The Three Rivers City Commission Tuesday voted unanimously to apply for the Michigan Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for its Public Gathering Spaces Initiative (PGSI) to help pay for a downtown outdoor amphitheater on the Portage River. The city is requesting $1,953,445 in CDBG funds along with local funds from the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) budget in the amount of $195,344.50.
According to the MEDC website, the 2023 PGSI will fund improvements intended to increase usability, accessibility, and seasonality within new or existing community spaces on publicly owned property. By supporting the creation or expansion of public gathering spaces in low-and-moderate income communities throughout Michigan, PGSI will create and enhance recreational places allowing residents to gather, relax, celebrate, and commemorate. PGSI funds projects including parks, town squares, playgrounds, amphitheaters, and farmer’s markets. Through a competitive application round, the PGSI will award CDBG funding to eligible communities. Those communities will be required to provide a minimum of a 10% financial match based on the project’s total cost.
At Tuesday’s city commission meeting, City Manager Joe Bippus told commissioners the DDA did not have the matched money for the grant and said, “I’m hopefully going to get it confirmed tonight that if we could get this grant, there’s no way the city would let two million dollars pass by for just a couple hundred thousand. So we would either loan them (the DDA) the money or do some kind of payment option or split or something like that.” Bippus said he wanted to “work out details” with the DDA in a way where they would not be hurt financially. “They’re coming in to a point where they had some debt that’s coming off, and so they’re going to be able to use cash or tax revenue in their budget, which I want them to have that open flexibility to be able to spend downtown,” he said. “We could take $10,000 or $15,000 a year to help pay us back, and I assume no interest, if we get this grant.”
At-Large Commissioner Lucas Allen addressed DDA Director Cameron Mains on the project and said, “I think this is great. Eco-friendly, using landscape, beautiful, bringing a lot of people for businesses. I’m sure there’s gonna be a lot of festivals, there’s going to be live theater things that I know you’re very good at. I’m one million percent in favor. I think it’s a great idea.”
Mayor Tom Lowry asked Mains when there would be an answer regarding the grant, and Mains said the application is due April 26, but there would not be a decision made until the end of summer. The City of Three Rivers will conduct a public hearing on April 18 at 6 p.m. at City Hall for citizens to examine and submit comments on the proposed application for a CDBG grant.
Further information, including a copy of the City of Three Rivers Master Plan and CDBG application is available for review on the city’s website. Comments may be submitted in writing through April 18 or made in person at the public hearing. Citizen views and comments on the proposed application are welcome.
Beca Welty is a staff writer and columnist for Watershed Voice.
