FERRYSBURG, Mich. — A mild spring day is ideal for a nice walk. For many West Michiganders, they know exactly where they're going on a day as sunny as Tuesday was.
"We usually go quite a ways in there. We went to, there's that outbuilding out there and a river," Kim Gue, one hiker, said. "I just enjoy the nature of it."
In Ferrysburg, Ottawa Sands County Park is an especially popular spot for dog owners.
"He's (Jax) about almost three. We've been coming out here since he was a pup. And it's just a great place. He'll go in the water and run through the dunes. It's a beautiful spot," Jim Switzer said.
This beautiful spot is where APEX Construction crews work on building infrastructure.
"Building a new entrance, a new entrance driveway, bringing in all new utilities, and building most of the Idema Explorers camp, which is tent campsites, yurt-style camping, plus a restroom and shower building. A kayak launch, and a small Welcome Center office," Ottawa County Parks Planning and Development Coordinator Curt Terhaar told FOX 17.
Soon, that same company will start building one of the main centerpieces: overnight treehouses.
"We're starting to implement parks the master plan that will make the park much more usable for folks and give them a really great experience of the park," Terhaar said.
The parks coordinator says they have $8.5 million in funds for these projects. He says adding public water lines and keeping with the tree houses designs pushed the project around $700,000 over budget.
"So yeah, this little extra is going to eat into some of our contingency, but we we still think we are well within the overall budget," Terhaar told FOX 17.
These projects are all part of the master plan to make the park a major attraction.
"We're also looking at improving the environment. So simultaneously, this summer, we will be doing improvements to the shoreline of the lake to make better habitats for fish and birds," he added.
A vision that would create this 345-acre, former mining site into a park that everyone can enjoy.
"You can go up into the dunes away from the water. So it's a lot of grass and some trees, and it's very peaceful. The parking lot could be full, but you still don't run into anybody, which is really nice. And you've got the space, and it's just a beautiful spot," Switzer said.
Ottawa County hopes to have this project completed in 2024.
Currently, rental prices have not been set for the overnight treehouses or yurts.
READ MORE:Ottawa Sands park project gets green light, makes plans for unique camping
