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Grants Focus on Implementing Community Goals in Northwest Michigan

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – Networks Northwest has announced this year’s recipients of Community Growth Grants in northwest Michigan. These awards, provided with support from Michigan’s Regional Prosperity Initiative, offered grants up to $25,000 on a competitive basis to city, village, township, and county governments from the ten-county (Networks Northwest/Prosperity Region #2) region for projects that implement locally or regionally adopted plans.

“This year’s awards all feature an important local project that, when completed, will have a much broader regional impact,” said Sarah Lucas, Networks Northwest Community Planning Director.  "Each of these projects will have a ripple effect - on tourism, transportation access and safety, residents' quality of life - that will, in turn, have impacts on the region's economy as a whole."

Grants were awarded to:

Acme Township – Grand Traverse County – awarded $20,000 for construction engineering for a new non-motorized trail known as the Acme Connector Trail (ACT). The trail is an approximately 1.25-mile trail that extends from the existing Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation (TART) Trail to the Grand Traverse Town Center. This extension will provide meaningful connections to the heart of Acme’s business district and recreational assets by providing access for residents and visitors alike. Additionally, the ACT will serve as part of a larger regional trail network connecting communities in northwest Michigan.

Emmet County – awarded $20,000 for support to expand the public transit system in Emmet County. Looking to serve all areas of the county, the specific goal of Emmet County is to provide 33.5 hours of additional transit services per day, three new routes, and a commitment to regular monitoring and adjustment of routes/schedules/deployment of vehicles to maximize ridership and coverage.

Missaukee County – awarded $15,000 for an electrical upgrade to the Missaukee County Park and Campground. One of Missaukee County’s key goals is to enhance its recreational assets, which in turn promotes tourism and generates local revenue for the local economy. This essential electrical improvement will ensure continued viability as an attractive tourist destination for the benefit of the entire community.

Village of Central Lake – Antrim County – awarded $15,000 for their pedestrian connectivity project which will identify and fill the sidewalk linkage gaps between the village park properties, the commercial district, the schools, and immediate neighboring township areas. This infrastructure project will make a large impact on the livability and accessibility for residents, visitors, businesses and the schools.

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