Well...damn! How about this for an announcement to kick off the Spring?
Quote:
Pfizer announces Portage expansion plan; seeks tax exemption
Nicki Zizaza | WWMT
March 27, 2018
PORTAGE, Mich. — A newly announced plan to expand one of West Michigan's largest employers could bring hundreds of jobs to Portage if is approved...At the Portage City Council meeting on Tuesday...Portage Mayor Patricia Randall announced an upcoming Pfizer expansion to its facility on Portage Road...
...Portage City Manager Larry Shaffer agrees saying the massive project will be the largest building project ever in Portage. Shaffer said, "Pfizer intends on expanding their footprint, they’re going to construct an additional 400 thousand square feet of manufacturing and they are going to employ an additional 140 employees...They are going to invest approximately $465 million into our community..."
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Things are preliminary, and obviously some huge tax abatements are going to be under consideration. But if approvals for the pharmaceutical behemoth go according to plan (my guess is that they will) construction could begin this year and go on for the next 3 years.
Quote:
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...Randall said, "Pfizer is filing for a 12-year tax abatement and its part of a statewide program, with the state. It has not approved it yet. So, we're doing this a little bit early..."
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The new facility would be at the corner of Portage and Romence Roads, due west of the recently completed cold storage warehouse expansion.
Edit: Another article, this one from
MLive, about Pfizer's announcement. The MLive article says 140 new jobs initially (within 2 years) but 450 within 6 years. At an average salary of $90,000 +.