Site readiness program helps Blue Water Area prepare for future industrial opportunities

he Michigan Economic Development Corporation‘s (MEDC) new Strategic Site Readiness program will identify vacant land for future industrial parks to attract industrial opportunities in St. Clair County.

Part of MEDC’s role is to attract businesses globally, while distributing information on opportunities to local and regional economic development groups, like the St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance (EDA), which then submit information for prospective projects.

“We have been working on this for more than a year,” says Dan Casey, CEO of St. Clair EDA. “We have seven sites so far within the county, and our goal is to create new industrial parks for future industry.”

As part of the program, sites throughout the area will conduct studies ranging from geotechnical, which determines ground conditions, to wetland, environmental, utility, and traffic impact studies. Once completed, the information is part of the state’s site database, maintained by the MEDC.

The St. Clair EDA primarily focused on sites that were in proximity to utilities, that were 10 acres or larger, and were zoned for industrial and/or commercial development.

Competition among industries is fierce, and having a site prepared can lead to advantages such as being able to develop a site quickly with a lower risk of encountering unknown issues. Currently, 12 industrial parks in St. Clair County are already nearly fully developed, so having economic sites prepared can also provide counties a boost in attracting new businesses. 

“Site readiness helps us compete with other states that are much better equipped and have site development already prepared,” Casey says. “Michigan has been behind. We hadn’t invested in that initiative in the past. We received state funding from state legislators for our region to develop local sites, and we have been working on it ever since.” 

So far, the EDA has invested in studies in several locations across St. Clair County, including: 

• Port Huron Township (195 acres off of Dove)
• Marysville (72 acres on Range Road)
• Port Huron (2626 24th Street)
• Kimball Township (80 acres next to Golf Country)
• Kimball Township (132 acres of Drain Commission property off of I-94)
• Kimball Township (286 acres between Ravenswood and Range Road on I-94)

The companies contracted by the EDA to conduct the studies include: Fishbeck, AR Engineering, Barr Engineering, and BMJ Engineers and Surveyors.

Port Huron Township Supervisor Bob Lewandowski says he hopes the site readiness program puts his township on the fast track for development.

“When someone is looking at the site, this gives them more insight into it without having to do all of the work on their own,” Lewandowski says. “As part of these studies, they are looking to see what are the water and sewer capacities. They talk to DTE and Semco Energy for utilities. And they look into the wetlands, so businesses will have answers without having to dig. We have one site that looks like a possibility to be developed. They are still in the process of doing their due diligence.”

Casey adds that the timeline for when these sites will be ready is unknown, as each site is a different size and has unique needs, but they are looking forward to building more partnerships with communities in the area. 

This story is made possible with support from the St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance. The St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance (EDA) is a regional non-profit economic development agency that works with community stakeholders and regional partners to stimulate the economy and drive job growth and investment.