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DOWAGIAC — Dowagiac leaders’ vision for a key city corridor came one step closer to fruition this week.

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has recommended Dowagiac for a $300,000 grant for Phase 1 of the South Front Street Park Renovation Project. Per the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the project is one of 68 recreation development projects and 17 land acquisitions totaling $41.7 million they’ve recommended that the Michigan Legislature approve in 2025.

“Each year, the board is presented with a wealth of deserving projects and acquisition plans that we must assess for funding,” said Trust Fund Board Chairman William R. Rustem. “With so many worthwhile endeavors, it makes our job to score and decide which projects to fund tougher all the time.”

Phase 1 of the South Front Street Park Renovation Project is one piece of the City of Dowagiac’s vision for rehabilitating the area. It focuses on blight elimination, extending the Downtown streetscape to the park area, adding a residential housing development, and more. 

“While the recommendation is not a guarantee that we’ll receive this funding, the City of Dowagiac is thrilled to once again see positive momentum in our efforts to secure grants and work collaboratively with the State of Michigan,” said Dowagiac Assistant City Manager Amanda Sleigh. “The South Front Street Park Renovation Project is a very high priority for us. Securing these funds will make a tremendous impact in completing this project and further improving the quality of life in Dowagiac.”

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is a restricted fund that was established in 1976 to provide funding for public acquisition of lands for resource protection and outdoor recreation, as well as for public outdoor recreation development projects. It is funded through interest and earnings on funds derived from the revenues of state-owned oil, gas and minerals.

Over the past 48 years, the Trust Fund has granted more than $1.3 billion to state and local units of government, across 2,930 allocations, to develop and improve recreation opportunities in Michigan.

Projects in Buchanan, St. Joseph, Decatur, and more were also recommended for approval. The full list of projects the agency is recommending for approval is available at https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/Buy-and-Apply/grants/rec/mnrtf.