The two newest places to gather in downtown Alden started as private gifts. The covered pavilion next to the post office sits on a lot the Smith family deeded to a volunteer group. The pedestrian bridge going in beside the traffic bridge at the harbor was fabricated and donated by Tim and Lori Stone. In both cases, Helena Township's work happens at the edges: a sidewalk angled to meet the bridge, guardrail extensions, drainage rock, and soon the curb along Alden's main street.
That split explains a lot about the next six weeks downtown. It covers where the Christmas tree gets lit, why the footbridge is taking its time, and why the curb work on the south side has its own spot on the township agenda.
A lot by the post office with eighty years of history
The Alden Village Center sits at 9087 Helena Road, next to the U.S. Post Office. The Smith family owned it for decades and ran Alden's Motor Services there from 1946 to 1977. Later, many people knew it as Mrs. Smith's Village Park, or the Posey Patch.
The family let the nonprofit Alden Volunteers use the site for community activities starting in 2000. In 2021 they deeded the property to the group outright, trusting the volunteers to turn it into what the organization calls "an aesthetic, cultural, social and educational space to serve the community."
Turning an old service station lot into a park took several years, and the Alden Volunteers project page lays out each stage:
| Year | What happened at 9087 Helena Road |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Trees and the old underground collecting tanks from the service station years removed; excavation, zoning approval and a new well |
| Late 2023 | Building permit obtained |
| 2024 | 36-by-24-foot structure built for Alden Volunteers storage and a covered community pavilion; "Donor Walk of Fame" brick walk installed |
| 2025 | Professional park-like landscaping planned to finish the project |
| July 14, 2026 | Marshall Morlock Band, 7 to 9 p.m., the first concert at the site |
The volunteers credit local tradespeople who gave discounted materials or labor, and say they couldn't have started when they did without that help. The brick walk is still taking names. Engraved bricks cost $100 each until the walk is full, and the order form is on the group's site.
The township keeps the distinction on record. At its September 3 meeting, the Helena Township Planning Commission discussed whether to list the "privately operated Village Community Center" alongside township facilities on the township's rental page, and talked about clearly separating public assets from privately owned ones. The lot is open to the public, but a nonprofit owns and runs it.
The Christmas tree moved here last year
The Village Center is where downtown's biggest evening of the year now happens. In 2025 the Antrim Review described Alden's Christmas Celebration as "taking place from 3-7 p.m. in downtown Alden at the new Alden Village Center," with people gathering outside for a 5:20 p.m. tree lighting.
This year's celebration is Saturday, November 28, 3 to 7 p.m., listed for "Downtown Alden at the New Village Center." The schedule on the Elk Rapids Area Chamber listing:
- 3 to 5 p.m.: cookies and crafts at the church
- 5 p.m.: gathering outside begins
- 5:20 p.m.: tree lighting
- 5:30 p.m.: Santa arrives by fire truck
- Until 7 p.m.: downtown merchants stay open
Between last year's notice and this year's listing, the tree lighting is set at the Village Center two years running. Visit Alden lists the same date and hours.
The footbridge follows the same pattern, with more engineering
The second gift is down at the harbor. Helena Township's July 9 minutes describe "a privately donated pedestrian bridge and small park near the boulder-stone area at the Marina," going in next to the existing traffic bridge. In the township's August 13 update, the bridge "has been fabricated and donated by Tim and Lori Stone."
The July minutes list what the township is handling so the bridge can connect to the street:
- Changing the sidewalk approach so it angles into the bridge
- Adding guardrail extensions, welded by township staff
- Placing drainage rock on both sides of the sidewalk so stormwater gets filtered before it reaches the creek
- Considering ADA access, including step-up options
By August, the township expected to pay for "the connecting sidewalk and related protective/ADA features." Volunteers and an engineer were still working out the foundation and support design, and rain-garden and drainage work was being coordinated "to reduce sand and stormwater entering Spencer Creek."
That last item is why the project has more pieces than a typical park bench donation. The bridge spans water that runs into the harbor, so the work at both ends has to deal with runoff along with foot traffic. As of the latest township update, the foundation design was still in progress, and there's no opening date on record yet.
Downtown's main street splits three ways
Once you step off either gift and onto the street, ownership splits again. At the August 13 meeting, Supervisor Peeples reported on talks with the Antrim County Road Commission, downtown business owners and an engineer, and the minutes set out who handles what:
- The roadway: Antrim County Road Commission, which is responsible for the planned paving
- Curb and gutter: Helena Township
- Sidewalks: the adjoining property and business owners
The township's goal is to get its curb work done before the county paves. An engineer was pricing curb repairs "particularly along the more deteriorated south side," and sidewalk replacement and funding were set aside to be handled separately.
The project has moved one step per month since then. On September 10, the board approved an engineering proposal for downtown curb-and-gutter design and bid preparation, noting that "an engineering proposal is required before bidding construction work." In the October 8 draft minutes, the curb project was "awaiting a bid or estimate," and further roads discussion was tabled until November. The township posts its minutes on the Helena Township website, and the November board meeting is where the next curb update is expected.
All three pieces have the same shape. A family gave the land, and volunteers built the pavilion. Tim and Lori Stone gave the bridge. Business owners are responsible for the sidewalks in front of their doors. The township's share is the connecting work in between, so the projects reach the street at different speeds.
Between now and November 28
The fall calendar happens around these same few blocks:
- Saturday, October 24, noon to 2 p.m.: Trunk or Treat in the Alden Methodist Church parking lot
- Saturday, November 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: TAAG Art & Craft Show at Helena Township Center, 8751 Helena Road. The township's calendar shows the event window as November 19 to 21, so check the public hours before you go.
- Saturday, November 28, 3 to 7 p.m.: Alden's Christmas Celebration at the Village Center, with the tree lighting at 5:20
One newer storefront is part of the same walk. Legacy Water Sports & Marina opened its Torch Lake location this June at 10520 Coy Street, in the former Alden Outfitters building, with surf-boat and pontoon rentals, a lake-life shop and delivery service. Its posted hours were from the June opening announcement, so check with the shop before planning an off-season stop.
At Pat O'Brien & Associates, we've given to Northern Michigan nonprofits since 2010, so we notice when donors and volunteers build something like the Village Center and the harbor footbridge. If you own on Torch Lake's east shore and want to talk about what downtown Alden's projects mean for your corner of the lake, Contact Us. We'd be glad to hear from you.
