March 31, 2005

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester today announced that a $354,000 Brownfield Redevelopment Grant and a $231,000 Brownfield Redevelopment Loan have been awarded to the city of South Haven for the Eagle Street Redevelopment Project. The funds were awarded as part of the Jobs Today Initiative that will put thousands of Michigan residents to work by speeding up state and local construction and infrastructure improvement projects.

“Turning idle or abandoned properties into productive and active spaces is vital to strengthening our communities by creating jobs today and reinforcing the framework for future investment and growth in Michigan,” Granholm said.

The Eagle Street Redevelopment Project in the city of South Haven will result in the redevelopment of a former aluminum machining and plating operation culminating in the construction of a 90,000-square foot mixed-use building. Approximately 60 percent of the proposed building will be residential condominiums, 28 percent will be in-building parking, and the remaining 12 percent will be commercial space. The proposed re-use is expected to create 50 to 60 jobs.

“Returning brownfields to productive use is key to Michigan’s environmental and economic strategy, and plays a vital role in Governor Granholm’s Jobs Today Initiative,” Chester said. “The DEQ is committed to working with communities to restore these properties to their full potential.”

The funding announced today will be used to address previously identified environmental issues at the site and to gather additional information that will more clearly define the environmental issues that could adversely affect the property re-use.

The Brownfield Redevelopment Grant and Loan Program was initiated in 1988 and has provided over $69 million for 202 projects statewide.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

Revised March 31, 2005 by Pat Watson