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Romulus council accepts $5 million state sponsorship for Project R Streets, approves pavement and budget moves
Summary
The Romulus City Council authorized a $5 million legislative sponsorship grant from the state of Michigan for Project R Streets, approved follow-up pavement change orders and introduced related budget amendments and infrastructure resolutions during its April 28 meeting.
The Romulus City Council on April 28 authorized the mayor and clerk to accept a $5,000,000 legislative sponsorship grant from the state of Michigan to support the city’s Project R Streets initiative and related local road work.
Councilors voted to approve the contract authorization unanimously after administration staff explained the grant is allocated to the city (not a reimbursement) and requires no local match. Mayor McCray told the council the award will be used to improve neighborhood streets and to help pay the city’s share of recent resurfacing work on Wayne Road.
Why it matters: the grant supplies a large, direct infusion of state funding the city intends to use for neighborhood street repairs and other elements of its Project R Streets program. Council members repeatedly framed the win as a step in a larger, ongoing effort to pursue additional state funding.
Council also approved several pavement-related actions tied to Project R Streets. The council approved change orders to the 2025 hot-mix asphalt (HMA) paving program worth $139,824 to alter treatment of several streets: California Street will receive a 1-inch overlay prior to chip seal, and Central and Lorraine Streets (north of Jones Street) will receive a full-depth mill and overlay. Maria Ferris, the city finance director, verified funds are available in local street accounts for these change orders.
The council introduced a budget amendment to recognize $1,000,000 in state grant revenue and corresponding $1,000,000 of expenditures associated with the Swan Lake project and the local roads fund. The amendment was introduced for later formal adoption. Separately, council also introduced a budget amendment to recognize a $50,000 Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) grant that will fund a citywide housing study.
Other infrastructure actions taken the same night included adoption of a resolution to abandon roughly 500 feet of existing water main installed in the Inkster Road right-of-way (from Ecorse Road to Van Born Road) and related sections of 12-inch main in Ecorse Road (Birchdale Street to Inkster Road). The council approved that resolution by roll call.
Council members described the combined actions as coordinated steps to get roads and related utilities in better condition and to leverage state funding while advancing Project R Streets as an ongoing priority.
