DDA asks township for up to $300,000 loan to advance Lions Park if state grant is awarded

The Grosse Ile Downtown Development Authority asked the Township Board on Jan. 13 for an interdepartmental loan of up to $300,000 to help finance a planned renovation of Lions Park on Macomb Street, contingent on winning a state revitalization grant.

Ross, the DDA director, told the board the park design is engineered and shovel‑ready and that the DDA will apply to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Revitalization and Placemaking grant program, which awards funds by reimbursement. He said the DDA would pursue a $500,000 MEDC award and that the request to the township is intended to demonstrate committed local funding to strengthen the grant application.

The DDA presented site renderings and a scope that includes a pergola, sculpture wall, irrigation and landscaping, ADA curb cuts and crosswalk enhancements, pavers and seating, lighting, public Wi‑Fi, drinking fountains, bike racks and dog stations. The director said eligible costs and prior professional services (acquisition, engineering and architecture) have already totaled about $208,000. The project phase cost cited in the presentation was $633,000, and the presenter described the overall project price as “just over $1,000,000,” while also referencing previously invested funds that make total community investment higher when aggregated with past expenditures.

DDA staff outlined MEDC reimbursement timing: grant awards are disbursed on a reimbursement basis in two segments (50% on meeting an expenditure threshold tied to the award, and the remaining 50% after project completion, per the program requirements described to the board). The DDA said the MEDC grant requires universal design and that the project must be completed by June 2027.

Board members pressed for funding clarity and alternatives. Treasurer Kevin Flavin and Trustee Jamieson asked whether the $1,000,000 figure included previously spent funds; Ross and DDA representatives answered that the DDA has invested about $208,000 to date and that the $300,000 loan request to the township, plus anticipated grant funds, would complete the budgeted scope in the proposed timetable. Ross also said the DDA would repay the township loan over seven years at a 5% interest rate if the loan is approved.

Board members raised cost‑control questions — whether sculptures, Wi‑Fi, irrigation or a pergola could be deferred to reduce cost — and asked how the DDA would quantify economic benefit to nearby businesses. The DDA replied it has contracted SmithGroup to supply economic metrics for the MEDC application and that it will continue to seek other grants and community sponsorships.

Ross said the DDA has support letters from the schools, the recreation commission and local senior living facilities and noted a recent $12,000 grant toward the community sculpture wall from the Michigan Arts and Culture agency and a $4,000 donation from DTE. He said the DDA will continue to pursue additional funding if the MEDC application is not successful; absent grant funding the DDA would phase the work over multiple years.

No formal township vote on the loan occurred at the Jan. 13 meeting; the director said the DDA will return to a future meeting for a formal borrowing request and that the MEDC application deadline at the end of January required the presentation now. The board asked DDA staff to provide a detailed budget scenario and updated cashflow before any loan approval.

The presentation and Q&A made clear the DDA is seeking a conditional interdepartmental loan to leverage state funds and accelerate a downtown pocket‑park program designed to increase pedestrian activity on Macomb Street.