A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday, Oct. 21 to celebrate enhancements made to the city’s Lakeside Island Park.
By: Brian Wells | Sterling Heights Sentry | Published October 27, 2025
STERLING HEIGHTS — A Sterling Heights park recently received a number of enhancements that officials said will strengthen access, safety and recreation to the park.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Oct. 21 to celebrate enhancements made to the city’s Lakeside Island Park.
“What began as a plan to replace an aging bridge that had been in place for decades evolved into a broader effort to enhance accessibility, safety and recreation for residents,” the city said in a press release.
The replacement of the bridge gives visitors a new entryway to the island and can accommodate emergency and maintenance vehicles, which was previously impossible due to the former bridge’s limitations, the release states.
In addition to the bridge, an almost half-mile nonmotorized trail was added to the island, as well as improved fishing areas and improved water access that will allow nonmotorized watercraft, such as canoes and kayaks, to reach the island directly.
The island’s banks were also stabilized, protecting against erosion and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the park’s shoreline.
“Lakeside Island Park has always been a hidden gem in our community, and this project helps it shine even brighter,” Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Langlois said in a statement.
Langlois added that the work done at the park helped to create a space that invites more people to experience it.
Sterling Heights Mayor Pro Tem Liz Sierawski said the park improvements represent another investment in the city’s attempts to create accessible public spaces for residents.
“This project strengthens access to one of our community’s most unique natural features and showcases our continued commitment to recreation, sustainability and quality of life across the city,” she said.
The entire project — which came in at $1.9 million — was made possible through a collaboration between the city’s engineering and parks and recreation departments and local design consultants and contractors.