Oakland County Parks had a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly renovated park, Oak Park Woods at Shepherd Park, located at David H. Shepherd Park, at Northfield Boulevard and Church Street. The ceremony started at 3 p.m. and ran until 5:30 p.m. on June 22 and was held at 24198 Church Street.
This 17-acre park has nature-themed playgrounds, upgraded walking trails, year-round restrooms, picnic areas with grills, bike racks, a warming oven, and native Michigan plants after a $6.2 million renovation.
“The transformation of Oak Park Woods at Shepherd Park is a great example of what happens when communities create welcoming and accessible spaces where families can connect with nature and build memories,” said Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, according to MLive.
Funding for this project came from multiple sources. The Healthy Communities Park and Outdoor Recreation Investment Plan added $3.25 million, $2.5 million came from the American Rescue Plan Act, and $750,000 came from the county parks capital improvement fund. More capital improvement dollars pushed the total to $6.2 million.
This opening of Oak Park Woods is part of a bigger push for park renovations. The county is spreading into densely populated towns across the area, with new spots planned or already built in Pontiac, Southfield, Bloomfield Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, and Troy.
Other parks that received money from the Healthy Communities Park and Outdoor Recreation Investment Plan are Catalpa Oaks in Southfield, Lyon Oaks in Lyon Township and Wixom, Red Oaks in Madison Heights, plus Waterford Oaks in Waterford Township.
Admission to Oak Park Woods is free and is open to the public daily from 8 a.m. to dusk.