Ground broken at MLK Jr. Park for upgrades [Video]

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Construction started on a $19.7 million improvement project at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in southeast Grand Rapids.

City and state leaders officially broke ground Monday evening. The upgrades will include a new 25,000 square foot lodge. It will be nearly five times larger than the old lodge, featuring a gym, offices, classrooms and a fitness room. There will be a new pool house and a new playground.

What $18M in renovations means for Grand Rapids’ MLK Park

The project is funded by the city’s capital fund, the city’s 3^rd Ward equity fund, a Michigan economic development corporation grant, and American Rescue Plan Act funding.

“This is so spectacular for our neighborhood, it’s like a sense of hope, a sense of community,” said Datasaha Chapman, who lives in the neighborhood.