MANISTEE — After nearly 10 years of planning, the city of Manistee is moving forward with the long-awaited improvements to Veteran Memorial Park.
City leaders in Manistee recently awarded the construction contract to a local company, with funding totaling a little more than $900,000.
City manager Bill Gambill said it’s been a long time coming. “it’s been in the making a better part of a decade. We and the parks are in need of improvements and renovations,” said Gambill.
The city secured $300,000 from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and an additional $184,600 from the Manistee County Community Foundation, with remaining costs covered by city funds and federal ARPA dollars.
“We’re going to be putting a new boardwalk and updating the fishing platform, new retaining wall, landscaping, lighting and various improvements to make it more accessible,” said Gambill.
Gambill said accessibility is a major focus, especially because the park sits near a parking lot and overlooks one of the narrowest river channels in Michigan, making it a popular spot for freighter watching and fishing.
“This provides an opportunity for people not to have to travel a long distance from a parking lot to an area for our residents to enjoy freighters, fishing, and just being near the Manistee river.”
The park also serves as a place of remembrance, honoring Manistee residents who died in World War II.
“It’s an opportunity to celebrate our veterans,” said Gambill. “There’s an area to remember our fallen veterans, including 27 hackberry trees, one planted for each of the Manistee residents that died in World War II.”
Construction is expected to begin in spring and wrap up in the fall, with the city working to limit any road disruption during the busy tourist season.