Kalamazoo’s Verburg Park and boat launch opened Friday, months later than expected.
The park and boat launch were closed in March 2022 to remove toxic pollutants from the Kalamazoo River and a pond. The cleanup was directed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Two paper mill companies, Georgia-Pacific and International Paper, removed PCBs in a pond and the Kalamazoo River.
The project was expected to take about 13 months to complete, with a plan to re-open in April 2023.
In an interview last spring, Kalamazoo parks director Patrick McVerry said weather first delayed the clean-up project, which he said was pretty much completed in May. But the grounds still needed to be restored and the boat launch needed to be widened and improved. At that time, McVerry expected the park to open Labor Day weekend.
In an email this week, McVerry said a problem storm drain at the nearby Patterson Street bridge project caused further delay. The park gate was unlocked on Dec. 1 and the “park closed” signs were removed Wednesday. On Thursday, workers from National Construction Rentals removed the last of the construction fencing.
The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail runs by Verburg Park. During the cleanup, the KRVT was diverted to go around the park.
