GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The city of Grand Rapids is set to receive more than $90 million from the state of Michigan as part of the newly approved budget for the 2024 fiscal year.
We’re told $35 million will be used to build two fire stations in the city, and another $6 million will go toward renovating MLK Community Lodge.
The other $50 million will fund projects headed by area nonprofits and community partners, according to city officials. Those projects will upgrade the city’s infrastructure, add more affordable housing units, replace lead service lines, reduce health equity gaps and more.
City Manager Mark Washington released the following statement in response to the latest round of state funding:
"I am grateful to legislators for this significant investment in public safety and efforts to improve fire services in our growing City. Our firefighters do a terrific job serving our community and we can now confidently move forward with developing plans for financing, designing and constructing new stations. I will be working with staff and the City Commission in the upcoming fiscal year to solidify these plans.
“Likewise, I am excited about improving the MLK Park Lodge – a treasured community asset and significant investment in the third ward. The State funding will help us leverage existing funding from the Parks millage and Third Ward equity fund to make this project a reality.”
Mayor Rosalynn Bliss applauded the bipartisan budget in the following statement:
“We are so appreciative of the Legislature’s efforts and Governor Whitmer in bringing critical funding to our City and our residents. Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and Representative Kristian Grant prioritized the needs of the residents in the third ward, who have historically been underrepresented. These funds illustrate the City’s core value of leading with equity.”
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks says the funding will strengthen the city’s commitment to keep residents safe. She issued the following statement:
“When we invest in critical infrastructure like a fire station, we are ensuring that neighbors in Grand Rapids will have access to swift and well-trained help when they need it most. This is part of what will make our city a safe, vibrant place to live for today and well into the future. I’m proud to have secured this robust investment in our city’s Third Ward and to support the courageous and essential work that our firefighters do.”
Rep. Kristian Grant says the updated MLK Park Lodge will be able to serve more community members who require its services. Her statement reads:
“Consistently residents have talked about the need for community space. With that in mind, I am happy to bring home $6 million for the renovation of the MLK Community Lodge. These funds will help to modernize the design and expand the services to our community. The space will be used for recreational use, events, classrooms, offices, programming, and most importantly it will be a space that is safe and open to our students and families. I, along with Leader Brinks, am excited to help create a space we, in the third ward, can call our own.”
READ MORE: Legislature approves record-high $82B 'Make it in Michigan' state budget
