SMALL TOWN BIG IDEAS
By Jane Paterson
New Baltimore may be a cozy town that encompasses just under five square miles, but its location along Anchor Bay means that it has huge potential – and the community is making the most of it. This is what they have been doing for more than 150 years when New Baltimore was first incorporated as a village in 1867 and later became a city in 1931.
For most of its early history, New Baltimore was a vibrant shipping town, exporting agricultural and manufacturing products via its robust port. However, as the shipping industry shifted to the railways for transporting goods, New Baltimore needed to reinvent itself, and it didn’t take long to realize that its sandy shoreline made the ideal resort area for metro Detroit vacationers. With one-quarter of the community located along the shoreline of Anchor Bay, the city’s spectacular views and pristine beach spurred a bustling downtown area filled with restaurants, saloons, hotels – even an opera house. It had all the amenities visitors needed to relax and refresh. With just over 13,000 residents today, New Baltimore continues to embrace its history as a sunny sanctuary with a waterfront park, a beach, a boardwalk with benches and a 190-foot dock that extends into Lake St. Clair. There are opportunities for fishing, boating, swimming and picnicking, as well as a universally accessible playscape.
“The waterfront is a diamond that continues to be polished,” said Mayor Thomas Semaan.
New Baltimore added another jewel to its crown this past spring with the addition of a covered outdoor 20-by-40-foot patio spearheaded by the city’s Downtown Development
Authority (ODA). The canopied space at Walter and Mary Burke Park extends toward the water from an existing indoor pavilion. Two cozy conversation areas feature colorful landscaping, two charcoal BBQs and 12 Adirondack chairs arranged around each fire pit that provide spectacular views of Anchor Bay.
Semaan said the project cost approximately $65,0001, which was funded partially by a $20,000 Macomb County Placemaking Grant with a $20,000 match from the ODA. The ODA also pitched in another $25,000 for additional improvements. The Placemaking Grants assist local initiatives that activate public placemaking, or places where people gather and spend time, and that support the sustainability and greening of infrastructure and stormwater systems. To be considered, projects must be located in Macomb County’s traditional downtowns and other established ODA jurisdictions. Eligible projects also had to have a minimum total development cost of $10,000 with the recipient committing to a 50% match. New Baltimore was one of three communities selected for the grant and received the maximum award possible.
There’s a lot to love about New Baltimore – and people have noticed. The town is consistently named on various lists as one of the safest mid-sized cities in Michigan. New developments and businesses are adding to the excitement downtown. There are numerous investments in the works, including a three-story mixed-use development on the corner of Main and Washington streets, called Ashley Development. It will have first-floor retail with second- and third floor apartments. Semaan said a developer is seeking to create 20 residential units on the second and third floors and retail on the first floor. Construction was slated to begin in fall 2024. Also, in the New Baltimore Baker Building, often referred to as the former Stahl’s Bakery, funding is currently in the works to renovate the building, which was built in 1868 and originally served as a dry goods, clothing, medicine and grocery store. Tashmoo Distilling Co., located on Washington Street, is a craft distillery that opened in December 2023. It specializes In premium, handcrafted small-batch spirits and Is a wonderful addition to the downtown area, Semaan said.
Shoreline restoration projects also are in progress at the City’s two waterfront parks. City leaders are hoping to mitigate shoreline erosion at both parks. At Ruedisale Point Park, work will include multiple wave attenuation barriers, shallow aquatic habitat construction and approximately 650 linear feet of softened shoreline construction. At Walter and Mary Burke Park, the city is planning a shoreline naturalization and wildlife habitat restoration project to help address issues caused by adverse lake levels, severe storm events and lack of natural ecosystem development. The city was recently awarded a state nonmatching $2 million grant to build a break wall to create a safe harbor for boats to dock, said Semaan, as well as to protect vital infrastructure along the shoreline, including the water plant. For 50 plus years, multiple administrations have attempted to obtain funding for waterfront improvements at this park so this funding can be used as a matching grant to further save taxpayer money, he added. Shoreline restoration is important because it supports wildlife, restores natural processes, improves water quality and protects habitats.
The thing about New Baltimore, said Semaan, is that many of its families have lived here for generations. The small-town vibe is strong and most people who pass on the street know each other. Friends and family members enjoy gathering around the fire pits to relax. Neighbors pitch in to help each other. The community comes together for local festivals and the local farmers market is the place to be on Sundays.
Some of New Baltimore’s claims to fame are that it is home to Michigan’s tallest flagpole, as well as the popular Bay-Rama Fishfly Festival every summer. The Bay-Rama Fishfly Festival is hosted by Bay-Rama, Inc., an organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in New Baltimore. Festival proceeds are used within the community. In total, the organization has donated more than $2 million to the community in the form of scholarships and community projects through the years.
A parade featuring local organizations and youth groups is the highlight of the event along with the time-treasured festival tradition of the Bay-Rama Cardboard Boat Regatta. Boat construction begins about an hour or so before the event begins, with prizes awarded for the Best Built Boat (the one that wins the final heat) and the Titanic (the first boat to sink). The 60th annual Bay-Rama Fish fly Festival is scheduled for June 18-22, 2025.
Bay-Rama Inc. also hosts the popular Annual New Baltimore Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Other annual festivals and fun include the Anchor Bay Country Fest mid-weeks summer concerts, City of New Baltimore Antique Yard Sale Trail, Movie in the Park, Yoga in the Park, Chalk It Up, Bayside Jazz Nights, Memorial Day Parade, Bay Area Sports Fishing Show and Sunsations Street Party.
“My family moved to New Baltimore in the 1960s and it has provided us a wonderful quality of life just like it has for so many other families. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, Semaan said.