Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A state grant will help fund a redevelopment project in Washtenaw County.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is awarding a Brownfield Redevelopment Grant to a project that will create new jobs in Scio Township.

A $1 (m) million grant will help turn a blighted, vacant industrial property at 300 North Zeeb Road along I-94 into a high-tech jobs incubator.

The site was used to manufacture micro-fiche from 1965 to 2009 and has been vacant since then. Soil and groundwater are contaminated with chlorinated solvents and metals.

The grant will pay for additional investigations, the removal and disposal of contaminated soil, and some interior demolition of the building. The additional investigations will determine if a vapor mitigation system will be needed.

The developer plans to rehabilitate the 162,500-square-foot building as part of what could eventually be a $115 (M) million project. It will be turned into an incubator where high-tech startups can get mentoring and networking while also sharing facilities like clean rooms and wet labs with other businesses.

The developer and the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority expect it to create approximately 300 new jobs.

Photo - The Sun Times News - building hallway