July 10, 2006 - - The Roosevelt Park and West Grand neighborhoods in Grand Rapids will benefit from $845,693 in federal Transportation Enhancement funding announced today by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is awarding $845,693 in Transportation Enhancement funding to the Grandville Avenue streetscape project and the Turner Gateway beautification project. MDOT will work in partnership with the city of Grand Rapids and several local organizations to begin the projects in 2006. Both neighborhoods have been designated "Cool Cities" neighborhoods as part of the governor's "Cool Cities" initiative.
"We are working every day to grow Michigan's economy and to grow our neighborhoods," said Governor Granholm. "We are proud of the public/private partnership that made it possible to rejuvenate neighborhoods and increase their appeal for residents and businesses alike."
The first project is the Grandville Avenue streetscape project. The city of Grand Rapids, in partnership with the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association and the Grandville Business Association, will make streetscape improvements on Grandville Avenue (BR-196) from Clyde Park Avenue to Tulip Street. Project elements include street trees and tree grates, concrete brick pavers, ornamental street lights, sidewalk improvements and landscaping. The project budget is $544,060, including $413,486 in federal TE funds and $130,574 in local matching funds.
Additional beautification work will be undertaken by the city and its partners, including the InterUrban Partnership, which will contribute $14,000 for the construction of a new bus shelter, and a local nonprofit corporation, ArtWorks, which received a $15,000 Community Development Block grant from the city for the creation of a piece of public art to be developed in conjunction with the project. ArtWorks will hire a professional artist to work with neighborhood children to create the public art.
"We have been partnering with the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association and stakeholders along Grandville Avenue to accelerate progress already under way. The Transportation Enhancement grant, coupled with the recent Cool Cities grant award, is just the jump-start this project needed," said Grand Rapids Deputy City Manager Eric DeLong.
The second project being awarded is the Turner Avenue Gateway beautification project. The city of Grand Rapids, in partnership with the West Grand Neighborhood Organization and MDOT, will streetscape Turner Avenue from 10th Street to north of the US-131 southbound ramp, and will construct a 16,000-square-foot rain garden at the corner of Turner Avenue and 3rd Avenue, beneath the southbound US-131 and I-96 bridges. Project elements include native plantings and wildflowers, benches, trash containers, and stamped concrete pavement. The budget is $540,259, including $432,207 in federal TE funds, and $108,052 in matching funds, including $102,052 from the West Grand Neighborhood Organization, $5,250 from MDOT, and $750 from the city of Grand Rapids.
"The Turner Gateway project is an excellent example of the type of public/private partnership that accelerates redevelopment in neighborhoods. The West Grand Neighborhood Organization took the lead and, along with Parkland Development, the city, MDOT, and other funding agencies, has assembled a winning package that will make a real difference here. The Transportation Enhancement grant is the capstone that brings it all together," said DeLong.
"We are pleased to partner with the city of Grand Rapids and these fine neighborhood organizations on these transportation enhancement projects," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle.
Under federal law, 10 percent of federal surface transportation funds are set aside for Transportation Enhancement projects. Administered by MDOT, the grants enable communities to invest in landscapes, streetscapes, and bike path development.
Transportation Enhancement funds provide a maximum of up to 80 percent of the money required for each project, with the remainder coming from state and local government and the private sector.
Protect Michigan families: Where Workers Present Drive 45!
- A message from MDOT and Michigan's Give 'em a Brake Safety Coalition
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