MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – A bumpy, drab main entry into the city of Roosevelt Park is about to get a major makeover.
Glenside Boulevard is getting a redo, which will include a section of divided boulevard fitting for the thoroughfare’s name.
The complete reconstruction of the road and addition of sidewalk, lighting, landscaping, and other amenities is scheduled to begin the week of July 10 with completion by Oct. 1, Roosevelt Park City Manager Jared Olson told MLive/The Muskegon Chronicle.
The project area stretches from Sherman Boulevard south to Broadway Avenue. It includes a new railroad crossing.
“This is a transformational entryway project,” Olson said.
The total cost of the project is $1.35 million with about half paid with grants and outside funding, he said.
The city’s Public Works Superintendent Ben VanHoeven has been a “rock star” in identifying various sources of funding for the project, Olson said.
The city’s downtown development authority is contributing $500,000 and the remaining $90,000 will come from the city’s local streets fund comprised primarily of state sales tax revenues, he said.
The project precedes plans for a linear park south of the rail line on both sides of Glenside that will be constructed in 2025.
It will coincide with significant playground renovations at Wells Park about a block south on Glenside.
Features of the road project include:
- Removal of existing asphalt, replacement of the road base, and resurfacing with asphalt.
- The addition of concrete curb, gutter, and storm sewer.
- The addition of a wide sidewalk, or nonmotorized pathway, along the east side of Glenside, was funded with $90,000 in American Rescue Plan Act transportation money. The existing sidewalk on the west side will be extended across business driveways to Sherman.
- A new railroad crossing, funded with a $116,000 Michigan Department of Transportation grant, in partnership with Michigan Shore Railroad.
- A pedestrian crossing south of the railroad tracks will feature stamped, decorative concrete and landscaped islands. The road will split into a divided boulevard at the pedestrian crossing and the roadway and crosswalk will be slightly ramped. The idea of the “speed table” crosswalk is to slow cars in that area.
- New irrigation to create more pleasing grassy areas on the terraces between the road and sidewalks.
- 16-foot decorative LED light poles. Some existing utility poles will be removed.
- A large masonry city entry sign with landscaping.
- New trees and plantings along the road. More trees will be added in the coming years.
Benches and bike racks will be added when the linear park is developed in 2025.
City officials hope the road makeover will help spur commercial development along that section of Glenside, including an old bottling plant the city owns for which it recently received development proposals, Olson said. The city also would like to see the development of a 15-acre former petroleum tank farm on the west side of Glenside, he said.
During construction on Glenside, traffic will be detoured on Roosevelt Road, Norton Avenue, and McCracken Street. Sherman and Henry Street cannot be used for the detour because of planned road work by the city of Muskegon.
“This definitely has been on our radar for the better part of the last six or seven years,” Olson said. “It is a long time coming and we’re excited to see this start.”
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