Industrial brownfield redevelopment in Flint, Michigan is a central challenge to boosting the long-term economic vitality of the region.
These large parcels – approximately 1,000 acres, in total – hold tremendous potential for helping to reshape the economic landscape in Flint and Genesee County, the state’s fourth largest metropolitan area.
This makes the recent announcement of a $2.5 million investment by the U.S. Department of Commerce in Kettering University, the University of Michigan-Flint, and the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce for brownfield development projects very significant.
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants will be used to construct a Mobility Research Center at Kettering ($1.9 million); establish a University Center for Community and Economic Development at UM-Flint ($400,000); and conduct a feasibility study toward the creation of a brownfield redevelopment accelerator at the former Buick City site ($197,416).
The EDA grant provides a critical piece of the puzzle for accelerating the redevelopment of the former Chevy and Buick sites.
This won’t benefit Flint alone. It’s a win for the entire region.