A floating boardwalk crosses the wetland at 2205 Reeds Lake Blvd. SE. A fishing dock reaches out over the water, and an interpretive kiosk stands near a small pavilion and picnic area. The 11 acres sit on the channel that links Reeds Lake to Fisk Lake. The last round of improvements here was finished in 2014.
The next round, called Phase II, is close to going out to bid, and its funding works in a way you might not expect. The federal grant behind it requires wetland restoration and more parking. A play area for small children is the one piece East Grand Rapids would pay for entirely by itself. Who pays for each piece shapes the park you will walk through in a couple of years. It also tells you which pieces could change if bids come in high.
Where The Money Comes From, And What It Has To Buy
The project runs on two matching amounts. East Grand Rapids received a $500,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. FOX17 reported that the city is matching it with $500,000, and that the work fulfills a goal of the city's parks and recreation plan backed by the 2021 parks millage vote. MLive reported that the city's share comes from that parks improvement millage.
At the city's June 22, 2026 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Derek Melville listed what the DNR grant was awarded for:
- Wetland restoration
- Removing invasive species
- Adding native plants
- Adding parking
At the same meeting, a commissioner asked whether the city had to add parking to get the money. Melville answered that the extra parking was part of the grant, and that if no spaces were added, the city would have to petition the DNR. The play area is a different case. Melville said it "will not be funded by any part of the grant. It will need to be fully funded by the city."
Here is how the pieces line up:
| Element | Exists today | Planned in Phase II | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floating boardwalk and fishing dock | Yes | Boardwalks plus an added fishing dock and overlook outside the floodplain | Grant and city match |
| Wetland and woodland restoration | Nature area and wetlands | Invasive species removal, native plantings | Required by the grant |
| Trails | Walking path and trails | A loop that splits into a figure 8, surfaced with a material like crushed limestone | Grant and city match |
| Parking | 14 spaces | 17 additional spaces | Required by the grant |
| Outdoor classroom and interpretive signage | Interpretive kiosk | A central teaching area with educational signage | Grant and city match |
| Play element for young children | No | Nature-style play structure | City only |
Why A Nature Park Needed A Bigger Lot
Parking got more debate than anything else on that list. About 120 people took the city's survey during the May and June engagement sessions, held at the park and at the Community Center. Answers ranged from wanting no changes at all to supporting every change, and parking came up as a big topic. Abonmarche scaled the lot down from its first draft. In June, Melville put the likely addition at about 20 spaces on top of the 14 that exist now. He added that public feedback had leaned against allowing overnight parking.
The City Commission settled the number on October 5, 2026. Commissioners approved conceptual parking design Option 1, which adds 17 spaces, by a 7-0 vote. A commissioner asked why the DNR cared about parking. According to the meeting minutes, Melville said it was about giving more people access to the park. He also said the two driveways are drawn at the narrowest crossing point because that is what EGLE, the state's environmental agency, preferred. Mayor Favale noted that the area is full of invasive species and that the grant gives the city a way to turn it around.
The same discussion covered what happens if bids come in high. Melville said the grant-required items have to stay, but the overall scope could be scaled back, with any cuts going to the Parks and Recreation Commission and the City Commission for approval. City Manager Charles said the goal is to stay within budget. If the cost goes over, the Commission will decide whether to add funding or cut the project back. Several commissioners said they wanted flexibility to review every element if cuts are needed. Melville confirmed that contingencies are built into the budget.
The parking and the restoration stay in because the grant requires them. The play area depends on what the city decides to spend on it.
The Play Area Is The City's Own Call
The June minutes show that a toddler playground is not part of the grant project, but many community members asked for one. The discussion was about the setting more than the equipment. One commissioner pointed to the nature-play style at Wycoff Playground, which blends into its surroundings rather than looking like a school playground. Others suggested fencing and shorter structures that would fit into the landscape. The location was debated too. Commissioners talked about safety on the east side, which means crossing the road, and about keeping the west side quiet.
The Parks and Recreation minutes in the October 19 agenda packet record that the City Commission supports the play structure for young children. Since no grant money covers it, the play area's size, style and location are up to East Grand Rapids alone.
What The Restoration Means For A Walk There
Most of the grant-funded work is about the plants. Melville described the site as having a lot of vegetation, much of it invasive. Abonmarche is mapping the large trees worth keeping by GPS, and new native trees chosen to support birds and bees will be planted around them. A buffer of vegetation will stay along Reeds Lake Blvd. to help block road noise.
The outdoor classroom is the piece designed for teaching. Melville said it will sit in a central spot where people can learn about birds, wetlands and wetland restoration, and where water sampling could be done. FOX17 quoted him describing "an outdoor like gathering space, so classrooms could go out there and learn about some of the environmental improvements that are made." Commissioners also suggested that the signs tell the land's own history, including key dates like when the wetlands were filled, when the city bought the property, and the restoration itself.
The trail plan changed during design. Abonmarche replaced the out-and-back route with a loop that splits into a figure 8. Commissioners discussed using covered limestone on all paths to discourage skateboards and bikes from cutting through toward Durant, with bike racks and no-bike signs to back that up. Melville noted that crushed limestone and paved trails are both universally accessible. The city has said the work is meant to connect the separate parts of the park more closely with the Reeds Lake Trail.
That connection is a large part of the park's value. According to the city's trail map, the Reeds Lake Trail is a 4.2-mile mix of paved trail, boardwalk and sidewalk, with wooden markers every half mile. Experience Grand Rapids describes it as at least 5 feet wide. Its route runs along Reeds Lake Boulevard, climbs Hall Street, which is the steepest part, and returns along Lake Drive and Lakeside Drive to John Collins Park, where you will find restrooms and a drinking fountain. John Collins Park also has the public boat launch.
One November detail comes from the June meeting. A commissioner passed along a request from a local bird watcher that the wild grass areas on the west side of Waterfront Park be left standing over winter, and asked the city to maintain the park sustainably. The restoration plan is built around the same idea of supporting birds.
From Permit To Shovels
The schedule has moved since the grant was announced. In January, the city expected construction could begin in 2027. Here are the current steps:
- Permit review. As of the Parks and Recreation meeting on October 26, 2026, staff had submitted the permit application to EGLE and expected a 30-to-60-day review. Final engineering drawings are still being prepared, according to a Citizen Portal recap of the meeting.
- Federal sign-off. Final project approval depends on the Michigan DNR getting authorization from the National Park Service.
- Bidding. The target is January or February 2027.
- Construction. Work could start in summer 2027 and finish in spring 2028.
Once the DNR approves the project, the city will have two years to complete it. Abonmarche, the architecture and civil engineering firm handling design, which recently added a Grand Rapids office, won the contract at $88,410 on March 31. It was the lowest of 14 proposals and was chosen for its experience with lakeshore projects, wetland creation and trails.
Until then, the park looks the way it has since 2014. For a meal after a lap, Gaslight Village is on Wealthy Street. Olives serves lunch and dinner at 2162 Wealthy St. SE, and Bagel Kitchen is at 2228 Wealthy St. SE.
If you have questions about how a park project like this could affect life on your street, or you just want to talk about anything around Reeds Lake, Lisa Thomas and the Polaris team are glad to help. Ask Us Anything.