MECOSTA COUNTY — The Big Rapids Township and Green Township boards of trustees voted unanimously to approve the establishment of a renaissance zone at the Big Rapids Airport Industrial Park, as well as property within Green Township, during a joint meeting Monday night.
Following the approval of the resolutions to establish the renaissance zone, the Mecosta County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to send the application for the renaissance zone to the state for approval.
During the Sept. 26 meeting, residents, business owners, local officials and representatives from major organizations and companies encouraged approval of the renaissance zone, stating that this is an “incredible opportunity” for the area.
Ferris State University president, Dr. Bill Pink, told those in attendance that there are many communities across the country that would love to be in the position right now to have the option to be able to bring in a community partner like Gotion, Inc.
“What a statement this makes to everyone in this community,” Pink said. “Other communities would long for the opportunity you are on the cusp of, to be able to have this conversation and make this decision for the lifting up of all ships in our community.”
Michelle Graham, Mecosta Township supervisor and chair of the Mecosta County Economic Development Corporation, told those in attendance the cooperation between the Right Place and the MCED is something everyone can be proud of.
“This is one of the largest economic boons that Mecosta County has ever had,” Graham said. “It will keep our young people in the community and will bring quality jobs along with other companies coming into the area.”
Establishing the renaissance zone is the next step in a long process that may bring the Gotion, Inc., battery component manufacturing facility, to the Big Rapids area, explained Randy Thelen, The Right Place, Inc. president & CEO.
“The proposal you have before you tonight is the first step in the process,” Randy Thelen told the boards. “The 30-year renaissance zone is a key element to the proposal. In the coming days, our partners at MEDC will take this forward. It is important to note that from a community standpoint, this process is just beginning. There will be a series of things that will require local action and additional conversation.”
The next step is for the MEDC’s Michigan Strategic Fund board to vote to approve a formal tax incentive package to offer Gotion, according to information provided to the Pioneer. That meeting is expected to be held soon, perhaps next week.
Following the MSF offer, the project team will begin negotiation of the land purchase, which will include 500 acres in the Big Rapids Industrial Park and the surrounding area. It also will include rezoning of some parcels.
Randy Thelen said they were initially looking at just the industrial park property, but as they got to know the project and understood the scope more, they realized they needed more acreage, and the company currently has 500 acres under contract.
Once the land purchase deal is finalized, the next step will be to establish a development agreement that will involve contracts approved by the planning commissions and boards of trustees, which define a development project’s rules, regulations, commitments and policies for a specific period of time.
The final steps would be for the company to present a site plan for review and approval, then building permits and site construction can take place.
WHY BIG RAPIDS?
Vice president of Gotion, Global, Chuck Thelen, told those in attendance the company has gone through about 13 iterations of how they could make this work, even pulling out of the project twice.
“When you hear people say this is going fast, it has actually taken a very long time,” Chuck Thelen said. “We surveyed 40 sites in the United States. We whittled those down to 22. I physically viewed all those sites and whittled it down to 15, then seven, then three, and finally two, and Big Rapids is one of those.”
They settled on Big Rapids for several reasons, he said, including proximity to sufficient sustainable energy and an available skilled labor force.
“We took federal information, state information, and did our own study,” he said. “There are about 177,000 workers within a 45 minute drive. In that 45 minute drive, there is currently 45,000 people already in manufacturing, and something around 6,500 leave this area everyday to go to work somewhere else. We are confident that the labor force will not be an issue.
In addition, he said, the area has a superior technical college in Ferris State University.
“When I reviewed seven different colleges around the country, FSU was far and above for those certificate, associate and bachelor programs — superior in capabilities, lab space, numbers of teachers. For a technical college that will get people ready to work at our plant, we are confident Ferris State University can handle it.”
Plans for the facility will include a cathode plant and an anode plant, two key components to electric vehicle batteries.
The cathode facility will consist of two 550,000 square foot plants, with an investment of around $1.68 billion over five years. The anode facility will require an additional two buildings — one of 460,000 square feet and another of 520,000 square feet. The investment there is expected to be around $658,000 million over the five years.
“We are encouraged to receive support tonight from Green Charter Township, Big Rapids Charter Township and Mecosta County regarding the Renaissance Zone designation for Gotion’s multi-billion-dollar investment in the area,” Randy Thelen, of The Right Place, Inc., told the Pioneer following the meeting. “There are still numerous steps to be taken before this project becomes a certainty, but this is a terrific start toward positioning the region at the center of West Michigan’s growing mobility and EV sector.”
