Council accepts $400,000 MDNR grant and approves $985,200 Shaw Parks playground and cricket field project

Council voted April 28 to accept a Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant of $400,000 for improvements at Shaw Park, to be matched by a city contribution of $585,200 for a total project cost of $985,200. The project scope provided to council includes a cricket field, ADA restroom upgrades, a pavilion, walkways and a new playground structure.

Parks staff said the grant award (submitted in 2024 and recently awarded) requires deliverables that include the cricket court, restroom accessibility work and pavilion/playground amenities. Council members praised the award and said the site will serve as a major southern-park amenity comparable in scale to other large municipal parks, and that the cricket field can support cricket play and other athletic uses when not reserved for matches.

Why it matters: The project expands recreational amenities in southern Warren and recognizes a growing local cricket-playing population. Staff said the cricket pitch requires specific protections for the central playing strip (the pitch), but the overall field can accommodate other sports such as soccer when the pitch is not in active use.

Next steps: Staff will proceed with design and planning, produce renderings for public review and return with project timelines and installation details as part of normal capital project procedures.