GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The lodge at MLK Park in Grand Rapids will be no more in just a few months. There are plans to demolish the current building and put a new one in its place.
The brand new lodge is going to have a more modern touch. One city leader explains that this will be a place for many generations to enjoy.
FOX 17 got a peak inside the lodge Tuesday as crews prepared to demolish the building.
"What we've got right now, today, is just a very basic facility," Director of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation David Marquardt said.
The city purchased MLK Park back in 1911. Then, in 1919, the Parks Commission added the lodge and swimming pool. The building has stood tall for more than 100 years, but things have started falling apart.
"The condition has just been failing," Marquardt explained.
Now, the city hopes to start over. Marquardt says crews will demolish the building in February.
"We'll be breaking ground this next construction season. We anticipate this project to be about 60 or so weeks in length, and so [we] intend to open this brand new facility sometime in the spring or summer of 2025," he said.
The city provided updated renderings showing what the new building will look like. Marquardt says it will be a lot larger, roughly 15,000 square feet.
"This has historically been a very neglected part of our city. And so, I'm very pleased to be able to be a part of something so monumental for this neighborhood," Marquardt said.
If you like what you see on the outside, Marquardt says you're going to love what's on the inside.
"It will have a gymnasium. It will have some community gathering space inside, in addition to rooms for fitness classes that will be running throughout the course of every week, throughout the course of the year. But, in addition to that, we will also have some new exterior locker room facilities to accommodate pool swimmers in the summer months. And that will be a brand new experience. No longer will swimmers need to go into the basement of an existing facility like we have here today," he added.
The project was made possible by state, city and federal dollars, totaling around $18 million.
"What an incredible opportunity for this neighborhood, very deserving," Marquardt added.
