By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Before the Comstock Park Rotary Club and a passel of volunteers began rehabilitating a century-old park at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans last May, the veterans-only “garden” space was a covered patio overlooking the maintenance buildings. By this October, they’ll have barrier-free access to the renovated Grotto Park.
“The Veterans Home is an excellent organization with wonderful people, but with no funds, they were doing the best they could,” says Dan Clark, co-chair of the project with fellow Rotarian Todd Vandentoorn. “The Rotary felt that our veterans deserved better than what they had.”
Grotto Park sits in a low area called a grotto, north of the Home located at 3000 Monroe St. NW. The three-acre property is becoming a healing garden with grasses and flowers.
Two bridges originally spanned Lamberton Creek, which runs through the grotto, but one bridge fell apart decades ago and the other cracked in half. The installation of two new pedestrian bridges took place last week. Barrier-free ramp access leads to a circular walkway, benches and shade trees.
Many of the improvements are the result of local businesses volunteering services, labor and materials—including excavation, concrete, and concrete installation. U.S. Marines stationed at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Mt. Clemens provided manpower last spring and will return to install limestone along the creek to prevent erosion, and to build a gazebo, a band shelter and a pergola over a patio that overlooks the park.
The restoration totals some $500,000, including volunteered labor, services, monetary donations and materials.
“There are 750 men and women veterans and their spouses at the Veterans Home,” Clark adds. “Over 550 of them are in wheelchairs. We want to make this park so as many of them as possible can use it.”
Click here to watch a video of the project.
Source: Dan Clark, Comstock Park Rotary Club
Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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