Grosse Ile beach is open.

Wayne County Commissioner Joseph Palamara, Grosse Ile Township Supervisor Brian Loftus and Police Chief Joseph Porcarelli attended a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new park at Grosse Ile Parkway and East River Road.

Loftus said he could not be happier about the community effort that went into getting the park ready to open. A handful of volunteers spent hundreds of hours over the last year clearing out the beachfront property.

"We've got a beautiful stretch of beach," Township Supervisor Brian Loftus said. "The island hasn't had one -- ever."

Loftus said the park cost the township about $5,000.

Grosse Ile resident Ethan Ames organized and built a staircase that leads from East River Road to the beach as an eagle scout project.

Ames said the hardest thing about building the stairs was the politics that go into organizing such a tremendous effort including getting township officials to agree to the project and bringing together a team of carpenters to build the staircase.

He added the project will likely allow him to be promoted to eagle scout next month.

"This is the last thing I have to do," Ames said.