Port Sanilac looks to upgrade Harbor Park

PORT SANILAC - It's the heart of the village, but it's lost some of it's shine, so officials are hoping the state will come through with $300,000 to upgrade Harbor Park.

"It's in the heart of the waterfront and the heart of the harbor and where all the roads come to," said Larry O'Keefe, Port Sanilac's business manager.

The village council approved applying for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant Monday. The Downtown Development Authority has agreed to cover the match.

Tim Cheek, DDA vice-chairman, said the authority is ready to pay the $172,540 match, but will also ask Sanilac Township to consider pitching in some funds.

"It's the center of all activities in the summertime, with the harbor docks, all the festivals and events take place there," Cheek said. "It's used daily by locals and visitors. It is the central place in Port Sanilac."

The grant would cover the cost of building new restrooms, new playground equipment, a performance stage and making the park along Lake Huron handicap accessible.

Cheek said future plans also include a boardwalk and splash pad.

The improvements would be a benefit for residents and a draw for visitors.

"We're trying hard to grow tourism," Cheeks said. "It drives the whole community."

Karen and Gale Freidline drove to the village from Worth Township Tuesday to have lunch. The couple said improvements to the park could draw more visitors.

"I think it's a great idea," Gale Freidline said.

"It's beautiful," Karen Freidline said of the park.

Ruth Thomas has lived in the village along the lake since retiring in 1998. With four grandchildren who visit, she's excited for any improvements to the park.

"I like that idea," she said. "It's where my grand-kids always want to go play."

O'Keefe said the village will find out if it is awarded the grant in December.

"We're a resort town on the water. That's why people come along the shore, to see the water and enjoy it," he said. "This will be a facility that makes people very comfortable right in the heart of a resort town."

While there have been plans to develop a resort at the harbor, those have not come to fruition. Cheeks said the village is waiting on the developer.

Contact Liz Shepard at (810) 989-6273 or lshepard@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @lvshepard.