Workers are rebuilding the long-missing staircase down to Laketown Township Beach, more than a year and a half after the old wooden steps were shut down over safety concerns. Crews began hauling in materials by barge on Oct. 9, and the township says the new adjustable aluminum stairs should be finished by Nov. 25.
The project, underway at the beach at 6710 142nd Ave., replaces wooden steps that were built 32 years ago and closed in March 2025 because of safety concerns, according to Laketown Township. Those old steps were later removed, leaving beachgoers to scramble down the dune on foot for more than a year. The township says crews from Lakeshore Concepts LLC of Holland began the work by shipping materials to the site by barge on Friday, Oct. 9.
Brad Laninga, chair of the Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission, gave the township board an update on the project during an Oct. 14 meeting, as The Holland Sentinel reported. “They’ve got quite a bit of work yet ahead of them putting on rails and finishing up the project,” Laninga said, signaling that the visible progress at the dune still has several steps to go before it’s ready for public use.
An Adjustable Design for a Shifting Dune
The new structure isn’t a simple fixed staircase. Known as EZ Beach Steps, the adjustable aluminum stairs can be raised or lowered as the dune itself shifts over time, per the township's own account. The steps extend from the top of the dune through an area known locally as The Bowl down to the beach, and they represent the first phase of a larger, three-phase overhaul of the park, the township notes.
Getting to this point took months of deliberation. The township board approved spending more than $210,000 for the stairs in May, authorizing Manager Stephanie Fox to sign a contract with Lakeshore Concepts LLC for no more than $210,255, the township says. That final price followed a competitive bidding process in which six companies submitted proposals ranging from $117,000 to $372,000, according to the same source. Earlier reporting had pointed to different figures along the way — MLive reported in March that the project was expected to cost around $117,000, while WOOD TV8 reported Lakeshore Concepts was at one point chosen at a cost of $196,500 before the board ultimately approved the higher contract figure. The township's own project plan describes the chosen design as adjustable aluminum stairs with composite treads.
Grants Pending for Future Phases
Laketown Township isn’t stopping at one staircase. The township filed two applications for Michigan Department of Natural Resources grants on March 31 to fund further beach access improvements, per the township. One is a $150,000 Passport Grant, and the township has also pursued a separate Trust Fund Grant application. WOOD TV8 has reported the township expected to learn by the end of the year whether it would receive the state funding.
Those future-phase plans, as outlined by WOOD TV8, include additional steps, a 10-by-21-foot viewing platform, benches, signage, parking-lot fencing and landscaping. MLive reported in March that later phases could also involve reconstructing the existing stair system from the parking lot up the dune and adding a 90-foot elevated deck with a platform and possible trellis. The township has said it intends to fund the current stairs through The Bowl using township money rather than any grant dollars.
Erosion Concerns Still Shape the Project
The dune itself has been a focus of concern well before this construction phase began. Laketown Township added new fencing in June 2025 to keep visitors off the dunes and curb further erosion, according to the township. With the current work underway, officials are asking the public to steer clear of the active work zone, both for worker safety and to protect the sensitive dune environment, the township says.
If the project holds up as designed, it could be a long-term fix. WZZM13 has reported that, with proper maintenance, the stairs were estimated to last 20 to 30 years — a notable upgrade from the three-decade-old wooden structure the new steps are replacing. For now, the township’s timeline points to Nov. 25 as the target finish date, with rails and other finishing touches still ahead.
