A City of Jackson park has been renamed to recognize a local family for their service to the community. At their Feb. 11 meeting, the City Council voted to change the name of New Leaf Park to Griffin Park, honoring Michael Griffin and his sons Martin and John.
Michael “Mick” Griffin (1933-2024) represented Jackson in the Michigan House of Representatives for 26 years and served on the Jackson City Commission (now City Council) from 1967 to 1973. State Rep. Griffin’s leadership as Chair of the Commerce Committee and his service on the Health Policy and Public Utilities committees contributed significantly to the State legislative process.
Martin “Marty” Griffin has made sizable contributions to the City of Jackson as the longest serving Mayor in the City’s history, in office from 1995 to 2006 and 2011 to 2013, focusing on urban revitalization, economic development, and community engagement. He also represented Jackson in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2008 to 2010. Martin currently serves the City of Jackson as City Treasurer, a position he has held for seven years. John Griffin served two terms on the Jackson City Commission (now City Council) and was recently elected Supervisor of Summit Township in Jackson County.
The park renaming was proposed by former Mayor Derek Dobies. Current Mayor Daniel Mahoney spoke about the renaming at the council meeting. “It’s an honor to be able to honor Marty with this renaming. As Jackson’s longest serving Mayor, it is commendable work to sacrifice that much time to the community, not to mention his father and brother. Thank you to the Griffin family and thank you to former Mayor Dobies for helping us make that change,” Mayor Mahoney said.
Griffin Park (formerly New Leaf) is located along Fourth Street on Jackson’s southwest side. It serves as an access point for both the PAKA and MLK Equality trails, featuring a parking lot, bike repair station and green space. The Parks and Recreation Department is preparing new signage for the renamed park, which is expected to be installed this spring.