GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Friends of Grand Rapids Parks is donating a 2.9-acre West Side parcel to the city. The vacant land at 1357 4th St. NW will increase the size of the adjacent Fourth Street Woods park by about 60 percent.

Grand Rapids City Commission on Tuesday, June 10, will consider accepting the property.

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“It helps us contribute to that overall goal we set in Grand Rapids to increase parkland,” said Steve Faber, executive director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks. “There aren’t any plans for improvements so it’s just really about protecting that three acres of woods.”

RELATED: $189K grant from Grand Rapids Community Foundation to promote urban tree planting 

Faber said neighbors contacted his organization about buying the land west of Valley Avenue NW near Sullivan Field when it went up for sale last year. A grant from the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and financial support from other private groups helped Friends of Grand Rapids Parks fund the purchase.

According to property records, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks bought the land last fall for $38,500. The property is taxed based on a market value of $56,000.

Giving the land to the city will preserve existing trees as Grand Rapids aspires to cover 40 percent of the city with tree canopy, Faber said.

“Our environmental focus is really on a couple areas, one being land acquisition in the urban core and our second piece is being huge supporters of efforts to increase the urban tree canopy,” said Kate Luckert Schmid, program director for the community foundation.

“What’s exciting about this project is it really does both. Not only does it preserve green space, but it is a highly natural forested area.”