Ithaca wins $250,000 state grant for Union Street project

Ithaca has been awarded a $250,000 Michigan grant for a Union Street project, with the city listed as providing $686,100 in matching funds. The combined funding listed for the project is $936,100.

The Michigan Department of Transportation included the City of Ithaca in the second round of approved fiscal-year 2026 Transportation Economic Development Fund Category B projects. The award table is dated Nov. 1, 2025, and identifies Ithaca as a Gratiot County applicant.

State award and local match

The table lists a $250,000 state grant for the Union Street project. It also lists a $686,100 city match, equal to 73% of the project funding shown in the award record.

With the state award and listed local contribution combined, the total project cost is $936,100. The figures show that the Michigan grant covers only part of the planned investment, while the larger share of the listed funding comes from Ithaca.

The award creates a substantial funding plan for work on one of the city’s streets. Residents, commuters and local businesses that use Union Street could eventually be affected by construction activity, traffic changes or infrastructure improvements as the project moves forward.

Scope and schedule remain open

The approved-project table identifies Union Street and provides the funding amounts, but it does not describe the exact work planned. It does not say whether the project involves repaving, reconstruction, sewer work or another specific improvement.

The document also does not establish a construction start date, traffic-control plan or completion deadline. The award is therefore a funding approval, not confirmation that work has begun or been completed.

The City of Ithaca identifies its municipal offices at 129 W. Emerson St. in Ithaca, Michigan, and provides council and meeting information through its official council page. That page confirms the city’s municipal identity but does not establish a construction or bidding date for Union Street.

For now, the confirmed action is Michigan’s approval of the fiscal-year 2026 Category B grant: $250,000 in state funding paired with Ithaca’s listed $686,100 match for a project with a total listed cost of $936,100.