ZEELAND, Mich. — A $10 million project is underway in Zeeland aimed at giving the downtown area a major refresh.
“This is our first phase of a four-block project in our downtown. It’s a refresh of Main Avenue,” City Manager Tim Klunder said.
Although there’s still plenty of time to soak up that summer sunshine, construction crews are hard at work on Main Street preparing for winter.
They’re putting in pipes that will carry hot water and create a snowmelt effect on the pavement.
“Our crews do a really good job of removing snow…but part of it is just that, the extra assurance if you will, because our crews can’t be out here 24/7, and so getting it down to the bare concrete is a big plus for those that are looking to visit our downtown merchants,” Klunder explained.
Main Street Bicycle Company is one of the many businesses that will be impacted by this project.
“It’s going to have a short-term impact on us as downtown retailers in Zeeland, but long-term, I think it will slowly help draw people in,” owner Aaron Schutter said. “I see a lot more people out and about in the winter, even when it’s cold and crummy outside. If the roads and the sidewalk are clear, I think people are much more likely to get out, move around, you know, hopefully get into a store like ours or other retailers downtown.”
American Rescue Plan funds, along with various city and state funds, are paying for the $10 million project.
“There’s a lot of private investment that’s really getting infused into the community, so as much as this is exciting from a public sector, an amenity standpoint, it’s doing what we had hoped to, again, drive that existing development from…generational wealth…but also then that new cash that’s gonna come in, as well,” Klunder said.
The first two blocks are set to be completed this year— with the final two blocks done in 2024.
