Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced plans to create a new Michigan state park in the City of Flint by utilizing federal relief dollars from President Biden’s American Recovery Plan.
This would mark the first state park in Genesee County, the only county in Michigan without land that is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and when completed would become Michigan’s 104th state park.
The governor’s proposed investment, which requires approval from the Legislature, would develop a park that would be anchored at Chevy Commons and expanded along the Flint River corridor to seamlessly connect the park to local neighborhoods, businesses, and institutions, such as the University of Michigan-Flint, the Flint Farmers’ Market, and the Iron Belle Trail.
Although plans are in their earliest stages, the new park could include non-motorized trails, unique playscapes, accessible open spaces, fishing platforms, and canoe and kayak launches into the Flint River.
A timeline for completion and further funding still needs to be developed, but the commitment of state funding will prove a critical catalyst in pushing the project forward.
Submitted by Governor Whitmer’s Office
