City applies for second round of Spark Grants

Eastpointe will apply for the second round of Spark Grants from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources with Spindler Park improvements their hopeful target.

The city applied for the first $15 million round of Spark Grants last year, but was not awarded any funds for a proposed splash pad at Kennedy Park.

“In the first round, $15 million was awarded to 21 projects and it does seem like, looking at that list, they are leaning toward projects that are renovating, repairing or replacing outdoor equipment,” said Economic Development Director Kim Homan. “It does not seem like many grants were awarded for projects adding brand new facilities.”

The DNR will award $25 million in this second round of Spark Grant distribution.

Eastpointe Mayor Monique Owens said she favored making improvements to Shamrock Park because it currently is just an open field without a walking path or any play equipment.

“Shamrock has had nothing since I’ve been here and who wants to stay across a park with nothing in it; that is depressing,” said Owens. “Spindler Park already has a lot of amenities.”

Councilman Cardi DeMonaco Jr. said Shamrock Park is often used for soccer. Owens said she would not want to live near a park where soccer was being played due to the noise.

Ideas introduced by Homan for Spark Grant project ideas included an all-inclusive playground at Fairlane Park; improvements to tennis courts, basketball courts and lighting at Spindler Park; increasing accessibility and adding exercise stations and a walk path at Kennedy Park; renovating the soccer fields an adding a walk path and pavilion at

Shamrock Park; and adding a bike and walk path connecting Spindler and Kennedy parks. The City Council voted to choose the Spindler Park option and to add improvements to the disc golf course and the extension of the walking path as well.

City Engineer Ryan Kern of Anderson, Eckstein & Westrick, Inc. will put together cost estimates for each piece of the Spindler Park project.

“It seems like many of the awards were closer to the $1 million amount,” said Homan. “So it seems like we could put together a project at Spindler that came close to that amount.”