NILES, Mich. (AP) — The city of Niles is trying to decide what to do about a popular park that's been closed for more than a year due to flood damage.
Island Park in the St. Joseph River had been affected by earlier floods, but the severe February 2018 flooding deposited muck 2 feet (0.6 meters) deep and twisted a bridge used to access it. The park remains closed and a gate at the bridge entrance is padlocked.
City Administrator Ric Huff estimates it could cost $250,000 to restore the park in Niles, located north of Michigan's border with Indiana. He says people are "pretty passionate" about the park. The total annual city budget for maintenance of more than a dozen parks is about $125,000.
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