State Senator Darrin Camilleri called it a “beautiful day in Brownstown” when he presented a $3.5 million ceremonial check from the State of Michigan to Brownstown Township Supervisor Ed Smith on July 22 in front of a large group of community leaders, administrators and residents.

The state-granted funding is earmarked for two significant projects in Brownstown, including $1.5 million to assist in the renovation of Brownstown Township Hall. The legislature also allocated $2 million to reconstruct the Leland Street Bridge.

“Putting the needs of my community first has always been my top priority,” Sen. Camilleri said. “This was an investment that I was very proud to secure as we continue to move Brownstown forward.”

Township Manager Brian Peters echoed the senator’s words.

“The improvements made to our facilities will make our township more accessible to residents and more efficient for our operations,” he said. “We are grateful for the partnerships we are making to invest in the future of our community.”

Brownstown Township Hall has not received any notable capital improvement in over 20 years. During that time the community has grown significantly and the needs for office space and services for residents have changed drastically.

The changes to the facility will include an overall update and refresh of the building; energy efficiency improvements; reconfiguration of the building to provide for a better experience for residents; improved spaces for public meeting areas; and a more efficient use of office space to provide better ability for staff to coordinate.

“This project is still in its infancy,” Peters said. “The funding will allow us to hire an architect to go through our facility, develop a needs analysis, begin designing some solutions, and develop a plan.”

The Leland Street Bridge was recently identified as being in need of replacement and is the only way residents are able to get on and off Labo Island. Since Leland Street is a Wayne County road, this project will be overseen by Wayne County.

“However, we are excited to see this improvement in our community and look forward to working with the county to move this project along,” Peters said.

“I want to specifically thank Senator Camilleri for getting these projects included in the state budget,” he added. “This funding would not have happened without his support and advocacy.”