4.9 million dollars of change is coming to Grand Ledge this year thanks to a Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) grant that passed in 2022. Governor Whitmer announced the program through the MEDC, which utilized $83.8 million dollars of money from the federal government. 

  The grants were given out to fund 22 different community development projects across Michigan. Grand Ledge was chosen out of 185 applicants. The grant was  passed as an effort to combat the negative effects that the COVID-19 pandemic had on local small businesses.

  The City of Grand Ledge received a $1 million grant from MEDC, and started developing plans for a project dubbed “Grand Renovations for Grand Ledge”. The total cost of the project is actually estimated to be around $5 million dollars, with the city taking out a loan of about $4 million dollars.

  The money won’t be going directly to business owners, but rather the money will be spent on making the historic downtown sector of the city more appealing to spend time in. According to the City of Grand Ledge website, the renovations are meant to “enhance the traditional downtown streetscape and public gathering spaces from Scott St. to Main St. and along W. River St.”.

  These goals for the city will be actualized in new sidewalk bump outs, adding and updating crosswalks, building a new public bathroom and expanding the outdoor deck across from Lickity Split. New bike racks will be placed around town as well as new flower planters, and more ginkgo trees are set to replace missing or sickly trees.

  As well as walkability and beautification, the city is making an effort on creating more spaces to spend time in. Enriching our parks and public spaces with gas grills and solar charging stations for your phone, all aimed towards making people want to be downtown.

  As far as changes go, some Grand Ledge residents aren’t exactly thrilled to see where their tax  money is being spent. 

  “It’s great that we want to beautify the town, but I think they need to focus more on our water quality,” Christina Wolfe, a native of Grand Ledge for over 20 years, said. “When I run the faucet at my home and the water is yellow, there is a problem that needs to be solved.”

  Work has not started on the project yet, the City is in the process of bidding but supply chain issues have created problems with locating certain materials needed for work to start. The City expects work to start spring next year..

  According to Keith Mulder, the current Mayor of Grand Ledge, none of these plans are set in stone yet. “What we have now is an ideal package, meaning you put everything in the plan that might possibly be done, and when we get back a pricing estimate we will have to decide what makes the cut and what doesn’t.”