Politics & Government

Schroeder Park Building Construction to Begin

The first step is a sewer line to be installed in the second week of April.

A few dozen people gathered today in the spot where the future Schroeder Field House will be in a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate. 

The contractor intends to first install a sewer line from the location of the building out to Vernier Road, which will likely be installed in the second week of April, Shores Improvement Foundation President Lynn Galbenski said.

The building will serve as a hub for anyone who is using the field area year-round, including ice-skaters, sledders, baseball players and soccer teams. It will have bathrooms, coat racks and tables and chairs. It will also house the guard for the park and allow the city to rid itself of the small outdoor guard shack, where space heaters are used to keep employees warm during the winter.

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The building, which was opposed by a few residents, is being donated to the Shores by the Shores Foundation. The Foundation donated $70,000 to the project and helped raise another $60,000 to pay for it. Shores resident and widow of a long-time Shores councilman Eleanor Schroeder donated to the cause for naming rights. 

Schroeder, her son Bob, grandson Jeremy and great-granddaughter, also Eleanor, attended the ceremony Thursday. The elder Eleanor Schroeder said she is excited about the construction of the building and was happy to support it. 

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More than 100 residents and organizations donated to the building fund including the Woods/Shores Little League and the soccer league, Galbenski said. 

A final cost of $130,000 will cover construction, furnishings, a security system and signage. Public Safety Director Stephen Poloni recently secured a grant with the Risk Avoidance Program through Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority which will reduce the security system costs by 50 percent, according to information Galbenski provided. 

The building is expected to take 60 to 90 days to construct, she said, explaining they are aiming for mid-June and plan to have a dedication ceremony for the building during the Shores 100-year celebrations in July. 

Brett Marshall, owner of Marshall Landscaping, has donated landscaping for the building and Galbenski said she is trying to work out an art contest with Grosse Pointe North High School. She would like to have a student artist win the opportunity to create a sports mural on one of the building's interior walls, she said. 

The hope is to help an artist show off their work and give the building some character, she said, noting the building will be very basic as to not require much maintenance or cleaning. Those planning the building also selected energy efficient fixtures. 

Galbenski said her own daughter has played little league on the field at the park and the idea first came after attending one of her games because there isn't anywhere for park users to use the bathroom. 

Now residents and even those coming for games from other areas will have an option, or even a place for children to warm up during a sledding trip, she said. 


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