A fundraising event is planned for this week for the Marquette Greenway trail project in Berrien County. Southwest Michigan Planning Commission senior planner Marcy Hamilton tells us the Marquette Greenway is the mixed-use trail planned between Chicago and New Buffalo. The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and Friends of Berrien County Trails have secured most of the funds to build the trail from New Buffalo to the Indiana state line.
“We’ve secured about $5.3 million from federal, state, and local monies, and we’re anticipating we’re going to need about $300,000 more,” Hamilton said. “So, $5.6 million to build that 4 miles of trailhead in Michigan.”
They have raised about $50,000 of that. Hamilton says they’ll seek to raise part of the remaining $250,000 at Bentwood Tavern in New Buffalo with a Give Back Dinner on Thursday.
“This Thursday, November 3 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. anybody that comes in to eat and drink or even do carryout, Bentwood Tavern is going to donate 50% of all food and beverage sales to the Marquette Greenway.”
Hamilton invites everyone out, and notes it is advisable to make a reservation. The goal is to get the Michigan portion of the Marquette Greenway done in 2024 and 2025. The total trail, from Chicago to New Buffalo, could be finished in 2027.
