Jan 31, 2024
LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) today in announcing approval of $87.5 million in grant funding for 18 projects across the state of Michigan through the Strategic Site Readiness Program (SSRP) to support the state’s efforts to compete for and win transformative projects.
Through this funding for strategic site readiness and collaboration with local, regional and energy partners, communities across Michigan will experience increased economic development opportunities to support in their business development efforts.
“These grants will fund 18 projects across Michigan, preparing us to win more manufacturing projects creating thousands of good-paying jobs,” said Governor Whitmer. “Together, with a strong, bipartisan economic development toolkit, we are competing with other states and nations to bring home supply chains of cars, chips, and clean energy. We will get it done while making communities across Michigan—from big cities to small towns—better places to live, work, and invest. Let’s move some dirt!”
Applications for the grants were accepted from September 18 to October 30, 2023. The MEDC received over 70 applications totaling $420 million in requested funding – more than four times the SSRP allocation – further demonstrating the significant need for advancing site readiness in the state of Michigan. Funding was awarded in nine of the state’s 10 prosperity regions, representing at least one grant for every region that submitted applications.
Of the 18 awardees, 10 are brownfield sites that will be receiving 49 percent of the award funding; the remaining awardees are greenfield sites throughout the state. Creating a robust inventory of investment-ready sites of all sizes will provide Michigan with increased opportunities for business attraction and expansion projects across the state.
Strategic Site Readiness Program awardees
(by prosperity region)
Region 1
- Hancock Business & Technology Park, City of Hancock: $969,352
Region 3
- Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport Authority Small/Medium Hangar Infrastructure, Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport Authority: $500,000
Region 4
- Muskegon Heights Industrial Parks – West & East, Muskegon Area First (brownfield site): $121,200
- Covenant Business Park, The Right Place: $17,500,000
Region 5
- 3 Mile and Wilder Road, Bay Future (brownfield site): $4,161,500
Region 6
- Flint Commerce Center, Flint Genesee Economic Alliance (brownfield site): $5,900,000
- Corunna – Parmenter Rd, Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership: $435,000
Region 7
- Lansing RACER Trust Plant 6 Site, City of Lansing (brownfield site): $18,975,000
- Delhi College Road Site, Lansing Economic Area Partnership (brownfield site): $6,500,000
Region 8
- Southwest Michigan Commerce Park, Southwest Michigan First (brownfield site): $2,106,000
- Hartford Industrial Site, Market Van Buren (brownfield site): $467,250
- Benton Harbor Data and Tech Park, a partnership between Cornerstone Alliance and developer Franklin Partners (brownfield site): $3,600,000
Region 9
- AICP – Lot 14, City of Saline: $15,350
- LAC Site, Monroe County Business Alliance: $82,310
- Latson Innovation Interchange Technology & Industrial Park, Ann Arbor SPARK: $6,500,000
- Pleasant Valley Development, Ann Arbor SPARK (brownfield site): $604,000
Region 10
- 440 Acres in Van Buren Township (Ecorse and Belleville Roads), Detroit Aerotropolis: $18,600,000
- DET Crosswind Runway, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (brownfield site): $510,000
Total SSRP grant funding: $87,546,962
The remaining funds of the full $100 million SSRP allocation will support applications requiring more time and evaluation, additional needs that may come up later in the year and to have funds available to support sites that enter the site readiness certification program, which is scheduled to be launched this fiscal year.
Due to high demand on the limited funds, the MEDC has submitted a list of applications that self-identified as brownfields to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to review for potential assistance.
Projects from across both peninsulas will receive support from the Strategic Site Readiness Program, prepare sites for investment. More than half of the awards will go toward site preparation on existing brownfield sites.
