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Muskegon sending $1 million in American Rescue Plan funds to three community organizations

The Muskegon community said they wanted some of the money to support projects that would have lasting impacts on the city and its residents.

MUSKEGON, Mich. — Early in 2021, city leaders in Muskegon began asking community members how they wanted $23 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to be spent. The money is part of $350 billion to help communities recover from the coronavirus.

The funds can be spent in a variety of ways, from addressing public health needs to infrastructure improvements.

Muskegon residents told city staff and their elected commissioners they wanted some of the money to support projects that would have lasting impacts on the city and its residents.

"That if we stepped back ten years from now, we'd be able to see that we contributed something important," said Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson of the residents' desires for the funds.

Last Tuesday, the city commission approved $1 million in gifts to the Boys and Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore, Muskegon Museum of Art and Frauenthal theater.

"Those are three institutions that are going to be key in quality of life in Muskegon," Peterson said.

All three organizations are in the finishing stages of capital campaigns to fund significant building renovation projects. The large contributions from the city will help each organizations take a big step towards the finish line.

"The timing was great, we could come in and contribute near the end of their campaigns," Peterson said.

The Boys & Girls Club of Muskegon Lakeshore's campaign goal is $7.5 million to transform the former YMCA and Muskegon Community College Lakeshore Fitness Center into the "Clubhouse MKG." The club closed on the building in May and is systematically renovating the building. 

"It's not just a youth center, it's really a community center at this point," Boys & Girls Club of Muskegon Lakeshore chief professional officer Dakota Crow said. "We have about $1.5 million to go before the end of the year, and time is ticking."

The club was formed in 2015 and grew out of a small space in the basement Nelson Elementary School.

"Now we see hundreds of kids a day," Crow said.

The Muskegon Museum of Art is finishing a $9.9 million campaign to add additional gallery space and classrooms.

Construction costs for the project were calculated before COVID, now the project will likely cost more than the $10.6 the museum has collected to date. 

"With the city's support I think we can get everything we dreamed about in this expansion," Muskegon Museum of Art director Kirk Hallman said. "We're adding three galleries, one that's pretty big so we can do large touring exhibitions. Something the city can be proud of."  

The Community Foundation for Muskegon County is closing in on a $5.1 million capital campaign to renovate the 90-year old Frauenthal Center.

The money will cover the cost of a new marquee, heating and cooling improvements, safer fire escapes, stage improvements and a snow-melt system at the theater's entrance.

"We are now within $300,000 of our goal," Muskegon Community Foundation president and CEO Todd Jacobs said. "We feel wonderfully blessed by the city and the generosity of the community."

Over the next four-year period the city will select additional project to direct the remaining American Rescue Plan funds towards. City commissioners previously pledged to use around $5 million on projects to support affordable housing efforts in the city.

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