Jessica’s Splashpad opens to the public

NOVI — The long-awaited splash pad memorial to the late meteorologist Jessica Starr-Rose officially opened to the public May 25, in time for the Memorial Day holiday.

Novi Mayor Justin Fischer said that the timing to open Jessica’s Splashpad couldn’t have been more perfect.

“It’s been something that we have been talking about for probably about 10 years, but it really didn’t get traction until (former Mayor) Bob Gatt and Jessica’s family came together and really started pushing it,” Fischer said of the idea for a splash pad. “It’s an amenity that we really don’t have anything like in our parks. We have a lot of parks. We have 1,500 acres or so of parkland. We have bike trails and we have swimming at Lakeshore (Park) and we have active soccer fields, and we have an art park, but we didn’t have something for those littler kids that want to cool down in the summer.”

The splash pad cost around $2 million to build and is located on land at Bosco Fields Park that was recently acquired through a land trade agreement with the Novi Community School District.

Prior to the grand opening, the Starr family celebrated privately with the city of Novi on May 18.

The May 18 event included a speech by Starr’s mom, Carol, who headed the Starr family’s fundraising campaign to help build the splash pad.

“Everything wonderful starts with a dream,” Carol Starr said, evoking Walt Disney. She had such a quote engraved on a rock just outside the splash pad.

During the speech, Carol Starr had Jessica Starr’s children, Noah Rose, 11, and Riley Rose, 9, hold up drawings that they had done years prior of what they would like to see at the splash pad — items that Carol Starr made sure were created just for them. These features include the splashing butterfly and squirting frog, which was Riley’s vision, and a rainbow that people can walk under, which was Noah’s dream.

“The idea to create a splash pad in Jessica’s honor is more than just a place to cool off on a hot summer day, like today. It represents a vision and dream that I had for our community for Jessica and (her husband) Dan’s children, Noah and Riley, to remember their mother and perhaps one day bring their own children here to have fun in this safe and beautiful place,” Carol Starr said.

The splash pad is located at 25805 Beck Road and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, weather permitting, through Labor Day.