DOWAGIAC — After a huge year in 2016, with the construction and opening of the redesigned Commercial and Division street corridor downtown, 2017 was a relatively quiet one for city leaders by comparison.

While the school district had its hands full with the start of renovations to the high school and football field, and Southwestern Michigan College was busy kicking off the expansion of its nursing building, members of city hall have worked mostly behind the scenes the past 12 months.

Thanks to a Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant awarded to the city in December, however, 2018 is shaping up to be quite another monumental year in the life of the city.

This year, leaders expect to break ground on its planned improvements to the public property at 101 Cass Ave., located next to the Dowagiac Creek. The set of upcoming improvements — the first of several phases the city has in store for the land — includes the construction of a paved parking lot and pathways, installation of playground equipment, landscaping, signage and a fishing platform overhanging the creek.

The project will be funded in part by a $175,000 grant the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund awarded to the city last month. The award is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, when the city’s recommendation is approved by the state Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder.

News of the city’s successful grant application was welcomed with open arms at city hall, especially given how the city’s request for trust fund dollars to improve its property at Rudy Park failed to make the cut in 2016.

“It was very gratifying for us to receive that grant,” said Mayor Don Lyons.

According to City Manager Kevin Anderson, construction on the creekside property is not expected to begin until fall, as the city will work over the coming months with the state to approve final designs and hire contractors to perform the work over.

The Cass Avenue project is the first of several the city is looking to launch over the next several years on public land surrounding the Dowagiac Creek. In spring, leaders plan to submit another grant application to develop a plot of public property on Riverside Drive, which will serve as a trailhead for a proposed path spanning between it and the new Cass Avenue Park, the mayor said.

This trail system, along with the proposed developments to Rudy Park — which include the construction of a parking lot and overlook, similar to Cass Avenue — are part of the city’s long-term vision for the rebirth of its parks and recreation system. The goal of the redevelopment will be to increase public access to the Dowagiac Creek, be it for fishing, kayaking or sightseeing.

“We feel that the stream has been an underdeveloped resource for as long the town has been in existence,” Lyons said.

On top of that, city leaders see their proposed Cass/Riverside trail as a vital cog in expanding the local trail system.

The creek side path would connect to the existing walkways running through Riverside Cemetery, which in turn are connected to the trails extending from Southwestern Michigan College. The potential trail would also connect sidewalks leading to downtown, which the city would like to eventually expand to run all the way to the city’s Russom Park.

The mayor said the city would like to begin construction of the Riverside Drive property in 2019, and on the trail in either 2019 or 2020, depending on whether or not the city receives grant funding for the projects. In the meantime, leaders will continue to pursue funding for other improvements to Cass Avenue, and will continue to seek state grant dollars to work on Rudy Park.

For Lyons, the outdoor improvements are a vital step in fulfilling city leader’s ongoing commitment to making Dowagiac an attractive location for people to live, work and play.

Another important piece of that puzzle is the city’s commitment to public art.

Last month, the Dowagiac City Council voted to create a new five-person board, which will be responsible for advising city leaders on decisions regarding new or existing artwork or sculptures erected around the city. The board is expected to begin meeting soon, and will be tasked with mulling over several major decisions over the coming year, including selecting art pieces that will be installed on the stone pillars and walls running along Division Street, as well as selecting a new location for the public sculpture located nearby the recently closed Huntington Bank building on Commercial Street.

Lyons also expects several major retirements among city hall employees over the next year, one of which will be coming later this month, as Director of Public Services James Bradford has announced that he will leaving Jan. 26.

However, with fresh faces such as the recently elected 1st Ward Councilman Patrick Bakeman bringing plenty of enthusiasm to the task of improving the city, Lyons said he is not worried about finding capable replacements for the current leadership.

“The fact that there are people who want to pick up the responsibility and carry forward, with the same values and vision as us, is just another sign that we are on the right track,” Lyons said.