Manufacturing has cratered in the county since the early 1980s, and a huge site near Flint Bishop Airport could help ‘reverse decades of job loss and sluggish population growth,’ boosters say.
Business Watch
Covering the intersection of business and policy, and informing Michigan employers and workers on the long road back from coronavirus. Our Michigan Economic Dashboard shows key metrics that show how the state is performing.
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Inside Michigan’s secret $261M plan to raze homes for megafactory that never came
Documents obtained by Bridge tell the story of one of the biggest gambles of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s tenure. The taxpayer-funded project to lure a major employer to mid-Michigan kept residents and some lawmakers in the dark, demolished neighborhoods and so far has come up empty.
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Michigan Gov. Whitmer pushes for subsidies, as $261M megasite awaits deal
In her final year in office, the Michigan governor seeks another $150 million for land development. Boosters say that’s necessary to lure jobs. Critics say Michigan’s efforts ignored residents’ wishes.
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Homeowners ‘hijacked’ by Michigan megasite: Sell or live next to factory
In the shadow of Flint Bishop Airport, residents say they feel burned by a $261 million to lure a megafactory. A state lawmaker says the state ‘bankrolled a lose-lose situation.’
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Report: Metro Detroit losing ground, faces ‘hard truths’ about economy
A Detroit Regional Chamber report claims that focusing on turning around the poor performance should be the top goal of statewide policymakers elected this fall, the Detroit Regional Chamber says.
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Property owners say Michigan hasn’t kept up with contractor fraud
A Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative review found numerous examples of contractors who kept working as they racked up complaint after complaint.
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Lansing plant built for EVs will supply Tesla grid storage batteries
LG Energy Solution has inked a $4.3 billion deal to make lithium-iron-phosphate battery cells for Tesla at the site. It’s the latest shift among many as faltering EV demand and surging electricity demand prompt EV battery plants to retool their production lines for a new use.
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Making March Madness: How a Michigan firm builds Final Four courts
For the past 20 years, a company in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has built basketball courts used during the NCAA Tournament, including this year’s Final Four. We spoke with Connor Sports about the process.
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Appeals court allows Mackinac Island authority over ferry rates — for now
The federal appellate court tossed out a lower court’s injunction that prevented Mackinac Island from enforcing an ordinance regulating ferry rates, but upheld a ruling that the city can’t control parking rates.
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Michigan falls behind in race to save disappearing farmland
Thousands of farms and hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland have been lost to development and other economic pressures in recent years. Michigan does less than most to stem the tide.