• New Footbridge

OKEMOS, MI - The Meridian Township Parks and Recreation Department aims to provide a park or natural area within a 15 - 20 minute walk of every Township resident. Their recent development has been the new Central Park Regional Trail Connector. The new east-west connection offers a half-mile paved trail, interpretive signage, electricity for motorized wheelchairs, a bike fix-it station, and a boardwalk accessible fishing platform.

The trail begins near the Central Park Pavilion and runs west through the Central Park Connecter to an existing paved trail in Central Park South. This will be an important connection to the proposed Ingham County Trail from Lake Lansing to Michigan State University and the Lansing River Trail. This $395,000 project is being funded through a grant of $272,500 from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and a Park Milage local match. After receiving some finishing touches, the project should be completed Summer 2021.

Along with the new and improved trail connector, the Accessible Gateway Bridge and Restroom Building project, which will provide better service to the visitors of the Meridian Historical village, was completed in Spring 2021. The Gateway Bridge is an easily identifiable connection to the Historical Village, and will grant an accessible connection to the Central park Trail. This $300,000 project was made possible by a $150,000 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Both the New Central Park Regional Trail Connector and the Accessible Gateway Bridge and Restroom Building project are important aspects in the Recreation Master Plan Survey.

“The 5 year Parks and Recreation Master Plan serves to make Meridian Township eligible for state and federal grant funding. Since 1972, Meridian Township has received $2,695,200 in grant support for park acquisition and development projects.”