Granholm Announces Support for Relocation of Transfer Station in Manistee

Brownfield Project Clears Way for New Development on Manistee Lake

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced state support to relocate a construction materials business in Manistee to make way for a new mixed-use development on the city’s waterfront. The relocated business will reuse a contaminated site and will create and retain 16 jobs and generate at least $15 million in capital investment. The brownfield redevelopment will benefit from assistance provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.   

“This relocation will retain vital infrastructure while allowing the city to further develop its waterfront assets,” Granholm said. “This will add to Manistee’s attractiveness as a travel destination and magnet for further commercial development.”  

State and local tax capture valued at $522,925 will be used by American Materials LLC for a project which will reuse the contaminated site. The existing aggregate materials business located at the east end of River Street on the northern peninsula will be relocated to the contaminated site, freeing up the peninsula location of the existing operation for redevelopment.

“Brownfield redevelopment credits are among the most powerful tools we have to help communities deal with problem properties that stand in the way of new development,” President and CEO James C. Epolito said. “I commend the city leadership for stepping up and taking advantage of the assistance we can make available to them.”

Site improvements are to include from four to seven above-ground liquid asphalt storage tanks, boat and barge loading and unloading facilities on Manistee Lake, rail sidings and rail loading and unloading facilities, truck scale and loading and unloading facilities, office building, parking space and paved and unpaved lots for material stock piling. Liquid asphalt will be delivered to the site by water and rail, stored in the above-ground tanks and loaded onto tanker trucks for hauling to bituminous asphalt paving plants throughout Michigan. The project is expected to create eight new jobs and retain eight existing jobs transferred from the exiting aggregate dock operation.

Michigan brownfield programs provide incentives to invest in property that has been used for industrial, commercial or residential purposes and to keep that property in productive use or return it to a productive use. Brownfield incentives can be used for functionally obsolete, blighted, or contaminated property.

The Manistee brownfield project is one of three economic development projects the governor announced today. In all, they are expected to create and retain a total of 261 Michigan jobs.

“Manistee is committed to maintaining our current industrial / manufacturing base and expanding this base whenever possible,” Manistee City Manager Mitch Deisch said. “Utilizing the tools created by the State of Michigan, we were able to jointly work with Manistee County, Alliance for Economic Success and American Materials LLC to locate the Transfer Station on an abandoned Brownfield site within the City of Manistee. Along with creating new jobs, equally important was maintaining and relocating existing jobs from the peninsula redevelopment area, opening up future opportunities for new developments on the peninsula.”

In her 2007 State of the State address, Granholm emphasized the importance of making Michigan a global economic powerhouse in the 21st century. Since January 2005 the Governor and MEDC have announced the creation or retention of more than 217,000 jobs as a result of targeted assistance provided by the MEDC.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.