Some lawmakers say the governor’s administration sidestepped the Legislature to award $50 million to the Copperwood Mine’s effort to bring back mining in the Upper Peninsula.
Paula Gardner
As Bridge Michigan's senior business reporter, Paula Gardner covers Michigan's business landscape, focusing on topics such as the auto industry, electric vehicles and economic development. She came to Bridge in 2020 after covering business and environment for MLive.com and previously served as editor of the Ann Arbor News and news director of the startup AnnArbor.com.
A metro Detroit native, Paula moved to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan and has called it home for more than 25 years.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Controversial UP copper mine gets $50M in state grants after years of trying
Highland Copper says it’s close to building UP mine even as it seeks to cut costs. Opponents remain skeptical.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Ypsilanti Township eyes moratorium on power transmission to slow U-M data center
The Washtenaw County community wants a six-month pause on power updates before U-M moves forward with a $1.2 billion project to conduct nuclear weapons research.
Posted inBusiness Watch
U-M affirms Ypsilanti $1.2B computing center site; township officials vow fight
The University and Los Alamos National Laboratory are moving ahead with the project in Ypsilanti Township. Boosters say it will create good jobs; but officials say far too many details are secret.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan subsidy board beefs up ethics rules. Critics ask what took so long
The agency that doles out hundreds of millions in taxpayer money is just now mandating its board to make public potential conflicts of interest. The move follows a criminal case against a former board member.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Massive data center wins local tax break — but 9 times smaller than requested
‘The Barn’ asked Saline Township for a $147M tax break, after boosting the data center’s value by 9 times from the original request. The township OK’d a cut — but dialed back the amount.
Posted inBusiness Watch
As data centers grow in Michigan, officials ask: How many tax breaks are enough?
Local tax abatements were created for manufacturers that create tons of jobs. As Saline Township is set to approve a local break worth $147 million a year, some ask if local breaks are appropriate for data centers.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Swartz Creek rejects second $40M offer to sell school for unfinished megasite
For the second time in several months, the Genesee County school district turns down what one trustee called an ‘insulting’ offer.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Mundy megasite reignites controversy with new, $40M bid for Swartz Creek school
School officials pledge transparency after a $261 million project to assemble land for a factory near Flint Bishop Airport led to resignations, a lawsuit and accusations of secrecy.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Records: Rural Michigan ‘overlooked’ in Michigan’s $6B subsidy spending spree
A Bridge analysis finds that the northeast Lower Peninsula got $71 per person in economic development spending since 2022, compared to $854 in west Michigan. Some question the disparities.