park used to be a church steeple. A few steps away, a set of painted organ pipes now runs as a water sculpture. Both came from St. Joseph the Worker Church, which once stood on the land where Unity Park opened on Oct. 14 at 680 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW in the Roosevelt Park neighborhood.
The city's $2.23 million investment bought new play areas, seating, and a rain garden. Two other things set this park apart. Its most noticeable features come from a building that left the neighborhood in 2008, and its name went to residents for a second vote after the first result didn't hold up.
A Steeple That Now Posts the Park's Notices
St. Joseph the Worker had deep roots on the near Southwest Side. In 2008, MLive reported that the parish had "outgrown its home of 121 years" on Rumsey Street SW. About 900 people attended its three weekend Masses in a church that seated 225. That year the parish moved to the former Godwin Heights Christian Reformed Church at 225 32nd St. SW in Wyoming, a building with room for 400. The Diocese of Grand Rapids still lists the parish at that Wyoming address.
The parish moved on, and the land on Cesar E. Chavez near Rumsey Street eventually became the site for a new city park. At the ribbon cutting, Eleanor Moreno, who represented the Neighborhood Partners Committee, described her part in it to WGVU:
"Part of my role was just a neighbor who really cared what was happening in the neighborhood in this giant, empty lot and I wanted to ensure that I could bring my neighbor's voices and amplify it in whatever way I could."
The design kept the parts of the church people would recognize from the street. WGVU reported that the steeple became the park's bulletin kiosk and the organ pipes were painted and made into a water sculpture. MLive had described the kiosk plan a year earlier, saying it would feature the cupola from the former St. Joseph the Worker Parish. The city says residents gave input on the design so the park would reflect the neighborhood's culture and history.
Naming the Park Took Longer Than Building It
Residents had a say in the name as well as the design. The naming process ran longer than construction did:
- June 2024: The city asked the public to suggest names for the park at 680 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW and took suggestions through July 14, according to MLive.
- First poll: Navarro Plaza beat Unity Park by three votes. Commissioner AliciaMarie Belchak told WGVU, "It's very hard to say you had a clear front runner."
- May 20, 2025: The City Commission voted down Navarro Plaza and sent the process back to a community stakeholder group for more outreach in Roosevelt Park, MLive reported.
- Summer 2025: Construction began while the name was still being decided.
- Runoff: A second poll listed only the top two names. Unity Park won 232 votes to 183 out of 415 responses.
- Nov. 18, 2025: The City Commission approved the name Unity Park unanimously, per MLive.
From the first call for names to the commission vote, the process took about 17 months. Construction, from summer 2025 to the Oct. 14 opening, took a little more than a year.
Belchak explained the reasoning in May 2025. "I think it's really important that we respect and honor the nearby neighbors - the community that's going to be looking at that sign every day," she told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press.
Navarro Plaza would have honored Miguel and Isabel Navarro, founders of El Matador Tortilla Chip Co. and 2005 inductees into the West Michigan Business Hall of Fame. After the runoff, Commissioner Drew Robbins told WGVU the city was "still committed to honoring his life and his legacy" and mentioned a commemorative street renaming as one possibility. The city's Oct. 15 opening announcement didn't include a separate tribute to the Navarros, so that commitment is still open.
What the $2.23 Million Bought
According to the city's announcement, the park includes:
- A flexible gathering area with vendor spaces
- Inclusive play spaces with hammock groves, community seating, and play features for all ages
- Café-style seating under a shaded tree grove
- A rain garden and an expanded tree canopy
- Improved lighting, bike paths, and drinking fountains with bottle-filling stations
MLive's earlier description also mentioned rentable shelter space. The project was paid for by the Michigan Enhancement Grant and the city's Parks Capital Fund.
The city's list of project partners ranges from neighborhood organizations to design firms and a university: Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities, the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Viridis Design Group, Aligned Planning, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, Dwelling Place, the Hispanic Center of West Michigan, Ferris State University, and Trinity Health. Speakers at the ribbon cutting included Mayor David LaGrand, City Manager Mark Washington, Parks and Recreation Director Laura Cleypool, Bev Thiel of Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, and Steff Rosalez of Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities.
The Street Out Front Is Part of the Same Project
The park is one piece of a longer rebuild of Cesar E. Chavez Avenue. MLive's project history lists the segments that have already been rebuilt:
- 2018: MLK Jr. Street to Logan Street
- 2023: Beacon Street to MLK Jr. Street
- 2024: Clyde Park Avenue to Hall Street
The 2024 half-mile cost $7.5 million. It replaced lead water lines at 29 private properties and added on-street parking, new fiberglass streetlights, five rain gardens, and 80 street trees. The rain garden and wider tree canopy at Unity Park follow the same approach as the street.
The last gap is Hall Street to Beacon Street. The city's project page lists that reconstruction on an April through November 2026 schedule. If you're driving or biking to the park from the south this fall, check that page for current access before you go.
The construction has been hard on some nearby businesses. In August, WOOD TV8 reported that Rincon Criollo had closed its sit-down restaurant near Clyde Park after 10 years. Its food truck and catering business is still running. Booking Rincon Criollo's truck or catering is one way to send some of the park's new foot traffic back to a corridor business.
Booking the Shelter or Selling at the Vendor Spaces
Unity Park has a rentable shelter and vendor spaces, and the city handles them in two different ways. The city's Park Facility Reservation Guide covers renting picnic shelters, pavilions, and community rooms. You choose a date and a group size, then check availability. Selling products doesn't go through that system. It goes through the Office of Special Events permit process. The city's Reserve a Facility page walks through setting up a Parks and Recreation account, sending a request, and paying once it's confirmed. Questions go to Parks and Recreation.
If you're planning a birthday under the tree grove this fall or a vendor table next spring, contact Parks and Recreation first. They can confirm whether Unity Park's shelter is open for booking yet and which process covers your event.
The team at Clark & Clark follows southwest side projects like Unity Park and the Cesar E. Chavez rebuild one block at a time. We're glad to talk through what they mean for your plans, so Contact Us whenever you're ready.
