DOWAGIAC — Local leaders’ vision of Dowagiac’s first major waterfront park came one step closer to fruition last week.

On Friday, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund board announced its selections for its latest round of grants for park development projects across the state. Among the communities the board recommended for funding was the City of Dowagiac, which is slated to receive $175,300 for the first phase of planned improvements to its property at 101 Cass Ave., located next to a stretch of the Dowagiac Creek.

Among the developments the city has planned for the green space includes the installation of a paved parking lot and pathways, installation of playground equipment, landscaping, signage and a fishing platform overhanging the creek.

The city estimates construction work to cost shy of $300,000, according to projections it made prior to submitting a grant application to the trust fund for the work in the spring. Local funds are expected to pick up where the grant money leaves off.

The Cass Avenue project was one of two projects the city submitted to the DNR Trust Fund — a dedicated reserve for public land acquisition and development projects, financed through royalties paid to the state by companies extracting oil and natural gases on Michigan lands — this year.

Dowagiac City Manager Kevin Anderson said he was excited to learn that the Cass Avenue project had been selected for funding, as the city council has worked to develop the vacant property since it was acquired in 2014. While Anderson and other leaders were optimistic that the state would see the merits of the project, the city manager said he knew that, like in previous years, the city’s proposal would face stiff competition from other municipalities applying for funding through the trust fund.

“We knew this project would score well, due to its access to water,” Anderson said. “We were very hopeful about our chances, but until the recommendations come in you just can’t know for sure.”

Dowagiac leaders also submitted an application for development of another piece of creek-side property, Rudy Park, though, like last year, the project did not make the cut.

In spite of the good news, ground breaking on the Cass Avenue project is still a distant vision on the horizon, Anderson said.

The trust fund board’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Michigan Legislature for approval. If the legislature approves the board’s choices, the list will be placed on Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk to be signed, which likely will not take place until January, Anderson said.

From there, the city will work with architects to come up with final designs for the project, which must be approved by the state DNR as well. From there, the city will work with state officials to place the project out for bid to construction contractors.

Assuming the process goes as smoothly as possible, the soonest the city will be able to start on construction would be fall 2018, Anderson said.

The first phase of the Cass Avenue project would be the starting point of other improvements the city is looking to make to the property. Future phases would include the installation of pavilions, restrooms and a trail alongside the creek, which would connect to the city’s existing path system.

“We see this [property] as a really good anchoring point for our parks system,” Anderson said. “We think it will be a strong addition, not just for a single neighborhood but for the entire community.”