Three Upper Peninsula initiatives testify before the Michigan House LEO committee on the benefits of projects. Yesterday, the House Labor and Economic Opportunity Committee held an appropriations subcommittee hearing to hear from various projects and leaders seeking grant funds from the state.
Representative Karl Bohnak, supported a 3 million dollar grant that could improve air service at KI Sawyer Airport. A employee of Bohnak’s office shared strategic upgrades to the airport’s terminal, facilities, and passenger services will help staff meeting growing demands, positioning KI Sawyer International Airport for long-term success. Adding in recent years the airport and Upper Peninsula have become more popular as businesses seeks to grow, visitors explore the region, and residents traveling outside of the area.
METC SmartZone CEO David Rowe was introduced by Mariah Rapose from Representative Markkanen’s office. Rowe presented to the committee on the SmartZone’s request for a $17 million investment in an Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Innovation Center. He explained how a strong relationship between SmartZones and universities can encourage economic opportunities in the community.
The people that Michigan Tech recruits are often sought after elsewhere. If with this amenity and our close relationship with Michigan Tech and working with their office of innovation and commercialization, they’ll be able to recruit STAR researchers and show them this asset, this amenity we have in the community. As you advance your research and you want to commercialize that innovation or that technology, you can partner with this resource in the community to help you realize your goals. – David Rowe, CEO, MTEC SmartZone
MTEC SmartZone works out of the Lakeshore Center in Houghton, working with a variety of entrepreneurs. Many of the start up companies the SmartZone has helped jumpstart started as an idea on the university’s campus and were brought to fruition with expertise and network opportunities with MTEC teams and programs. One example includes Orbion Space Technologies that uses space in the MTEC Powerhouse nearby. And in 2022 Orbion opened its own rocket factory in Houghton.
Rowe says the AMM Innovation Center would expand MTEC’s presence in the community and set up across the canal.
This facility, we plan to locate it at the Hancock Business and Technology Park. It’s a technology park that has no tenants currently. This would be an anchor facility, and this would attract a lot of traffic to that area, and I think it will spur development, and other companies will locate there. It’s between the airport and the university. Michigan Tech University is fully behind this project. They think it would be a great amenity. And the location is close to the Copper Country ISD. We could envision some fifth-year senior activity. – David Rowe, CEO, MTEC SmartZone
A final funding request came from Wakefield Township for a 50-million-dollar investment into improved infrastructure. Township Supervisor Mandy Lake shared improvements on County Road 519 could spur economic growth in the Western Upper Peninsula. The investment would assist the development of the Copperwood Mine and potentially attract other technology industries nearby.
Wakefield Township would proudly serve as the grant administrator, and these funds would be used wisely to meet the urgent infrastructure needs of our community with long-term returns for the whole region. Upgrading North County Road 519 to all-season standards will strengthen our timber and forestry industries. Enhancing telecommunications and road access to our industrial park will help us finally attract new tenants. Right now, the internet is nearly unusable there. And the road conditions alone are enough to deter any serious business. Mandy Lake, Supervisor, Wakefield Township
Lake added the work would start near downtown, with one mile converted within the City of Wakefield. The remaining 14 miles would convert the county road to an all season road in the Township. Several foresters own land along County Road 519 included Sage Timber Michigan LLC and Great Lakes Timber Forests 1 LLC.
Representative Dave Prestine spoke on behalf of the Upper Peninsula Legislative Coalition, adding that the 50 million dollar investment could bring generational change to the region that was once driven by mining.
An industry with historic and future value to the region. A recent study presented by the Upjohn Institute attests to the reality that the Upper Peninsula economy is still driven by mining. We hope you will view this as a generational opportunity to strengthen the Upper Peninsula’s economy and help ensure our children and our grandchildren can continue to live, work, and thrive in the communities that they call home. – Representative Dave Prestin, 108th District
Two individuals testified against Wakefield’s request. Jane Fitkin, a Marquette County resident and member of Citizens for a Safe and Clean Lake Superior, noted the similarity to Highland Copper’s request of 50 million dollars that was not approved by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in the last session.
Highland Copper, which is a Canadian company that has never developed a mine before, has been trying for 15 years and failing to raise private funds for the Copperwood mine, which would be the closest sulfide mine to Lake Superior ever built. While copper continues to remain off the critical mineral list and thus has no true urgency to mine, Highland Copper wants to use our taxpayer money in Michigan as an endorsement to spur additional funding to build the mine, which they don’t currently have. – Jane Fitkin
The Copperwood Mine project anticipates adding more than 350 full-time jobs over the life span of the mine. The project has large local support among community leaders. Protect the Porkies says it has received more than 450,000 petition signatures opposing the Copperwood development, more than 250 from residents in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties.
Opponents say the mine’s development near the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and Lake Superior could harm the environment if not properly maintained after Highland Copper extracts an estimated 700 million tons of copper from the mine. The company anticipates the mine’s lifespan will last a little under 11 years once operational.
Wakefield’s Business and Technology Park, located off County Road 519 and Planter Road, has two businesses occupying space, Western U.P. Recycling and Verso Paper and Extreme Tool and Engineering. According the township’s website, the park has two 1.5 acre lots available for purchase, and expresses nearby lands could be available for purchase or lease from Gogebic County Forestry.
