Posted May 20, 2021.
Creative Technologies Academy, 350 Pine Street, Cedar Springs, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new football field on Wednesday, May 26.
The property is located adjacent to the west side of their campus, which was farmland owned by Fred and Carollee Gunnel. In March 2018, the Gunnells donated the 10 acres to the CTA.
Former superintendent Dan George had approached the Gunnells in December 2017 to ask if they would be interested in selling 10 acres of their property to the CTA for future development. Five days later, Mr. George received a phone call informing him that Fred and Carollee had decided to donate the land to the charter school rather than sell it for a profit. Fred and Carollee Gunnell are both former educators and wanted to be able to offer ownership to the school to provide more opportunities for CTA students.
Attending the ceremony were CTA students and staff, along with members of the Ferris State Charter School office and several community members. Guests of honor included Jodi Coxon, who represented the Coxon family, who are the founders of CTA; former CTA Superintendent Dan George; CTA Board Chair Cynthia Patin; Fred Gunnell; and current CTA Superintendent Autumn Mattson.
“Today is a very exciting day for our students, staff and CTA community, and we are grateful to Fred and Carollee for their donation,” Mattson said. “We would also like to thank Mr. George for his passion for CTA. It has been a privilege over the past year to work with our Board of Directors and the CTA administration to make this project not just a dream but a reality. We are thrilled to see our students on this soccer field and look forward to the opportunities this will provide to connect with our community.
Dean’s Excavating will begin work on this project in mid-summer with an expected fall completion date.
CTA is a K-12 public charter school approved by Ferris State University. CTA combines small class sizes, a family atmosphere and academic rigor to create a truly successful and innovative school.
