Most of the money in the Tassell Park renovation goes toward one corner, where Cascade Road meets Thornapple River Drive. For years, two auto service shops sat on that intersection beside a 3.2-acre park on the Thornapple River. Cascade Township now owns both properties. The plan builds the park out onto them and connects the two sides of Cascade Road with a walkway along the river, running under the road.
That's the part of the project the renderings tend to bury. Splash pads and boardwalks get the attention. The plan itself is mostly about how people reach the river and move around it. It starts this fall with work that has more to do with cars than with anything a child would play on.
Two Former Auto Shops Are Now Parkland
The township bought the former Tuffy Muffler & Auto Services site at 6896 Cascade Road in 2019, and it took the building down in 2025. In 2025 it also bought the former Verburg's auto shop across the street at 6915 Cascade Road. The Cascade Township Downtown Development Authority paid for both: $800,000 for the Tuffy site and $2 million for Verburg's.
Those prices show where the project is headed. The Verburg's lot cost two and a half times as much as the Tuffy lot. It isn't getting a playground or a fountain. Its job is to anchor the far end of a pedestrian path under Cascade Road. Township Supervisor Grace Lesperance told MLive the aim is to make the busy intersection friendlier for walkers and cyclists.
"We're making it more usable and safer for connecting with bikers and walkers. But at the same time, we're not just developing it – (we) really are trying to keep that focus on the natural beauty and the riverfront."
The idea has been around for a while. OHM Advisors drew the first version of what the township calls the Village Reimagined plan. On August 19, 2025, the DDA hired Troyer Group to finish the design and carry it out. Planning documents first called the project the "Former Tuffy Muffler & Auto Services Site." It was later folded into the larger Tassell Park plan, along with the Verburg's lot and a former doctor's office site.
This Winter's Work Is About Parking and Pavement
Township trustees, DDA members and residents broke ground at Tassell Park on September 17. On August 26, 2026, the Township Board gave CarbonSix Construction the Phase 1 contract, with a base bid of $661,598.60. The board also approved a $96,515 alternate, to be used only if the township can't do the paving through the Kent County Road Commission's contract.
The township's project page lists what Phase 1 covers: removing leftover pavement and building foundations, new curb lines, road resurfacing and moving utilities. MLive's account adds a new parking lot along Thornapple River Drive and the demolition of the Verburg's building and a small, empty township-owned building next to the park.
For regular visitors, parking is the change that matters most. The spaces near the river will be replaced with angled street parking farther down Thornapple River Drive. The cars move away from the water so the park can have the shoreline.
The schedule has already moved once. MLive's September 1 story said Phase 1 would begin in September. The township's page, updated more recently, says Phase 1 is "slated to begin late this fall." As of early October, the township's timeline is the one to follow.
| Stage | Timing per the township | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Groundbreaking | September 17, 2026 | Ceremony with trustees, DDA and residents |
| Phase 1 | Slated for late fall 2026 | Demolition, curb lines, resurfacing, utility relocation, new parking along Thornapple River Drive |
| Main construction | Spring 2027 | Most park improvements, including the walkway under Cascade Road |
| Completion | Targeted by end of spring 2028 | Full project |
The Crossing Is the Centerpiece
The plan connects to a project the village already uses. The Cascade Road pedestrian bridge added a walkway to the Cascade Road bridge over the Thornapple. It has a wider, separated path, a higher railing and lighting all year. The bridge was dedicated on May 11, 2026, with a plaque presented to the American Legion. A public reception followed at the Stonehouse, with dessert donated by Nothing Bundt Cakes.
The bridge gets walkers across the river. The new walkway gets them across Cascade Road. It will run along the riverfront, below street level, from Tassell Park to the Verburg's site on the other side. Lesperance described it as a safe crossing for walkers and cyclists at the busy Cascade Road intersection. The township's description places the crossing beneath the Cascade Road Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge, the underpass and the two former shop lots together make a walking loop around one of the village's busiest intersections.
The underpass is part of Phase 2, expected to begin in 2027. Of all the features, this is the one most likely to change how people get around the village, and it is scheduled near the end.
What Stays Put and What Arrives Later
According to MLive, Tassell Park's existing pavilion and restrooms will stay. The new features are spread across the old park and the added land.
On the former Tuffy site, the new front door to the park:
- A gateway plaza with a water feature and a sunken plaza
- A natural playground and a splash pad
Along the river:
- A new boardwalk replacing the current riverside walkway. Lesperance said the goal is a shoreline that works better for people fishing.
- Native plantings and natural landscaping on the riverbank to control erosion
- A new pavilion and patio closer to the water, which Lesperance said the community will be able to rent for small events
Throughout the park:
- A flex space for food trucks
- A fire pit
- Ruby's Gazebo
- New benches, tables and other seating
The township's renderings also show a riverfront boardwalk with a gazebo, a curved overlook walk and a boardwalk scene beside the dam. These are design images, so the finished park may look different in its details.
Who Pays for It
MLive reported the project at about $10 million, paid for by the Cascade Township DDA. The Township Board approved issuing up to $13 million in capital improvement bonds. DDA Manager Ryan Sennett said the DDA will repay the township for the yearly debt payments. The $10 million is the project estimate. The $13 million is the most the township is allowed to borrow.
The DDA has been working on the village in smaller ways this year too. In June its staff reported that the village flower pots were planted, with new flowers added on the bridge, and that work was underway on a separate DDA Facebook page for project updates. That page could become the easiest way to follow the work as it moves along.
What Hasn't Been Announced
The township hasn't published a closure schedule, a detour route or a traffic plan for the fall work or the 2027 season. No source says whether parts of Tassell Park will close during construction. Phase 1 includes resurfacing and curb work on Thornapple River Drive, so the street next to the park is part of the job.
If you plan to use the park, watch the township's agendas and minutes and the project page. The township posts contract awards and schedule changes there. For anyone hoping to book the new pavilion once it's finished, the township's park reservations page handles bookings for its current facilities. Find more about the area on our Cascade neighborhood page.
The township expects to finish the whole project by the end of spring 2028.
If you live near Cascade Village and want to talk through how the work around Tassell Park could affect your street, your plans or your home's value over the next two years, Linda S Pell is glad to help. Let's Connect.
