MUSKEGON ? A $4.5 million road project that will rebuild the street grid on the former Muskegon Mall site ? a key part of Muskegon Redevelopment ? will break ground on Aug. 30.
Congressman Pete Hoekstra will attend as part of his annual bike tour of Michigan?s Second Congressional District. He will be joined by state, county and local officials in a ceremony to commence the construction of Western Ave. at 9:30 a.m.
Hoekstra serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and played a key role one the House-Senate conference committee that negotiated the final version of the transportation bill that was signed last week by President Bush. The Muskegon road project was part of that bill.
?The beginning of this project is a great step forward for the City of Muskegon,? said Steve Warmington, mayor of the City of Muskegon. ?We are sure this will be a real catalyst to the rebirth of downtown Muskegon.? With the agreement to begin on the roads in place, the Downtown Muskegon Development Corporation is in a position to begin closing sales on the parcels that the former Mall site has been divided into.
Chris McGuigan, President of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, a DMDC partner, said as this new street grid is constructed, the framework for a new downtown Muskegon will be created.
?We so appreciate the work and enthusiasm of Congressman Hoekstra for the community’s vision,?? McGuigan said. ?His help on the transportation bill, and the help of the Governor and Muskegon’s State Representatives and Senator as to the State funds, have brought us to this point. These roads we are building are Muskegon’s roads to a prosperous future.”
