The City of Marquette has been awarded a RAP 2.0 grant, totaling $583,750 by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to transform the vacant building located between Father Marquette and Lakeside Lion’s Park into the City's Cultural Trailhead and house the Arts and Culture Division of Community Services. This project will create a local and regional destination, while improving walking and wheelchair access to the City’s new Cultural Trail, historic downtown, and waterfront. Specifically, funds from this grant will cover interior and exterior renovations of the building including facade and parking improvements, interior offices, meeting spaces, restrooms, electric, plumbing and HVAC improvements.  

Staff has paired the Spark Grant with the RAP Grant with different scope items.  Spark funding will create a paved spur that connects the trailhead to the City’s new Cultural Trail, multi-use pathway and regional trail systems, add an ADA-accessible restroom within the building, reconfigure the parking lot and improve stormwater management, provide a drinking fountain with bottle filler, and introduce some green infrastructure to the park in the form of native plantings.

The grant award is not-to-exceed $583,750 and cannot be more than 50% of the project costs. The MDNR Spark grant funding and local partners make up the other half of the project funding.