LANSING ECONOMIC AREA PARTNERSHIP

REGIONAL GROWTH DEPARTMENT - LEAP'S REGIONAL GROWTH DEPARTMENT WORKED ON A VARIETY OF INDUSTRY GROWTH PROJECTS (INCLUDING BUSINESS ATTRACTION AND BUSINESS EXPANSION PROJECTS) WITH KEY OUTCOMES AS FOLLOWS: SIX INVESTMENT PROJECTS COLLECTIVELY CONSTITUTING $90,372,000 INVESTMENT AND A TOTAL OF 194 JOBS COMMITTED WITH $31/HR AVERAGE WAGE. BUSINESS ATTRACTION PROJECTS WON AND/OR ANNOUNCED INCLUDE CERTUS MEDICAL, AUNEX, TAEIN E&D. BUSINESS EXPANSION PROJECTS WON AND/OR ANNOUNCED INCLUDE GESTAMP, MATRIX ENGINEERS, AND IONETIX. IN ADDITION TO INDUSTRY GROWTH WORK, THE DEPARTMENT FOCUSED ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLACE-BASED PROJECTS, AND SECURED TWO PROJECTS WITH APPROVALS / ANNOUNCEMENTS / GROUNDBREAKINGS: GENESEE POINT CONDOS AND LITTLE DREAMERS DAY CARE EXPANSION, CONSTITUTING A TOTAL INVESTMENT OF $7,200,000 WITH 15 FULL TIME EQUIVALENT JOBS RELATED TO THEM, 30 ADDED CHILD CARE SLOTS AND FOUR NEW / REHABBED HOUSING UNITS FOR THE REGION. GROWING PROJECT PIPELINE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:WORKING ON 12 NEW HOUSING, CHILDCARE, OR MIXED-USE PROJECTS ACROSS THE REGION, INCLUDING: 2 IN LANSING; 2 IN DELTA TOWNSHIP; 2 IN WILLIAMSTON; 1 IN EACH OF ST. JOHNS, BINGHAM TWP, BATH TOWNSHIP, EATON RAPIDS, ELSIE, AND LESLIE. PLACEMAKING EFFORTS INCLUDED TRANSFERING LONGSTANDING PUBLIC ART FOR COMMUNITIES PROGRAM TO ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER LANSING, WHILE WORKING ON WRAPPING UP FINAL AWARD TO EATON COUNTY FOR PLACEMAKING PROJECT. POET LAUREATE PROGRAM WAS SIMILARLY TRANSITIONED TO ARTS COUNCIL. THE DEPT STAFF ALSO CONDUCTED A TOTAL OF 52 UNIQUE RETENTION VISITS AND DISCOVERED FOUR PROSPECTIVE EXPANSION PROJECTS THROUGH THAT EFFORT WHILE ALSO ADDING VALUE ADD SERVICES AND REFERRALS TO 98 PERCENT OF THE VISITS. MOSTLY IN RELATION TO BUSINESS ATTRACTION PIPELINE, THE DEPT STAFF CONDUCTED 58 REAL ESTATE SITE SEARCHES, 85% OF WHICH WERE INDUSTRIAL (MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, DATA CENTERS), WITH 10% OFFICE/FLEX SPACE, AND 5% RETAIL/CHILDCARE/HOUSING RELATED. 20 OF THE SEARCHES WERE LEADS GENERATED DIRECTLY BY LEAP, INCLUDING ALL 9 NON-INDUSTRIAL PROSPECTS, DEMONSTRATING ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION INTENT. LEAP HOSTED 14 UNIQUE COMPANIES WITH EXECUTIVE VISITS TO THE REGION. INDUSTRY CLUSTER WORK CONTINUED: FOR MEDTECH, SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED $1M EDA EAA GRANT FOR MEDTECH / LIFE SCIENCES GAMEPLAN, MARKETING AND INNOVATION PROGRAMS, WITH CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT WITH MSU ECOSYSTEM AROUND GAMEPLAN IMPLEMENTATION. RE-ENGAGING MEDTECH COMMITTEE WITH LEADERSHIP OF UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HEALTH SPARROW, MCLAREN, MSU, AND KEY COMPANIES IN REGION. FOR AGTECH, M-21 AGTECH CORRIDOR REAL ESTATE AND PROJECT ACTIVATION WORK CONTINUES, REFRAMED TO BOTH FIT REGIONAL CONTEXT AND ALIGN WITH CLINTON COUNTY CONTRACT GOALS, AND FOR NEW CLUSTER ADDITION OF CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES, FOCUSING ON DEVELOPMENT AROUND E-SPORTS, VIDEO GAME DESIGN, ETC. AND A RESPECTIVE STRATEGY AND BASELINE RESEARCH AROUND IT.

SITE-READINESS FUNDS - SECURED AND BEGAN TO ADMINISTER $6.5M GRANT FROM MEDC TO PROACTIVELY PREPARE 400+ ACRE COLLEGE RD DELHI TWP SITE FOR A SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT AND JOB CREATION PROJECT DOWN THE ROAD. ADMINISTERED ACTIVELY THE $1.2M MEDC SITE READINESS GRANT SECURED IN LATE 2023 FOR ADDITIONAL PROACTIVE SITE PLANNING FOR NINE SITES ACROSS THE REGION, WHICH INCLUDED CITY OF GRAND LEDGE'S WILLIS INDUSTRIAL PARK, EYDE DEVELOPMENT'S HOLT INDUSTRIAL VACANT LAND DEVELOPMENT, MSU RESEARCH FOUNDATION'S LANSING JOHN BEAN BUILDING REDEVELOPMENT, DYMAXION DEVELOPMENT'S INDUSTRIAL BUILDING DEVELOPMENT, THE GILLESPIE COMPANY'S LANSING COMMERCIAL REDEVELOPMENT SPACE, THE CAPITAL REGION AIRPORT AUTHORITY (CRAA)'S "PORT LANSING NORTH" SITE, CITY OF EATON RAPIDS' NORTH AND SOUTH INDUSTRIAL PARKS, AND 1035 US 27 LLC'S ST. JOHNS COMMERCIAL SPACE REDEVELOPMENT.