By: Deborah Johnson Wood
On January 9, Ambassador Peter Secchia unveiled the new Fred Meijer Millennium Park Trail Network, a 20-mile system of non-motorized and nature trails that will run throughout Millennium Park's 1,500 acres.
Private donations fund most of the $9 million project, including a lead gift of an undisclosed amount from the Meijer Foundation. Kent County gave $1.1 million toward the project.
Millennium Park's stretches southwest three miles from Butterworth Street and I-196 to the recreation core on Maynard Street, then extends to Johnson Park in Walker. The trails will create multiple loops of various distances within the park for rollerblading, biking, running, walking, and cross-country skiing. The trail network will connect with the City of Walker trails, City of Grand Rapids trails, and Kent Trails.
"The trail network will be developed over three years," says Roger Sabine, Kent County Parks Director. "Since 1999 we've acquired property, and we've purchased the property from the John Ball Park area along Butterworth all the way to Maynard."
Twelve-foot-wide paved trails and a six-foot-wide trail with natural surfacing feature street bridges and boardwalks over creeks, lakes, and wetlands. A tunnel under Maynard Street connects to the recreation core's playgrounds, swimming areas, and picnic grounds.
Millennium Park runs along sand and gravel mining property, wetlands, and floodplain through parts of Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Walker, and Grandville. Phase 1 of the park's development is complete. The trails will be finished in 2010 followed by the final phase of the park project in 2014.
Source: Roger Sabine, Kent County Parks; Kate Washburn, Wondergem Consulting, Inc.
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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