MERIDIAN TWP. — The Meridian Township Farmers Market will unveil a new look next spring.

After about three years of planning and fundraising efforts, the township has pulled together $1.1 million to create a 14,645-square-foot pavilion, picnic area, stage and playground along Central Park Drive near the Meridian Mall.

The new space — called "Marketplace on the Green" — will create much-needed community space, Township Supervisor Ron Styka said at a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday.

"This new market place will transform the Meridian Township Farmers Market into social and economic centerpiece for the township," he said.

The new project will help connect the Meridian Mall to the 279-acre Central Park. Construction on the project should start this summer and continue into the fall, said LuAnn Maisner, the director of parks and recreation for Meridian Township.

“We are so excited about this project," Maisner said. "We have garnered so much community support."

Allocations from the township's general fund and the park millage and donations from 17 businesses and organizations contributed to the project. A crowdfunding campaign raised $50,000 for the new pavilion as part of a Michigan Economic Development Corporation matching grant program.

Along with the farmers market, Maisner envisions the space also being used for craft fairs, antique fairs and other community events. Part of the pavilion can also become an ice rink in the winter thanks to artificial ice.

The first Meridian farmers market took place in 1974. At the time, there were just four vendors that set up in the dirt parking lot of the township hall, Maisner said.

In 1978, the current pavilion for the Meridian Township Farmers Market was constructed at 5151 Marsh Rd. Since then, the market has grown to sometimes include up to 60 vendors.

“In 1974, there weren’t that many farmers markets," Maisner said. “You almost can't go into community where they don't have one today."

There are more than 300 local farmers markets in the state of Michigan, according to the Michigan Farmers Market Association.

The organization gets many questions from members about building infrastructure for markets, said Michelle Gagliardi, the programs director at the Michigan Farmers Market Association. What works well for one market, might not for another, she said, adding that infrastructure such as pavilions aren't a necessity for running an effective market.

What's often most helpful is investing in the people that operate and participate in the markets, said Emily Syrja, the Farmers Market Association's operations director.

"One of the most important things when it comes to investment is investment in people," Syrja said, adding that Meridian Township often sends its market managers to the organization's certification programs.

Until the new structure opens next year, the Meridian Township Farmers Market will continue every Saturday at 5151 Marsh Road from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. from July to October.

Contact reporter Haley Hansen at (517) 267-1344 or hhansen@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @halehansen.