Thompson: $120,700 MDNR grant is gift to Belleville community

The City of Belleville Downtown Development Authority’s (DDA) funding request for a universal design canoe/kayak launch and boat slips at Horizon Park has been recommended for a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) grant in the amount of $120,700.
Belleville DDA Coordinator Carol Thompson said the City of Belleville and its DDA are delighted to have their request recommended for full funding.
She said it is especially noteworthy that the Belleville application received the highest score in the state; 103 applications for outdoor recreation projects were submitted, with five state and 39 local projects recommended for funding.
The next step in the process is the DNR must receive legislative and Governor approval for appropriation of funds for these projects.
Thompson said the DDA hopes to receive the grant in time to bid the project this spring for early summer construction.
“The funding and project are a wonderful gift to the Belleville Community this holiday season,” Thompson said in a news release.
Thompson said the Belleville DDA wants to create opportunities for boaters to stop and enjoy downtown, and to offer residents new ways to enjoy the lake.
The DDA applied last spring to add floating docks with five slips for boaters and an ADA-accessible canoe/kayak launch to Horizon Park.
The request also includes an accessible picnic table pad, signage, landscaping and resurfacing the parking lot.
The total project cost is estimated at $172,400, with a 30% cash match from the DDA of $51,700 and the MNRTF grant covering 70%. The DDA contracted with Spicer Group to prepare the grant application, and engineer the project.
A key component of the proposed project is linking Horizon Park to the Huron River Water Trail. The Huron River Water Trail, an effort of the Huron River Watershed Council, is a 104-mile inland paddling trail connecting people to the river’s natural environment, its history and the communities it touches.
As a Water Trail Partner, the City of Belleville and the DDA are participating in the River Up! Program, a collaboration of communities along the Water Trail to promote economic development.
The project application received local support from Van Buren Township Supervisor Linda Combs, State Representative Dian Slavens, and the Central Business Community (CBC) and the Belleville Area Council for the Arts – both organizations which produce annual events at Horizon Park.
Chris Casteel of the Amputee Coalition of America and co-founder of the Metro Detroit Adaptive Kayak Council provided valuable input on the project’s universal design.
The MNRTF program provides funding assistance for local units of government and DNR recreation needs including the development of outdoor recreation facilities.