Shelby Review

Legislation that will partially fund a conservation nature center in Macomb County is awaiting the governor's signature. 

Once the governor signs off on the measure, the Detroit Zoological Society’s proposed 30,000-square-foot Great Lakes Center for Nature will get $2 million of the $20 million required to complete the project. 

Macomb County has 32 miles of coastline along Lake St. Clair and 31 miles on the Clinton River. That location made the county an ideal place for the nature center, according to a release from the Detroit Zoo.  

“The Great Lakes Center for Nature will be a wonderful, regional destination right here in Macomb County,” Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Township) said in a statement. “The center will be a place for members of our community, and from throughout the state, to learn about our ecosystems, sustainable use of water resources, and the economics of Michigan’s blue economy, all while enjoying an array of plant and animal species in a natural setting.”

Zoo officials said there are about 20 potential sites for the nature center. The board of trustees in Clinton Township and the Mount Clemens City Commission both approved resolutions to offer Shadyside Park at no cost to the Detroit Zoo. 

Shadyside Park is near Gratiot Avenue and Wellington Crescent along the Clinton River Spillway.

An estimated 200,000 people will visit the center annually, and it is expected to generate $100 million in economic activity in the first five years, zoo officials have said. 

SB 151 also provides $5 million for the High Water Infrastructure Repair program, $15 million for the Going Pro employer talent fund, and $25 million for state efforts to combat coronavirus.