Michigan County, The Right Place Receive Sustainable Business Park Grant

The Kent County, Mich., Department of Public Works (DPW) received a $95,000 site readiness grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for a 250-acre Sustainable Business Park adjacent to the South Kent Landfill, Kent County DPW and The Right Place recently announced.

“Kent County is committed to becoming a regional, state and national leader in reducing landfill waste by attracting companies that can convert that waste into new products, consumer goods and energy,” said Dar Baas, director of Kent County DPW, in a statement. “The Sustainable Business Park will have a positive economic and environmental impact for both Allegan and Kent Counties, and we are thankful for support from the MEDC to begin the site planning phase of this innovative, first-of-its-kind project.”

The grant is part of the MEDC’s new competitive Michigan Build Ready Sites program, the targeted grant program of the Site Readiness Improvement program. The grant aims to boost Michigan’s inventory of available properties ready to compete for business attraction projects. The grant was secured as part of the Kent County DPW’s and The Right Place’s three-year partnership to help support the planning and development of the Sustainable Business Park, as well as identify sources of funding for the project and building community partnerships.

Last year, the Kent County DPW board approved a master plan for the Sustainable Business Park on 250 acres of land currently used for agriculture and previously designated for landfill expansion. The grant, with a one-to-one match from Kent County, will be used to survey and develop topographic profiles for the Sustainable Business Park, as well as develop engineering and environmental reports.

“The Sustainable Business Park is a collaborative economic development project that will attract investment and create jobs while making a positive environmental impact,” said Birgit M. Klohs, president and CEO of The Right Place, in a statement. “The site readiness grant from the MEDC will provide critical support in developing shovel-ready land, which will give the Sustainable Business Park a competitive edge in attracting businesses.”