City of Muskegon approves $1.6M in ARPA funds for 22 community projects

The Muskegon City Commission has allocated $1.6 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, given to the community in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, to 22 community projects. One of the awards is pending. 

The commission awarded the funding to local neighborhood associations, nonprofit organizations, and small businesses to help support the public health and economic needs of residents most impacted by the pandemic. 

The grants were awarded after a special citizen-led committee reviewed 60 applications for requests totaling $7.9 million.  

The ARPA Community Grant Review Committee submitted a slate of recommended projects to the commission with a capital component designed to remove barriers to disproportionately impacted residents. Specifically, these are communities of color, people with disabilities, low- to moderate-income families, and the elderly, who have historically experienced difficulty accessing such resources. In addition, the projects were reviewed in light of the City Commission’s Long-term Goals, 2022–27.  

Objectives and collaboration

The organizations receiving the ARPA grants were deemed to be able to accomplish their stated objectives within the federal timeline for spending those dollars and showed a history of collaboration with other organizations to provide services.  

“The Muskegon City Commission is honored to have created this community grant program,”  Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson says. “I am confident it will help fund impactful, generational projects with lasting benefits for our residents. These one-time funds are a key ingredient to building a robust, resilient, and equitable economy in the wake of the pandemic. We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of these projects reach all citizens.”  

Of the 21 grant awards: 

• 4 were to neighborhood associations in the city. 
• 11 were to women- and minority-owned businesses or organizations. 
• 8 were to organizations providing direct benefits to community youth.
• 3 were to expand access to new housing options for city residents.
• 12 of the organizations received the full amount requested. 

21 projects approved, 1 pending

In addition to the 21 approved projects, a proposal from Pioneer Resources is slated for approval by the City Commission, pending completion of conflict-of-interest documentation. City Commissioner Rachel Gorman is a former employee of Pioneer Resources. Gorman was not involved in Pioneer's decision to apply, involved in discussions with either city staff or Pioneer staff concerning this project, or involved in the discussion or decision by the commission concerning Pioneer's grant proposal. 

The 21 projects approved to receive grants from the city are:
 

• AgeWell Services* — $25,000 toward a walk-in freezer for Meals on Wheels.
• Every Woman's Place* — $120,000 in emergency shelter upgrades.
• MI Crossroads Council, BSA — $25,000 toward “Scoutreach” for city youth.
• Samaritas — $100,000 toward increased costs for 53 units of senior affordable housing.
• McLaughlin Neighborhood Association — $100,000 toward upgrades at the McLaughlin Community Park.
• Nelson Neighborhood Improvement Association* — $100,000 toward the transformation of three community gardens.
• West Michigan Concert WINDS — $50,000 to send city youth to Blue Lake Fine Arts summer music camps.
• Volunteer for Dental* — $50,000 toward dental services for city adults in need of care.
• Muskegon Christian School — $175,000 toward the expansion of a daycare facility.
• West Michigan Symphony — $100,000 toward an after-school string orchestra program for city youth.
• Unity Beauty Salon & Spa* — $50,000 for a licensed cosmetologist apprenticeship program.
• Tiki Boiz — $50,000 for upgraded restaurant equipment and expanded outdoor seating.
• Rake Beer Project — $25,000 to assist in the brewery’s expansion and move to a new location on West Western Avenue.
• Kids’ Food Basket* — $100,000 toward a new facility and equipment.
• Mount Zion Church of God in Christ — $37,000 toward expanding the Mount Zion Club 188 for local youth.
• Boys & Girls Club* — $50,000 toward the renovation of the pool at its Clubhouse MKG and the Muskegon Lakeshore Neal Fitness Center.
• Open Gates of Grace Ministries* — $100,000 toward rebuilding 20 units of affordable housing after an arsonist’s fire.
• Soul Filled Enterprises* — $100,000 toward the development of an ethnic food collective in the Core Plaza Building.
• Servicios De Esperanza* — $25,000 for training therapists in evidence-based mental health practices.
• Sheldon Park Neighborhood Association — $8,000 toward improvements to Sheldon Park.
• Jackson Hill Neighborhood Association* — $60,000 toward home repairs and improvements.

Still pending before the Muskegon City Commission:
 

• Pioneer Resources* — $150,000 toward a community walking path off East Wesley

Street.

(The * denotes organizations are women- and/or minority-led.)