Displaying items tagged: economic development

BOYNE CITY — A northwestern Michigan electric cooperative and internet provider has secured a $262.8 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build and improve 438 miles of electric grid infrastructure and 2,420 miles of fiber network.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority has authorized an agreement with a private sector partner to examine development opportunities on several properties near a proposed riverfront amphitheater.

Winnie Brinks was working as a nonprofit caseworker and volunteering with the East Grand Rapids parent-teacher organization when she got an unexpected call in 2012.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand Rapids area’s relatively large number of young people, steady automotive sector and resilient housing market could all help the region avoid a potential recession looming over the nation this year.

SPARTA — A new task force organized by Sparta’s Downtown Development Authority is working to revitalize the historic Sparta Opera House, which has long sat vacant in the village’s downtown district.

A roundup of mergers and acquisitions, expansions and other briefs across West Michigan.

5 dispensaries close in city within last 12 months

A Chicago organization that provides capital and other support to nonprofits looks to build momentum and reach across the west side of the state after opening an office in Grand Rapids last spring.

GRAND RAPIDS — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer held a roundtable event Thursday with roughly a dozen seniors in Grand Rapids, highlighting her administration’s efforts to combat the rising cost of living through various tax cuts.

LANSING — In her fifth State of the State address, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday night laid out several proposals she said are designed to make a difference for workers, young people about to graduate and newborns.

The West Michigan Sports Commission experienced its most successful year to date in 2022 as it generated $90.5 million in direct visitor spending during a record number of events.

Charles Lepper started this week as the 11th president of Grand Rapids Community College, succeeding Bill Pink, who took a job in July 2022 as the president of Ferris State University.

The state's first chief mobility officer is on the move.

Quentin Messer Jr. will remain head of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. under a new four-year contract announced today by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

A Midwest environmental law group is launching a “major new” initiative this year to work with utilities, municipalities and conservation groups to study the potential reuse of Michigan coal plants as public parkland as well as renewable energy production.

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians will seek relief and potentially appeal a recent circuit court ruling against its gaming entity for nearly $89 million in damages for two failed casino projects, and hire a new law firm as legal counsel.

A roundup of mergers and acquisitions, expansions and other briefs across West Michigan.

Ottawa County employers and business advocates have expressed growing discontent since a new slate of commissioners voted on Jan. 3 to abolish the county’s diversity, equity and inclusion department.

West Michigan’s industrial economy ended 2022 in a downward trend.

Economic development organization Lakeshore Advantage Corp. last month released a report highlighting growth among companies in Allegan and Ottawa counties despite ongoing labor and supply chain headwinds.

LANSING — An Ingham County circuit judge has ordered the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians’ gaming authority to pay nearly $89 million in damages and lost revenue to its development partner in two failed off-reservation casino projects in Lansing and Wayne County.

WEST OLIVE — A recently elected slate of Ottawa County commissioners used their first day at the dais to oust the county administrator and public health director, appoint a conservative legal firm as its general counsel, and eliminate the county’s diversity, equity and inclusion department. 

Executives from 120 companies in Allegan and Ottawa counties overwhelmingly reported positive growth in 2022, despite continuing challenges they face when it comes to attracting talent and supply chain disruptions. 

As tribally owned Gun Lake Investments dives into planning for a massive redevelopment project along U.S. 131 north of Gun Lake Casino, the non-gaming investment arm of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, or Gun Lake Tribe, also is revisiting its overall strategic plan. CEO Monica King said emerging market forces could spur GLI to consider different kinds of deals in the years ahead. 

Major housing developments that would add hundreds of much-needed units and large entertainment venues in downtown Grand Rapids were among the top 10 most-read stories by MiBiz readers in 2022.

Economists expect the U.S. to dip into a mild recession around mid-2023, as higher interest rates intended to bring down inflation drag on the economy.

The auto industry that historically led Michigan’s economy to fall further than the U.S. in national recessions may actually aid the state during a national economic downturn that many economists predict for 2023.

Michigan cannabis prices have plummeted as more competition saturates the market, leaving industry operators eyeing new pathways like consumption lounges to grow their businesses in 2023. 

BATTLE CREEK — The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi has selected Frank Tecumseh to serve as its new CEO of its FireKeepers Casino Hotel enterprise. 

Roger Bergman and Doug Zylstra are preparing for a new term on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners unlike any other.