Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced a $23 million state investment that leverages up to nearly $118 million in federal funding for nine projects across Michigan. The funding is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs and support projects in defense, aerospace, space technology and advanced manufacturing, as well as workforce development, port infrastructure and agriculture and food systems.
The funding comes from the Make it in Michigan Competitiveness Fund, which provides matching dollars to help communities, universities and businesses compete for federal investment. Including today's awards, the fund has invested more than $320 million, leveraging $1.2 billion in federal funding and $1.9 million in private funds for a return on investment of nearly 10 to 1.
Since establishing the Michigan Infrastructure Office, Governor Whitmer has secured more than $16 billion in federal funding for roads, bridges, public transit, water infrastructure and broadband access.
Among the projects receiving funding is a $10.5 million award to construct a 57,000-square-foot Readiness Center at the Olympia National Guard Armory in Detroit, expected to create about 200 construction jobs and 500 National Guard positions. KMI Space in Marquette received $3.5 million to finalize development of the Laelaps spacecraft, designed to retrieve and relocate satellites in orbit, with an estimated 60 additional jobs. The City of Detroit was awarded $2.5 million to construct an off-street segment of the Joe Louis Greenway from Woodward Avenue to Dequindre Street, a shared-use pathway that will provide the first safe, east-west, off-street non-motorized connection between Detroit and Highland Park.
Other recipients include the University of Michigan ($2 million to expand workforce training in nuclear careers), the Ionia Community Library ($1.5 million to renovate a building into a community library and training space) and the Port of Monroe ($1.1 million for port infrastructure improvements expected to create 240 construction jobs and sustain 20 long-term maritime jobs). Two additional projects are pending federal awards.