In spite of encountering rough waters earlier this year, it looks like smooth sailing is ahead for the county’s effort to improve the amenities at Arthur Dodd Memorial Park.

Contractors with the project installed a pair of cabins on the property, located at 61437 Creek Road, Niles, last week. Crews are currently wiring the 12-by-24 foot buildings with electrical service. Following the work, the buildings will undergo inspection before contractors install the interior walls.

Once those steps are completed, members of the Cass County Parks and Recreation Department will paint the inside of the cabins and furnish them with beds and other amenities. Crews will also install a fire ring, grill and patio table outside each structure.

The cabins, which the parks department hope to open by fall, are intended to help the park become more self sufficient instead of relying solely on funds from the county budget, said Parks and Recreation Director Scott Wyman.

“We are just dipping our toes into the camping waters,” Wyman said. “Our master plan calls for another six to eight cabins, so we will see how these two go over and perhaps add the others in the future.”

The cabin installation is one of many improvements planned for Dodd Park this summer. These upgrades include the installation of a new bridge over the stretch of the Dowagiac River running through the park grounds, new restrooms near the cabins and a canoe/kayak launch. The department also plans to expand the park’s parking lot.

These upgrades are funded through a $375,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund, which was awarded to the county parks department in 2015. The project stalled earlier this year after price estimates from contractors far exceeded initial expectations, but the county board of commissioners approved measures in March to make up for the funding shortfall. Leaders with the parks department also scaled back their original aspirations to keep the project under budget.

The improvements are intended to capitalize on what Wyman and others with the park department see as untapped potential at the park, which has the largest amount of public access to the Dowagiac River than anywhere else in the county.

“We want to have the ability to create a revenue stream from activities such as camping, while still keeping that intimate atmosphere people have come to expect from a small park by the river,” Wyman said.

Furniture for the cabins will not be covered under the grant, though, Wyman said. The director will meet with the county parks board in the coming weeks to decide what kind of furnishing to purchase, which will likely include bed frames (including a set of bunk beds for each cabin), mattresses, counters/tables and chairs, Wyman said.

Department leaders will also decide what rates to charge for cabin rentals in the coming weeks, Wyman said.

Construction on the cabins and other improvements will take place throughout the next several months. Wyman is hoping to have work completed and open to the public by Sept. 1, he said.

After several years of planning, Wyman said he is delighted to see crews make physical progress on the project.

“We are excited about the final outcome,” he said. “These improvements will be great for Dodd. We are hoping to build off the momentum of this project and make some improvements to other parks as well.”