Wayne County Commission votes ARPA funds for VBT, Belleville

At its regular meeting on Nov. 3, the Wayne County Commission voted to grant federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds to 14 county projects including up to $4.5 million for Van Buren Township’s Community Center/Senior Center and up to $176,800 for the city of Belleville’s Victory Station.
The agenda item for Van Buren Township said the County Executive advises that these improvements will benefit all residents including households in poverty, and other groups such as minorities, senior citizens, veterans, and disabled residents.
For Belleville, the County Executive advises that this building is in desperate need of restoration, including the restrooms, flooring, roof, heating and cooling system, windows and landscape.
All 14 agreements approved the term of the agreement starts with commission approval and runs through Oct. 31, 2025. The community shall spend no less than 70% of the project funds being provided for eligible activities and beneficiaries by Oct. 31, 2024 and the remainder of the project funds by Oct. 31, 2026. If the community has failed to expend 70% of the project by Oct. 31, 2024, the county will have the option to terminate the agreement at that time and repurpose any remaining project funds.
It was noted before ARPA funds are paid to the municipalities, the information on expenses and vendors must be brought to the commission for approval.
There was lengthy discussion about the contract with the City of Detroit for the Joe Louis Greenway Project because it was the only contract that had no end date. The city is also self-insured and that was not noted in the contract. All of the municipalities needed to have insurance coverage.
The report from the Committee of the Whole’s meeting of Nov. 1 that was approved by the commission for ARPA funds named the following:
• To Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA of Taylor) not to exceed $50,000,000 to implement Workforce Development Initiatives (Commissioner Al Haidous abstained from the vote since he is active with SEMCA);
• To the City of Ecorse not to exceed $3,500,000 to help in the demolition of above-ground substructures while addressing marketability barriers through the construction of an access road to a brownfield site;
• To the city of Belleville not to exceed $176,800 for rehabilitation of Victory Station at Victory Park;
• To the City of Dearborn not to exceed $9,619,765 for the Parks Equity and Access for Citizen Engagement (PEACE) project for infrastructural updates to seven existing parks to mitigate health hazards and improve accessibility, the creation of three new “sister” parks in key locations in the city, and the repurposing of an industrial caisson near Eagle Lane to be grades for recreational uses such as biking and hiking;
• To the City of Detroit, not to exceed $20,000,000 for the Joe Louis Greenway Project to create portions of a 27.5-mile comprehensive recreational path that will connect neighborhoods in Detroit, Dearborn, Highland Park, and Hamtramck previously separated by freeways and discontinuous transit;
• To Lincoln Park, not to exceed $124,865 for a Downtown Fitness Park;
• To Marygrove Community Association not to exceed $47,500 for the development and beautification of three vacant lots on the east side of Kentucky Street between Florence Street and Puritan Avenue in the City of Detroit;
• To the Motown Museum of Detroit not to exceed $2,500,000 for the museum expansion project;
• To the city of Northville not to exceed $2,500,000 for daylighting of the 12-acre Rouge River Park, to convert the Middle Rouge River into public parkland and create a continuous riverway along the Rouge River and Johnson Creek ultimately to the Detroit Rouge River Greenway;
• To the city of Taylor not to exceed $2,326,230 for the rehabilitation and upgrade of Lange Park Action-Adventure Park;
• To the city of Trenton not to exceed $1,500,000 for the demolition of Riverside Hospital to support redevelopment of the property and improve quality of life for the locals;
• To Van Buren Township not to exceed $4,500,000 for the Community Center project and Senior Center improvements;
• To the city of Wayne not to exceed $250,000 for the rehabilitation and upgrade of Goudy Park Amphitheater Pavilion; and
• To Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Michigan not to exceed $500,000 for Industry Clubs in the cities of Detroit and Highland Park to enable youth to receive workforce training and entrepreneurial development in a variety of industries.
Alisha R. Bell, chairperson of the commission, said agreements for funds come to about $100 million spent out of the $320 million the county has in ARPA funds to distribute.
She said with the possible change in government coming, the commission wants to give out the money it has for services as soon as possible.
Chairperson Bell said there will be another batch of funds given out in the early part of next year.