Demolition of the original Martin Luther King Park lodge on Grand Rapids southeast side happened back in April. The decades-old building was removed so that a new lodge could be built that would better serve the needs of the community.
Parks and Recreation Director David Marquardt says the new building will be about five times the size of the original lodge.
“This new facility will be about 25,000 square feet in size and it will feature some rentable multipurpose rooms, a full gymnasium for basketball and use by the general public and residents.”
Other amenities include rentable classrooms that open out onto the pool area as well as a fitness room for recreation classes.
“One other additional thing that we’ll be adding as well as part of the project is a new pool house, and the new pool house will have some brand-new locker room facilities and changing room facilities that will be much brighter, much safer and much more vibrant than the existing one that were there.”
Marquardt says residents voting to pass parks millage funding is the reason the city can take on projects like this.
The park itself will also receive an expanded parking lot, expanded playground, a new fitness loop and new features added to the community garden.
The public is invited to the groundbreaking ceremony for the lodge, which will take place at Martin Luther King Park today from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
