By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

Kent County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today for its new Parks Department office, located at 1700 Butterworth St. SW in Grand Rapids. The new office will provide administrative space for staff and improve public access to Parks operations.

This capital improvement project was approved by the Kent County Board of Commissioners in January of 2020. The $2.68 million facility was funded by the County’s Capital Improvement Program, which was established to reduce the size of debt associated with large capital projects.

“Our county parks are a pillar of our community,” said Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Stan Stek. “The Board of Commissioners is very pleased that we were able to build this new facility without raising taxes or issuing a bond.”

The new facility features more than 7,000 square feet of office space, replacing temporary modular offices constructed in 2002.

“This is an exciting time for the County and has been a long time coming,” said Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg. “The opening of this facility brings closure to years of hard work and equips our Parks staff with the resources needed to maintain our public spaces for years to come.”

Kent County contracted Progressive AE for Architectural and Engineering Services and JKB Construction as the General Contractor for construction.

The Kent County Parks Department manages over 6,800 acres of land including 42 properties and trails, offering a wide range of recreational opportunities. The new office will be open to the public Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.