The City of Saugatuck is purchasing 171 acres from the Land Conservancy of West Michigan who is purchasing the land formerly known as Denison South from Aubrey McClendon for $20 Million Dollars. The new land will be added to the original Oval Beach and is located between the current beach and the Kalamazoo River.
It is a somewhat complicated transaction involving $6 Million in donations from various groups and a $12.5 Million Grant to the City of Saugatuck from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. The grant still has to be awarded but at the meeting today everyone seemed pretty confident that it will be forthcoming at the Board Meeting on Dec 2. If so, the property will close before the end of this year!
Once the closing occurs, the land will be leased to the City of Saugatuck for immediate use and the City of Saugatuck will make future payments to complete the transaction from donations during the next few years in three payments.
A lot of people have been working on this transaction which started out as a gleam in someone's eye in the 1930s and a hope for the City of Saugatuck in the 1950s.
This is fantastic news and probably the best thing to happen to this area since Oval Beach began. It was a very emotional press release meeting for the presenters and the audience today at the SCA at 2 PM.
SOON OVAL BEACH WILL NOT END HERE as it does today. There will be nature trails and free access all the way to the Kalamazoo River.
The final photo here is the view of the acquisition from the north end of the first Oval Beach all the way to the Kalamazoo River.
This is even more reason to have your place in the Saugatuck Area.
For more information about the area go to www.mysaugatuck.com and click on Dee Dee's Blog to the right of the little dog for more information about the area along with market information. You can also see all the real estate listings in Saugatuck, Douglas, and the surrounding area on this website. Dee Dee Hanson can be reached at deehans@ameritech.net or by phone at 616-836-8535. Dee Dee can send you the listings as they come available. Lots of good opportunities NOW!
SEE YOU AT THE BEACH! 
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