Berkley Parks & Recreation Launches Park Naming Contest for New Park

Media Contact: Theresa McArleton; Parks & Recreation Director; tmcarleton@berkleymich.net; 248-658-3479
Torri Mathes, Community Engagement Officer; tmathes@berkleymich.net; 248-658-3333 


Berkley, MI - April 1, 2020 - Berkley’s Parks and Recreation Department announces the launch of a Park Naming Contest for the Oxford/Merchants Park Development.

“Our parks are for everyone,” said Theresa McArleton, Parks & Recreation Director. “What better way to celebrate the redevelopment of this park than to have a member of our community name it.”

Residents and community members can submit names by heading to www.berkleymich.org/parkcontest. Online submissions can be made through April 1 - April 23, 2021. 

Park Name Guidelines:

  • You must be a resident, community member, or business owner of Berkley, Michigan to participate
  • Anyone kindergarten and up can participate
  • You must complete all of the entry/submission instructions on the form 
  • You have to state the WHY behind the name 
  • The name can reflect natural or cultural features associated with the new park or the surrounding area
  • The name can represent historical events or elements associated with the park or surrounding area
  • The name can reflect abutting street names
  • No inappropriate language, names, or slanderous material
  • No names after an individual 

The City of Berkley purchased three acres of property known as Oxford Park in 2014 from the Berkley School District. In 2016, the Parks & Recreation Department hired Native Edge, LLC to help develop a master plan for the property. Public input from resident focus groups and surrounding stakeholders played a significant role in developing the final plan. 

In 2020, the City broke ground for the development of the park. The new park and its 6.7 acres will feature the installation of restroom facilities, a splash pad, play structures, walking paths to the recreational amenities, and much more.

Park Naming Process: We are encouraging the community to submit their ideas for a new park name. The winning name will be chosen through a two-stage voting process.

The first round will be an open submission process. Those names will be reviewed by the Park Naming Committee* who will narrow that list based on the guidelines listed above.

The second round will be a compilation of the submitted names narrowed down to the top five to ten. The final selection will be submitted to the Mayor and City Council for the final determination. 

* The Park Naming Committee is made up of Parks and Recreation staff, the City Manager, and the Parks & Rec Advisory Board.

Learn more about the park and contest at www.berkleymich.org/oxford-merchant-park-plan.

STAY UP TO DATE

eNews Signup