© 2024 MICHIGAN PUBLIC
91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Flint getting help from feds to repurpose former auto plant sites

steve carmody
/
Michigan Radio
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams outlines the $2.5 million federal grant at Kettering University.

Flint is getting millions of dollars from the federal government to help reclaim former auto plant sites.

Buick City and Chevy in the Hole were once major auto production centers in Flint. Now, the two empty industrial sites are slowly being reclaimed.

The $2.5 million grant will help with building a new automotive research center in Flint. Kettering University is developing part of the old Chevy in the Hole site for research into new mobility technology.

Assistant U.S. Commerce Secretary Jay Williams says part of the Economic Development Administration grant money will establish a brownfield redevelopment accelerator in Flint, largely targeting the old Buick City site.  

“While (the accelerator) centers on automotive technology, it won’t be limited to that,” says Williams.

Williams hopes the accelerator will lead to bricks and mortar development on the old Buick City site.

So does Tim Herman, with the Flint/Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.

“The EDA grant will provide a critical piece of the puzzle for accelerating the redevelopment of that site and others,” says Herman.

Herman says Flint’s large brownfield sites are a “challenge” for those trying to attract investment.      

Steve Carmody has been a reporter for Michigan Public since 2005. Steve previously worked at public radio and television stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Kentucky, and also has extensive experience in commercial broadcasting.
Related Content