Despite the wintry weather – or perhaps because of it – activity in local parks is as busy as ever, with numerous projects on deck. From the Civic Center to the GT Commons Natural Area to the VASA Pathway to the River East Recreation Area – plus several other local properties – The Ticker looks at trail, playground, and other park projects in the pipeline for the coming months.

Grand Traverse County
Civic Center: Grand Traverse County commissioners will vote today (Wednesday) to approve a nearly $970,000 construction contract to replace the Civic Center’s walking track this spring. The project is being covered by an almost $1 million Michigan Spark grant the county received last year. AJ’s Excavating LLC was the lowest of three bidders on the project and is recommended to be awarded the job.

The park’s entire one-mile walking track will be replaced, as will the iconic but deteriorating bridge over Civic Center Drive (pictured). GT County Parks and Recreation originally considered taking out the bridge and making the track grade level, but doing so would have made the project significantly more expensive, required the removal of numerous trees, and created a conflict point between vehicles and pedestrians. Parks and Recreation Director John Chase says many park users also like having varying terrain on the walking track as a fitness challenge.

A signed alternate ADA path will be provided, however, going off the track before the bridge between the facilities building and Howe Arena connecting to the sidewalk system by the ballfields. A three-foot-wide soft running path will also be installed alongside the new walking track, except in a few sections (like along Fair Street) where it’s too narrow to have both pathways. The project also calls for paving the dirt parking lot by the Civic Center’s amphitheater. Chase says work will start this spring – likely May, though it could be earlier if weather is warm – and take two months to complete. Only certain parts of the track will likely be worked on at a time, with signed detours in place, so that the entire pathway doesn’t have to be closed during construction. Parks and Recreation is also set to replace the Civic Center’s entire irrigation system this coming year, a project estimated at $600,000.

VASA Pathway: GT Parks and Recreation, project partner TART Trails, and design/engineering film consultant Prein & Newhof held a public input session Monday on plans for trailhead renovations at the VASA Pathway in Williamsburg. Attendees were able to view the current design – now 60 percent complete – for the improvements, which will address major drainage and erosion issues at the parking lot and trail entrance. According to the TART Trails website, “native species will be incorporated to accommodate stormwater runoff better and improve trailhead aesthetics. We want to design, construct, and install two gateways to identify access to the Vasa Pathway and the Vasa Bike Park from the trailhead.”

Chase says the project partners received “good feedback” from the public this week, which will be incorporated into the final design. “We’d like to see the design finished by the beginning of the year,” he says. Chase is awaiting word on whether the project will be awarded a Michigan Recreation Passport grant this month, which would allow construction on improvements to happen this coming year. Without the grant, that timing would likely be delayed as partners work to secure other funding sources. Though not included in this phase, future work is also planned to renovate the trailhead’s warming hut and restroom building, among other potential upgrades.

Traverse City
Master Plan: Traverse City Parks and Recreation commissioners Thursday will consider supporting a contract for $214,945 with PROS Consulting to lead the process in creating a new five-year city parks master plan. The firm was one of three finalists interviewed for the job following a public request-for-proposals (RFP) process. The new master plan will be “more robust” than the existing plan, Parks and Recreation Superintendent Michelle Hunt previously said, covering not just goals and objectives but prioritized projects and an assessment of recreational facilities and programming opportunities. The plan is also expected to provide recommendations on improving ADA accessibility in city parks.

City Park Signs: Residents interested in owning a piece of Traverse City parks history can bid through an online auction to buy former signs from numerous city parks. The city recently upgraded all its signage at its 30+ parks and is putting the former signs up for sale. The auction is live through December 10, with bids for some signs currently as low as $5 and as high as $305 (for West End Beach, which is the most popular one so far with Clinch Park and Lay Park tied for second at $152.50 each). Bids to date show that the city stands to take in at least $1,100+ from selling approximately two dozen signs.

Hickory Hills: After a brutal season last year, ski resort operators are thanking the winter gods for the back-to-back storm systems pummeling the area – weather that’s allowed many to start producing their own snow and get a jump on the season. That includes the city-owned Hickory Hills Ski Area, which has begun its own snowmaking. TC Parks and Recreation is asking the public to stay off the slopes and not interfere with equipment or snowmaking operations as staff work to get the park ready. An exact opening date has not yet been set – “to build an appropriate base, snowmaking activities will continue when temperatures are just right,” the city posted Monday – but Nordic skiers are already taking advantage of fresh snow in the adjacent Hickory Meadows. The city has rolled out new software this year for purchasing both Alpine and Nordic passes, available here.

Garfield Township
GT Commons Natural Area: An accessible trail project is ready to move forward at the Grand Traverse Commons Natural Area. Garfield Township trustees in November approved an agreement to formally accept a $300,000 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant for the project, with the township to provide a $368,100 match. The new universally accessible trail loop will be built on the northern portion of the Commons Natural Area and include a mix of crushed gravel and boardwalk, as well as a foot bridge. Gourdie-Fraser was hired this spring to oversee engineering work on the new trail.

The new loop will be accessible from the North Long Lake Road trailhead and tie into existing trail that connects to parking on Red Drive. Construction is anticipated to start this spring and wrap up by the fall. The trail is one of three projects Garfield Township Parks and Recreation commissioners recently identified as priorities for 2025, along with resurfacing the pickleball courts at the Boardman Valley Nature Preserve and potentially adding new pickleball courts at Silver Lake Recreation Area.

Also related to the Commons Natural Area, township trustees recently approved a contract for just over $66,000 with Molon Excavating to create a new trailhead for the park at Copper Ridge. The seven-space lot – including one ADA space – will be accessible from Forest Park Drive and is where the trailhead was original supposed to be located when Copper Ridge was developed. New trail spurs will connect from the trailhead area into the existing trail system. Paving work is set to take place this spring.

River East Recreation Area: Finally, township trustees recently approved a $622,837 contract with Sinclair Recreation to install an extensive new playground system at River East Recreation Area. Slides, climbing equipment, swings, a zipline, and numerous other amenities – the majority of which are ADA accessible – are planned for the park. The equipment will be placed on top of pour-in-place rubber to prevent weed growth, provide a clean look, and accommodate wheelchairs. The project is being funded by township American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, which must be obligated before the end of this year.