Muskegon commission reviews waterfront swap, grant use and cleanup risks ahead of Dec. 9 vote

City staff on Wednesday laid out a draft development agreement that would trade city-owned waterfront assets and use a $2,800,000 state appropriation to acquire and improve waterfront property, while reserving money to relocate the historic LST and cover sewer work.

Mister Mazur, the city—s manager, told the Muskegon City Commission the package would prioritize acquisition first, then LST/sewer relocation, and finally wharf improvements. "So the total grant's $2,800,000," he said, walking commissioners through an illustrative example that assumed a 3rd Street Wharf valuation of $800,000 and a remaining $2,000,000 to split for other work.

The draft agreement would assign the city up to 25 acres on the south branch of the Muskegon River and significantly expand publicly owned lake frontage, staff said. "This is an opportunity for us to purchase 25 acres ... and do a nature preserve and river walk," the manager said, adding the acquisition would take years of planning and remediation.

Why it matters: the appropriation is a direct legislative allocation intended for a wharf project and, according to staff, has…