MARQUETTE -- Clark Lambros was the owner of Vango's Pizza in Marquette until he passed away last December, and Michelle Butler is working with the city of Marquette to build a park in his honor.
The park will be called Clark Park, and its future home is 14 acres of beach front property located on Lakeshore Boulevard near the Dead River Trail.
"We're right here and you have the Dead River that is over here, and the property spans all the way. It goes down to Hawley Street, and then all of this property on the other side of Lakeshore Boulevard with the beach and the lake," said Michelle Butler.
The Lambros family is donating the estimated $1.5 million piece of land to the city.
The Marquette City Commission is in the process of submitting a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Property Acquisition Grant.
"This would basically be done at no cost to the city so through the Property Acquisition, we would be looking at the property essentially being donated after the city purchases it. Then the in-kind money comes and in terms of actual construction of the park. That's what's been proposed," said Director of Marquette Planning and Community Development, Dennis Stachwicz, Jr.
According to Butler, the future park will offer showers, restrooms, and picnic tables for visitors.
"Nothing really elaborate. You know that simple/elegant type of way that you look at things but keeping in the natural keeping. That's how Clark was, I mean, he wasn't flamboyant. He was just a regular type of guy," Butler said.
The city must submit the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Property Acquisition Grant by April 1. If the grant is accepted, construction on the park will begin next spring.
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