KENTWOOD, Mich. — The City of Kentwood was awarded a $300,000 grant to make improvements to the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail.
Awarded by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, the city plans to use the grant to replace and restore asphalt portions of the trail to enhance accessibility and create a more sustainable foundation for it.
“The Paul Henry Thornapple Trail is a well-used and well-loved recreation resource in our community,” said Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. “We’re excited for this opportunity to invest in this resource so it can be enjoyed by community members of all ages and abilities for years to come.”
The grants were given to eligible government agencies, school districts and recreation authorities that submitted funding applications.
The applications were evaluated based on access to natural resources, proximity to large population groups and other criteria.
“We’re delighted to receive these funds from the Department of Natural Resources in support of our vision for Kentwood’s trail systems,” Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “The grant is one example of our promise to voters in 2022 when they approved the parks millage that we would continue to pursue grant funding, ensuring taxpayer dollars go as far as possible to fund park and trail improvements.”
The 2.8-mile trail runs from Kalamazoo Avenue SE and 44th Street to East Paris Avenue and 60th Street.
The grant will be distributed this fall, and the city expects to begin making the improvements in 2025.
The construction on the trail will also be funded by the permanent parks millage passed in August 2022.
More information about the parks millage and upcoming park and trail projects can be found at kentwood.us/millage.
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