Middleville will fill a 0.9 mile segment in the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail, thanks in part to donors who not only matched a recent 30-day fund drive with a goal of $10,000, they doubled it.
“It was overwhelming the outpouring for the campaign,” said organizer of the fundraising, Jean Lamoreaux.. “We did not realize how important the trail is to our community. Wow!”
The contributions were needed for a match to secure a $10,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), she said.
Lamoreaux, who is also a village council member, said when she ran for the council, her goal was to get the trail extension finished. After getting advice from other trail supporters and the MEDC she decided to seek $10,000 in donations; “I didn’t want to ask for $20,000 and fail,” she said.
The total $30,000 will be a contribution to Middleville’s part of the cost. The paved extension begins at the new Middleville Pavilion, going north to Crane Road. Nashville Construction began work on the extension in March and anticipate completion by the end of August.
Background: The original bid accepted of $679,905 from Nashville Construction in July of 2015 was the low bid; five bidders ranged from Nashville’s low to a high of $1,209,409.30 by D. J. McQueen & Sons Inc, from Leroy Michigan.
However, by January of 2016, with attorney, design and survey fees, construction staking and testing and archaeological and bat habitat studies, the cost rose to $897,770.42.
The MDOT agreed to split the bid overage 50/50 with the village.
The final figures show the MDOT grants will fund $550,871 or 61 percent; Bradford White, $250,000, ($300,000 less engineering and legal fees) or 28 percent and the Village of Middleville, $96,900, or 11 percent.
