Andie Balenger | Daily Press A portion of the Gladstone boardwalk, located along the 200 block of Minneapolis Ave., goes unused due to a giant gap in the wooden structure. The entire boardwalk was shut down by Gladstone’s Parks and Recreation Department in 2019, due to the rising water levels that ultimately destroyed the structure.

By Andie Balenger

abalenger@dailypress.net

GLADSTONE — The future of the Gladstone boardwalk appears to be bright as efforts continue by the City of Gladstone to fund its repair.

The East Shore Boardwalk, which acted as a section of the trail system that guided users from Saunders Point to Van Cleve Park, succumbed to high water levels in 2019. The boardwalk was originally constructed over 20 years ago, specifically designed to stand above the flood levels that were considered to be normal at the time. The original cost of the project was $500,000, utilizing two grants to complete its design and construction.

The two sections of the boardwalk, the first from Saunders Point to the Gladstone Bay Campground and the second along the water near the 200 block of Minneapolis Ave., were completely destroyed three years ago with the rising water levels. Due to the damage, Gladstone’s Parks and Recreation Department had no choice but to prohibit the boardwalk’s use by the public.

While the wooden remnants of the boardwalk have remained along the shoreline since then, attempts have been made by the city to commence reconstruction efforts.

“We have replaced all of the paved portions of the boardwalk already,” Eric Buckman, Gladstone city manager, said.

A complete makeover of the boardwalk saw its first gleam of hope in December 2020 when the Gladstone Downtown Development Authority (DDA) submitted a grant application for $200,000 in the structure’s favor. While the city approved $100,000 for the project at the time, with an additional $100,000 needed to match the grant, the $200,000 grant award was never received.

“We have applied to the Michigan Coastal Zone Management Program twice already, December 2020 and December 2021, and both times we were passed over,” Buckman said. “We plan on applying again this December using a more professional application.”

The boardwalk’s reconstruction is also included in the City of Gladstone’s 2022 Recreation Plan booklet and is currently slated to kick-off in 2023. While the city has received bids from companies looking to rebuild the amenity, appropriate funding for the project has been hard to come by. According to the City of Gladstone’s five-year implementation plan, $350,000 will be needed to design and build the two sections of the boardwalk. These funds are set to come form grants and local funds.

Prices, however, will need to be adjusted due to inflation.

“The original project was for $400,000 which included $200,000 grant and a city match of $200,000. The match was going to come from our DDA and the Dr. Mary Creten’s Fund,” Buckman said. “We have been informed by the state that there are going to be other high water funds available in their next budget year that we will be applying for also.”

The boardwalk was a popular amenity along the Gladstone shores, especially with citizens, visitors, and those looking to organize outdoor events. With users seeking out the boardwalk for exercise with an accompanying view of the bay, the demand for its reconstruction by citizens has been adamantly expressed and heard by the city.

In the past, Parks and Recreation Director Jason Davis has addressed the changes in design that will help ensure the boardwalk’s longevity. Caissons will be installed to support the portions of the boardwalk that rest on sand, which will have steel I-beams and bracings welded to them. Additionally, the decking will sit at a higher elevation than before, thanks to these caissons, to prevent future water-level issues.

“Every time I walk what is left of the boardwalk with my dog I get questioned about ‘when,'” Buckman said. “If we don’t receive any funding from the state next year, we will use our matching money to fix as much as is possible so that we have a walkable path by next summer.”