EAGLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLNS) — Eagle Township, a small rural area located just northwest of Grand Ledge, could soon become Michigan’s next large high-tech development site.
If approved, the project would transform more than 1,600 acres of Eagle Township farmland into one of the largest industrial development sites in the state.
It’s one of several parcels of land being considered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for largescale developments as part of a statewide strategy to spur economic growth.
But many residents in the area, which has a population of just over 2,500, are in opposition to the proposed development of a sprawling factory on local rural lands.
On the “Stop the Megasite, Eagle MI” Facebook group, which currently includes 1,900 members, there are several posts urging Eagle Township residents to contact township and county officials to stop the project in its tracks.
Another person posted that they’re ready to “show up and fight,” referencing the open forum being held at Eagle Township park on Thursday afternoon.
Victoria Meadows, Chief Strategic Officer with the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP,) said the project is about bringing jobs to Michigan and would be subject to tight environmental regulations.
The Lansing Area Economic Partnership helped assemble the Eagle Township plot with land from Michigan State University and 11 other properties
“Kind of how this would relate to the ‘Pure Michigan’ motto is the intentional focus around including the community in the conversation and in shaping the opportunity, but also anything that comes to this site will be subject to environmental regulation, permitting, and all the things that support what our Michigan is,” Meadows said.
The property for the proposed future development is currently zoned for farming, and would need to be rezoned by Clinton County.
Meadows said there is no project under approval, so there is not an actual timeline just yet. She said she is welcoming of the discussion to come during Thursday’s public forum.
”We’re hearing both positive and negative, and it’s all part of the public process of this type of potential development,” Meadows said. “There is no project on the site, and it is important to understand that anything that would come to this space would be part of a public approval process and there would be many opportunities for people’s voices to be heard and included along the way.”
LEAP said you can find more out about the project by visiting the link below.
