April 6, 2006 -- The official Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Business/Industrial Park. From left, Larry Wilson (V-Tec Engineering), Tracy Hutchinson (Schultz Excavating), Jon DeWitte (office of U.S. Senator Peter Hoekstra), Alberta Muzzin (Ludington Area Chamber and the Mason County Growth Alliance), Gene Jorissen (P.M. Township Supervisor), Mohammed Saeed (U.S. Dept. of Commerce/EDA, Chicago office), David Palsrok (MI State Representative, 101st District), Nick Matiash (Mason Co. Road Commission), and Tom Posma (Mason Co. Board of Commissioners)
BIG Project in the Works!
Development of the First Street Business/Industrial Park has been moving ahead in 2006, now that the Township has been successful in its application for an Economic Development Administration Grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The grant will pay for 50% of the cost of developing the 77 acre parcel on First Street, including Class A roads, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, watermains, site work, and water supply. The entire project is estimated at $4.79 million. The balance of the project cost will be financed through the sale of general obligation bonds by the Township.
This property, bounded by First Street on the south, Meyers Road on the east, and railroad tracks on the north and west, was purchased from CSX Transportation in 1998. Since then, a wetland evaluation and determination has been secured from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and a storm sewer outlet was constructed while the Road Commission improved Meyers Road.
Water lines and rail service are in place at the First Street site.
The Township Board decided in November 2003 to begin the grant application process and commit to moving forward with the development. Factors influencing the Board’s decision include the high unemployment rate, the desirability of attracting new, higher-tech and higher wage jobs to the area, strong support for the project by the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission and the U.S. Department of Commerce, the need to strengthen water supply and pressure in the industrial sector, and commitment by Board and staff members to move forward with the additional workload created by such an endeavor.
The property is currently zoned as a Business, Technology and Industrial District. This district is designed to allow for a mix of business and industry with a strong focus on "high-tech" operations. Charter Communications has made a commitment to install state-of-the-art broadband infrastructure to make this site fully serviceable to every type of business or industry dependent upon the highest of communications and data transfer capabilities.
Bids on four projects were awarded in February of 2006. Separate contracts addressed the wellhouse building, the wellfield, the 500,000 gallon water tower, and the Park's infrastructure. The official Groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 6, 2006, with work also beginning in the spring.
Today, the First Street Business Park is ready-to-go! All the infrastructure and streets are completed, trees are planted, signage is out for bids, and the first lot was sold in the early summer of 2008.
Stay tuned, we have more photos on the way!
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In 1988-89, the Township started the process of development of the Pere Marquette Industrial Park on Sixth Street. That site immediately attracted Ludington Components, a Haworth Company, followed by Motion Industries, Medler Electric, Textron/Cone Drive, Whitehall Industries, and Consumers Energy. Economic Development Administration grants paid for a major portion of that development, and it has been successful in providing incentives to large and small companies to come to the area or to stay here.
It is our vision and goal that the remaining property in the Pere Marquette Industrial Park along with the new lots in the First Street Business/Industrial Park will result in a stronger and more diversified economy for the residents of this community.