By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Last Monday, East Grand Rapids residents turned out for the third in a series of community workshops designed to solicit public input on establishing 17-acres of trails, boardwalks, fishing docks, as well as a picnic and playground area in the proposed Gilmore Waterfront Park.
The park will occupy wetlands and woods on the Reeds Lake shoreline from Lakeside Drive northeast along both sides of Reeds Lake Boulevard.
East Grand Rapids purchased part of the property from local businessman John Gilmore in 1992, funded in part by an $800,300 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF). Mr. Gilmore donated the rest of the property.
“We're hearing loud and clear from residents that this is an asset to East Grand Rapids and the greater Grand Rapids area,” says Fred Bunn, director of parks and recreation. “We'd like to bring in native trees and plants, and restore and improve the existing wetland eco-system. That could mean deepening the wetland and expanding the wetland to the east.”
The proposed plan includes improvements to the existing paved trail along the lakeshore, a picnic, playground, and viewing area overlooking the lake, nature trails on the west side of Reeds Lake Boulevard, three interpretive nodes describing the flora, fauna, and history, and two observation decks.
Upcoming workshops will culminate in a grant application to the MNRTF for an amount not to exceed $500,000. The grant will require a 25 percent match from the community. To date, project planners have not determined the cost of the proposed park.
Source: Fred Bunn, City of East Grand Rapids
Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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