During last week’s City Council meeting, approval was granted for the City of Lowell to apply for a Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) grant with the State of Michigan. The application is due April 1. This application seeks $300,000 on behalf of the City for the construction of a connector trail the Lowell Area Recreation Authority (LARA) is hoping will begin the building phase in 2021.
What Does the Trail Connect?
LARA completed Phase 1 of their project in 2011, which consisted of creating a trail from Cherry Creek Elementary School to Lowell High School. “The MDNR requested that LARA perform a study to evaluates alternatives for connecting the terminus points of the Flat River Valley Rail Trail and the Grand River Valley Rail Trail through the Lowell community, thus closing the only gap in the 125 mile Mid-Michigan rail trail corridor.” says Dave Austin of Williams&Works. He has been working with LARA on the development of the trail and is also a Lowell resident. An additional portion of trail was added along Alden Nash to connect the new Lowell Township park, North Grand River Riverfront Park, with Phase 1. This piece is important in helping connect two larger trails.
Where Does the Connector Go?
The connector trail will continue LARA’s Phase 1 efforts with joining the trail from the Lowell Township park to the Grand River Valley Rail Trail just south of Jackson Street bridge over the Grand River. The trail will primarily follow the Grand River, bringing those on the trail through Stoney Lakeside Park and Recreation park. The bulk of the $6.5 million project comes from building a pedestrian bridge over both the Flat River and the Grand River.
Upon completion, the 10-foot wide trail through Lowell will enhance the community as a recreation hub offering trails and riverways as a means for enjoying the outdoors. The trail will come close enough to downtown businesses to encourage trail goers to stop in Lowell for a bite to eat, shopping, or even use the trail as means to get to Lowell on bike or foot. Who Will Pay for the Project?
The City of Lowell as well as both Lowell Charter Township and Vergennes Township have offered minimal support for construction. Due to the connector’s importance in joining regional trail systems, most of the funding is being sought by grant money and private donations.
In addition to the $300,000 MDNR grant application from the City of Lowell, LARA will submit a similar application. The two entities sent applications last year and scored well, but decided to withdraw interest until now in order to get closer to the private funding goal needed for the project. LARA is working to secure private donations by October 1 in order to qualify for this year’s MDNR funding according to Austin. Additionally, securing permits and permissions from property owners are in the final stages.
The following table, provided by Williams&Works shows secured and anticipated funding sources for the project.
When Will Construction Begin?
As long as funding, permits, and permissions continue to go as scheduled, the connector trail is anticipated to start construction fall 2021 with a completion date of summer 2022. The Lowell Area Recreational Authority is composed of representatives from the City of Lowell, Lowell Charter Township, and Vergennes Township. The board meets the second Wednesday of each month on the second floor of City Hall at 6 pm.
Leave a Reply