Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Six Westland Parks to Receive Major Recreational Improvements

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Six Westland Parks to Receive Major Recreational Improvements

Westland, MI - Six major Westland parks are slated for large scale recreational improvements, thanks in part to funding assistance by the State of Michigan and Wayne County.

On August 23, State Representative Robert Kosowski announced that he had secured a $300,000 grant from that State of Michigan for funding of park improvements at Westland's Voss Park on the city's east side. The Westland City Council has also approved an intergovernmental agreement between Wayne County and the City of Westland to utilize parks millage funding from fiscal years 2015-2017 in the amount of $101,050 for park improvements.

Parks to Receive Updates

1. Voss Park (30600 Palmer Rd) will have two of the existing four baseball fields converted into four new little league football practice fields equipped with an equipment storage garage, new spectator bleachers and park signage. The remaining two baseball fields will receive new fencing, foul poles, dugouts, bleachers and updated lighting. The existing basketball court will be removed and re-sited on the south end of the park. All parking lots will also be repaved. This project is being funded by the $300,000 grant Kosowski has secured from the State of Michigan.

2. Jaycee Park (6200 N. WIldwood) will see improvements including parking lot re-pavement and new baseball diamond fencing all three baseball diamonds and will include new dugouts, benches, foul poles and safety capping along the outfield fencing. This project was funded with $83,399 of the millage allocation along with $14,068 from Westland's capital outlay fund. (Work has already begun).

3. Rotary Park (601 Hanlon Ave.) will see recreational improvements this year with the removal and replacement of the park's current baseball fencing, dugouts and foul poles. The project will be funded with $55,964 from the city's Capital Improvement Fund.

3. Stottlemeyer Park (4801 Dancy Blvd.) will begin to have its amenities modernized along with repairs for walking paths and the repaving of the existing tennis and basketball courts. The Wayne County millage funding will allocate $17,561 to be used to complete this project, with an additional $68,368 coming from the city's Capital Improvement Fund.

5. Cayley Park (33982 Grand Traverse) is scheduled to have its existing basketball court repaved. Funding for this project is being provided by a CDBG grant in the amount of $40,850.

6. Lincoln Field (33800 Grand Traverse) has also received a $76,000 Grant from MEDC which will be applied towards a walking path, pavilion and parking lot repaving services.

"We are excited to have the opportunity to revitalize a major portion of the city's parks portfolio at a time where experts are encouraging parents to keep their children active," commented Mayor Wild. "The City of Westland has recently begun a comprehensive makeover of the city's parks and recreation assets and we appreciate the leadership of Representative Kosowski and Wayne County CEO Warren Evans along with Commissioners Anderson and Hadious at the State and County level to help make these projects possible.

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary, at (734) 467-3200.

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Westland firefighters are licensed paramedics who responded to over 8,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, on of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.