Nineteen years have passed since the last Pontiac Grand Am assembly line was closed in Lansing, Michigan, marking a significant era for General Motors.
This week, Michigan has committed $19 million towards the revival of manufacturing at the once bustling GM facility, signaling a renewed effort to rejuvenate the region’s industrial landscape.
The injection of funds builds upon previous investments made by taxpayers to remediate abandoned GM factories in and around Lansing.
Economic developers are optimistic that the site, Fisher Body, can be revitalized, especially given the burgeoning electric vehicle manufacturing hub anchored by GM’s Ultium Cells EV battery factory in nearby Delta Township.
However, before redevelopment can proceed, city and state officials emphasize the need for additional public funding to address the environmental legacy left behind by GM’s departure in 2005.
Mayor Andy Schor highlights the challenge: “The buildings came down, but the underground concrete, infrastructure, and contamination are still present.”
Lansing has secured a $19 million grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund, the state’s economic development arm to tackle this issue.
This grant, the largest among the $87.5 million awarded to 18 communities, is seen as the pivotal step towards redeveloping the polluted Fisher Body property.
Terri Fitzpatrick of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. describes it as “the last piece that’s missing” in the puzzle of revitalization.
The environmental cleanup of former GM sites is costly in Michigan, with over $259 million already spent on publicly funded cleanups at 100 abandoned properties statewide.
Efforts to hold industrial polluters accountable and reform cleanup laws are underway, reflecting the urgency of addressing auto industry contamination.
The $19 million allocation for Fisher Body follows extensive cleanup efforts at other former GM properties in Lansing, underscoring the ongoing commitment to remediate environmental hazards.
Despite years of marketing, efforts to finalize the sale of these properties have stalled, emphasizing the importance of environmental remediation in unlocking their development potential.
The legacy of General Motors’ bankruptcy in 2008 left behind a complex real estate landscape, with RACER Trust tasked with selling former GM properties and managing contamination.
While RACER’s funding suffices for ongoing monitoring, emerging contaminants like PFAS present new challenges that require additional public funding to attract developers.
The recent round of state grants, part of the Strategic Site Readiness Program, aims to address this gap and make contaminated brownfields attractive for redevelopment.
Lansing’s $19 million grant will remove the factory foundation and underground utilities, address PFAS contamination, and facilitate redevelopment.
State Representative Emily Dievendorf emphasizes the importance of such investments in urban areas to spur job creation and economic growth.
Despite uncertainties regarding the timeline for cleanup and redevelopment, the investment is essential to accelerate revitalization efforts in Lansing and neighboring areas.
Source: michigan.gov
