McNamara: County will provide $4.5 million for community center

Van Buren Township Supervisor Kevin McNamara announced at the township board’s July 19 meeting that he has verbal approval that $4.5 million in grants will be authorized to help pay for the new community center construction.
He said it had been authorized by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and his staff, but he does not yet have the written contract. When he gets it, he said, he will call a special meeting to approve it and get it back to the county.
He said the Wayne County Commission will make the final decision.
“This is a pretty big deal,” Supervisor McNamara said of the Community Center budget of $16,988,022 and all of the money they have been able to get to help pay for it. He said the project began as a $7 million building and now has grown to almost $17 million.
Director of Community Services Elizabeth Renaud presented a chart showing $705,798 has already been paid by cash to date and there will be $2,984,099 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, $851,924 from a Civic Fund donation, and $1,137,000 from the Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority, leaving remaining costs of $11,309,201 unfunded.
McNamara said that the bond for the fire stations and the water tower property is being paid off this year and they will be able to bond for $6 million. That leaves $5.6 million unfunded.
After the county allocates the $4.5 million, the township will decide how much bonding is needed and use fund balance to pay for it all.
Director Renaud explained the construction cost of the project is $12,918,868 and then the soft costs are on top of that to reach the $16,988,022 total. This includes professional fees and costs, permits, testing, printer, owner-controlled contingency, technology, furniture / fixtures / equipment, and related project costs.
The board unanimously approved the total budget.
In other business at the July 19 meeting, the board:
• Approved the guaranteed maximum price amendment to Frank Rewold & Son’s current Community Center Construction Manager Contract for a total of $12,918,868. Robert Stempien, Sr., vice president of Plante Moran Cresa, explained that they started bidding in May and got 102 bids, which pleased him. Kurt Ryder, estimator for Frank Rewold and Sons, said the bids were very close to the estimates. He said they expect to break ground Sept. 19 and be done on Dec. 29, 2023;
• Approved a variance from the township’s engineering standards to allow expansion of an existing “dry” detention basin to serve the stormwater detention needs of the township campus including the community center addition. Although a fence is not required since the water will not be 4’ and the sides of the basin are 6:1 slope, Trustee Reggie Miller and Treasurer Sharry Budd voiced concerns about curious children who might go there. McNamara said the board is saying if it’s deemed dangerous they would like a fence. “It can’t cost much,” he said. “You’re basically saying: keep an eye on it,” he said to the board;
• Approved special land use for redevelopment of the Meijer store at 9701 Belleville Rd., including a drive-through pharmacy and gas station work. The garden center at the north side of the building is being cut back in size to allow for the U-shaped drive-through with stacking for eight vehicles;
• Approved scheduling an Aug. 16 hearing for the establishment of Greenbriar Subdivision Special Assessment District of $750,000 for roadwork. The board voted to recuse Supervisor McNamara from the discussion and vote on the hearing since he is a resident of the subdivision. The subdivision has 176 parcels which will be $4,200 per homeowner over five years with 1.5% interest. The board can only approve the SAD if those in favor remain at least 51% of the total of the homeowners following the two hearings on the subject;
• Approved a partnership with the DDA to develop a SS4A (Safe Streets and Roads for All) Action Plan grant application with the assistance of the Wade Trim FundingScout division that would extend beyond the DDA boundaries at an estimated cost of $15,000 total, to be proportionately divided in order for the DDA to remain compliant with PA 57 of 2018. DDA Executive Director Susan Ireland said she and McNamara met with Wayne Hoffman, Wade Trim’s funding scout, and determined many projects could go out of the DDA district and there is a significant amount of money at the state and federal level available. She said they could develop an action plan and apply for a $200,000 minimum grant and then they can apply for a $5 million minimum grant, with a 20% match, for the same action plan. “He told me a lot of things I didn’t know,” McNamara said. He said after the community center is done, they can work on the DNR site and there is a lot of money out there for parks;
• Approved fireworks at River of Life Church, 16650 Sumpter Rd., on Aug. 13, with a rain date of Aug. 14, to celebrate the starting of the church 20 years ago. Pastor Eddie Marcum said his parents, Pastor and Mrs. Paul Marcum, started the church in 2002. As part of the celebration they will be giving out free gas at a gas station and free groceries. There will be food trucks at the church for the celebration, which begins at 7 p.m.;
• Heard resident Reg Ion say there were hundreds of no-parking signs on Ecorse Road for the air show, but not one on the service drive. He suggested they let the semis through next time since it is hard to turn them around on a divided highway. When they finally got turned around, they revved off, he said, which probably meant they were upset. He said the aircraft show is only a half hour each time. McNamara said, “We will bring this up with police”;
• Was informed a viewer of the meeting sent a comment asking if the community center will be free to residents. McNamara said the board will make that decision, but the intention now is for it to be free;
• Heard a lengthy comment on homeless shelters. The unnamed speaker said all the shelters in Wayne, Washtenaw, Oakland, and Macomb counties are full and backed up for three to four months. She said there is no more subsidized housing and nowhere for people to go. McNamara said the township has an ordinance that does not allow motels/hotels to house guests for more than 30 days, but the township has determined that if they are actively seeking housing, “We will be mindful.” He said 50% of the township’s hotels have people staying longer and some hotels are built for that. He said police will aggressively prosecute others things and go out to talk to them;
• Learned the Wayne County Fair is being held the first full week of August. Treasurer Budd asked everyone to come out and support the 4-H kids who have been working very hard; and
• Was informed that the annual Shred Day is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, in the township hall’s front parking lot. Clerk Leon Wright said the clerk’s office also will be open from 1 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, for voters.
Work-Study Session
The 45-minute work-study session before the meeting discussed the community center project and the Greenbriar special assessment district.
When Robert Stempien, senior vice president of Plante Moran Cresa, detailed the items to be done as part of the community center, he mentioned entirely re-roofing township hall.
Trustee Martin asked when it was the determination on the roofing made and when was it put into the plan?
McNamara said they are making a list of capital improvements, but the board is making the determination on the roof that day when it approves the community center budget. He said they had determined things that needed to be done and parceled it out in bids and decided to include it in the package and not parcel it out. It would cost less by including in the project.
Martin said the first time he heard of the roof was “right now” and he said he wondered why this was the first time to hear about this capital improvement and, “You’re bringing me this today.”
McNamara said at budget time they will ask for capital improvements.
Clerk Leon Wright said they talked about it in prior meetings. He said there was a small leak on his side of the building and said he understands this is the first time Martin heard about it, but they decided to make it a part of the project.
Martin said it was 5:20 p.m. that very day that he first heard about the roof.
Stempien said they had somebody go up and look at the roof.
“Nobody knew we needed a roof until we started looking at it,” McNamara said. He said it was good for three to ten years, but after ten years they would need a roof. He said it’s been there 25 years.
The present pvc roof will be replaced with a 20-year pvc roof and they’ll go for a 10-year warranty and that will equal 30 years, Stempien said.
Treasurer Budd said she can tell them the different water spots in her department the last few years has been a chore.
Martin said he’s not against the roof, it’s just that he’s just now finding out.
“My apologies,” McNamara said. He said at the upcoming budget hearing everyone will get a thick folder describing every single building the township owns.