Marshall Township Board to vote on moving plans for mega-site forward
MARSHALL, Mich. — The Marshall Township Board is expected to vote Thursday on a property transfer needed to move forward with developments for a megasite in Marshall.
The nearly 2,000 acres of land sits along I-94 and I-69 and will bring an anticipated 2,000-3,000 jobs to the area, according to James Durian, CEO of Choose Marshall.
- Mega-site:State leaders look to use Marshall land to bring industrial projects to Southwest Michigan
"High paying, manufacturing jobs. That means more customers for the downtown," Durian said. "Investment in road and infrastructure. Funding for schools and fire police. There's a lot of benefits to a megasite project."
The plot of land may house a major electric vehicle or battery manufacturing development, but it's not yet official, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, or MEDC.
Most of the money to fund the project will come from the state, Durian said.
"Over the past 20 years or so, Marshall’s lost about 2,000 jobs, large companies have closed over that period of time, and this is a way to kind of reverse that trend," he said. "I think it will change Marshall for the better."
Not everyone agrees. Colorful murals in a vibrant downtown, with plenty of quaint and locally owned shops add to the charm that is Marshall, and many residents don't want that messed with. Now, they feel they're left with more questions than answers.
"I'd like to see what the impact on the environment is going to be and how they're handling waste products. I'd also like to see what the projected tax base advantage to Marshall would be," Marshall resident Ellen Donovan said.
"Traffic will go up, so it'd be nice if they did something to maybe alleviate the traffic coming through downtown," Marshall resident Allan Weeks said.
Thursday night's meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation released the following letter in support of the proposed megasite.
The megasite will bring good-paying jobs, and millions of dollars into the local community, according to the letter.