The City of East Lansing got a nice “Happy Holiday’s” package in the form of $757,300 worth of grants that will be used to improves the city’s parks system.
A $262,500 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) grant will help fund a $350,000 improvement plan for Hawk Nest Park. Hawk Nest Park improvements will include a new playground and picnic pavilion and accessible walkways. The improvements funded by this grant will also include a one-third mile addition to the Northern Tier Trail.
An additional $429,000 MNRTF grant will pay for a 2.93 acre land acquisition from the White Family for the expansion of the park. This expansion will provide a location for a trailhead/park entry plaza and space for additional connections to the Northern Tier Trail.
A final $65,800 grant will pay for a 1.75 acre land acquisition from the St. Paul Lutheran Church on Lake Lansing Road. This parcel will eventually provide pedestrian access to the park from the north.
“Through assistance from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and in-kind donations from the White Family Trust and the St. Paul Lutheran Church we are able to acquire more lands for public outdoor recreation, while also funding improvements and additions to the public amenities already present at the two park sites,” says East Lansing Parks Director Timothy McCaffrey.
“Outdoor recreation for our community members continues to be a priority for the City. This funding will help to improve the quality of life in our community substantially.”
Source: Mikell Frey, City of East Lansing
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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