Dickinson Park

As part of a 50-year lease agreement with St. Joseph Public Schools, the city agreed to construct new restrooms and a parking lot at the park, near the baseball and softball fields. St. Joseph Public Works Director Greg Grothous said the city was recommended by the Michigan DNR to receive a Land and Water Conservation Fund development grant in the amount of $260,000 for the project. The required match of $260,000 will be paid from the city’s Capital Improvement Fund, Grothous said. The LWCF is a federal program that is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service (NPS) and implemented by the DNR Grants Management Section. The project involves restroom and parking improvements for Dickinson Park. Grothous said it will include constructing four family-style restrooms and a paved parking lot with about 30 spaces. He said family-style restrooms are non-gender specific and anyone can use any of the restrooms. He said the hope is to start construction in the summer or fall of 2025 and have it completed in time for the 2026 baseball/softball seasons. Grothous said staff has issued a request for proposal for design services and construction administration for the Dickinson Park improvements with responses due back by Oct. 22. Staff plans to return to the city commission in November with a recommended consultant. In order to proceed with this project and hire a consultant, the city needed to formally accept the project agreement in the form of a resolution, which the city commission approved Monday.

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