Chevy in the Hole, about 60 acres of riverfront commercial space in Flint, Mich., abandoned by General Motors more than a decade ago, will be converted into wetlands and recreational space through grant money from the Environmental Protection Agency and local investments.

About $3 million in EPA grants and local funds will transform an unused industrial brownfield in the middle of Flint, Mich., into walkable riverfront green space.

The site, called Chevy in the Hole, contains more than two centuries of industrial history, beginning as a sawmill and paper mill before it became the home of Flint Wagon Works in the 1880s. General Motors' employed as many as 14,000 employees at the location before it fell into disrepair. The last building on site was torn down in 2004, and the lot has sat empty since.

The Genesee County Land Bank and city of Flint, which owns the site, have a plan to turn Chevy in the Hole into Chevy Commons, a new park along the Flint River with wetlands, woodlands, grass and other green areas, according to Christina Kelly, who is directing the work for the land bank.

A $1.6 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency paid for a draft plan for the site and will cover the majority of the construction costs, including the first phase, which will break ground in late summer or early fall, and will include a parking area, walking paths, and shrubs. The greening process will include dumping dirt over the existing concrete that covers the roughly 60-acre location.

Mayor Dayne Walling told Michigan Live that the plan for Chevy in the Hole calls for access to the Flint River, recreational space, an area for events and recognition of the site's Native American and automotive heritage.

Kelly said that the land bank is working on getting a $1.2 million grant for the second phase, which will develop more space east of Chevrolet.