ADA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Ada Township has announced plans for the expansion of public park land. On Monday, the township’s Board of Trustees acquired land on the western shore of Thornapple River.
At the June 12 board meeting, township officials approved a purchase of the one-acre parcel, which is located on the 500 block of River Street Southeast. It is directly across the river from Leonard Park and is connected by the Ada Covered Bridge.
At the board meeting, officials also accepted a financial donation from township residents to fund the purchase. The donation was from Cheri DeVos Ehmann and Steve Ehmann.
“Ada’s wooden covered bridge is beloved in the local community,” the Ehmanns said in a statement. “Our hope is that adding this new park land along River Street will increase the community’s access to the bridge, allow for neighbors to come together in a new way, and enhance views of the landmark from across the village as residents and visitors go about their activities.”
The township will soon develop plans for what the expanded park area could become. This includes leveraging information from recently completed master planning documents, and will finalize a proposed budget that will determine the additional funds needed to complete the project.
The project is the latest step to revitalize Ada Village into a community that matches residents' vision.
“Nearly 20 years ago, our community came together to dream what Ada Village could become,” said Ada Township supervisor Ross Leisman. “An overwhelming number of people said access and enjoyment of the riverfront for all to use was a top priority. Now, we have a beautiful village overlooking the Thornapple River, Legacy Park along the waterfront and, with today’s news, we will soon have an impressive expansion and renovation of public park space to the south and east.”
