Brick repairs on a historic lighthouse, a new accessible fishing pier, and improvements to one of the nation’s oldest glass homes are just a few upgrades coming to Michigan state parks.
According to a report, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced a $15.9 million in funding for the initial phase of addressing a lengthy list of shovel-ready projects at ten Michigan state parks.
The funding is provided under Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Building Michigan Together Plan, a $4.8 billion infrastructure plan signed in March, which contained $250 million to tackle a backlog of repair and maintenance needs at state parks and to build a new state park in Flint.
Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, said the first round of projects is now open for bid and design. The DNR anticipates announcing the selected Phase 2 projects over the following months.
Michigan’s state parks and recreation system has experienced a 30% increase in visitation over the past two years, while at the same time dealing with more than 20 years’ worth of critical infrastructure needs,” Olson said. “There’s no question this is a historic investment.”
The first phase of projects comprises the following:
For the Bay City State Park (Bay County), $1.5 million to renovate the Saginaw Bay Visitor Center’s interior and exterior, including adding a new science lab. General improvements include enhancements to make the park more accessible for all visitors.
For the Cheboygan State Park (Cheboygan County), $750,000 in funding to build upgraded electrical and water distribution systems in the modern campground. An additional $2 million is proposed in later phases for further investments in the sewer system.
For Fayette Historic State Park (Delta County), $600,000 funding to reconstruct the south wall of the west casting house in the park’s historic townsite. This is the first phase of a historic preservation project in the park and $400,000 to reconstruct approximately 300 feet of retaining wall adjacent to the historic charcoal kilns in the park’s historic townsite. This is the second phase of a historic preservation project in the park.
For Tawas Point State Park (Iosco County), $455,500 in funding to repair water-damaged brick on the historic Tawas Point Lighthouse.
For Straits State Park (Mackinac County), $2 million to replace the two upper campground toilets and shower buildings, which will mirror finish details from newly constructed buildings in the park’s lower campground.
At Sterling State Park’s Heritage Trail (Monroe County), $425,000 in funding to stabilize the riverbank in preparation for trail resurfacing. This is the first phase of an improvement project to leverage federal funding to improve the slowly eroding embankment between the river and marsh lagoon. An additional $3.57 million is proposed in later phases for further investments in erosion control.
For Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (Ontonagon County), a $1.4 million funding to renovate and preserve the Kaug Wudjoo modern lodge, staff quarters, mechanic’s shop, carpenter’s shop, and fire barn. Utility and structural upgrades also are included in ongoing historic preservation efforts.
For the new state-county park in Saginaw (Saginaw County), $867,000 to construct parking areas and a park entrance for a new state park already in development on the old General Motors site and nearby landfill, a reclaimed brownfield site on the Saginaw River. The DNR and Saginaw County will jointly manage the park.
For the Waterloo Recreation Area (Washtenaw County), $65,000 to install a new fishing pier with more universally accessible features at Portage Lake in the Portage Lake Campground. The project will match a federal grant and state funds.
At Belle Isle Park (Wayne County), $7.5 million for the removal of lead paint and replacing both the glass and upper steel structural members that support the upper dome of the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory. This project is the second phase of a comprehensive plan to revitalize one of the nation’s oldest turn-of-the-century glass houses.
For more information, visit https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/places/state-parks/arpa-funding.
This story originally appeared on Michigan Live.