Funding Confirmed & Approved for Stage II of Mona Lake Park Renovations

Andrew Trzaska | June 27, 2011

Monday’s night’s Muskegon Heights City Council Meeting saw the approval of funding for the next stage of Mona Lake Park’s renovations on the south side of Seaway Drive.

Council members unanimously approved the use of $500,000 from a grant awarded by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for the park.

To get that money, the city needs to put up a $200,000 match.   The city has chosen to use $200,000 they leveraged from a grant from another state government organization, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Along with protecting the environment and scenic beauty of portions of land in the state, the State of Michigan web site states that another goal of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is to aid “in the appropriate development of land for public outdoor recreation.” which fits the bill for Mona Lake Park.  It is funded by money generated by development of the state’s oil and gas resources.

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s Sense of Place Council is under the same umbrella as the Neighborhood Stabilization Program that has recently helped communities in Muskegon County fight blight.  The Council helps communities create inviting areas for people to revisit many times.
As previously reported, Phase II of III of the Mona Lake Park revitalization plan will focus on the wide open spaces.

The athletic fields at the park will be upgraded, but how many and what kind will be placed where is still to be finalized.

Securing funding after last year’s repairs was considered to be lucky by city staff; normally funding sources for projects like this come in every two to three years, but the city received money in 2010 and 2011 for the park.

Plans for the park to eventually become a hosting location for countywide youth sporting events continue to be part of the Council’s discussions on the revitalization.