“This is a development in Kent County that has been in the works for several years.”
At the end of July, Republican Majority Floor Leader Bryan Posthumus of Rockford advocated to the Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity on behalf of the Kent County Youth Agricultural Association for $1.8 million in funding for The Grand Agricultural Center of West Michigan, an agricultural show venue in Lowell Township. That funding has been included in the House budget plan.
“And we expect probably about a three to one match on every dollar that we get in from the state, coming from federal dollars, county dollars and private investment.”
If approved, the funding would be used to construct a covered arena at The Grand, as well as provide electricity and water at a campground along the Grand River Trail, which runs from Grand Haven to Shiawassee County. Posthumus says this is not just an investment in Kent County but the entire state.
“Between those two investments, we expect that this would increase the agro-tourism in Kent County by over tenfold.”
The 2026 state budget plan recently approved by the House still needs approval from both chambers and the governor by October 1st.
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