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County mulls support for LaPlaisance Rd. corridor
Dean Cousino | Monroe News
October 6, 2020
Monroe County commissioners will consider tonight supporting the work of Monroe Township and the City of Monroe in creating a partnership paving the way for development of the LaPlaisance Rd. Corridor...The board has previously demonstrated support for economic development in the township and is a prime funding partner in the Monroe County Link Plan, a strategic plan for economic development...
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I was surprised (at first) to read that about 50% of the workforce in Monroe County commutes outside of the county for daily work. But when you think about it, it makes sense; there must be a lot of pull from Detroit and, to a lesser extent, Toledo. The link plan prioritizes development along the I-75 corridor, especially LaPlaisance Rd. which connects I-75 to the City of Monroe (through Monroe Township), and which is seen as the best option for big job & economic gains in the county. The plan seeks to take advantage of potential commerce with Canada; no doubt partly influenced by the eventual opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge.
There has been a focused strategic plan for this corridor in the works since the start of this year. Named the Monroe Innovation District, it has received County, Township, and City support, along with Port of Monroe and Monroe County Business Development Corporation (BDC). According to the above article,
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...the district has the potential to deliver 7,000 jobs and 7 million square feet of commercial, flex-office and warehouse space and distribution facilities to provide up to $350 million in new investment for the community. The timing of the development coincides with ongoing reconstruction of the LaPlaisance Rd. overpass including new roundabouts that will promote economic development along the corridor.
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Will this lead to stellar architecture & ground-breaking design? Not likely. But it will be interesting to see how it plays out, and if it helps or hurts future development in the downtown core of Monroe. Also, I am curious what this plan could mean for the
former Monroe Factory Shops, right off of I-75 & LaPlaisance Drive. Also referred to as Horizon Outlet Center, this place opened in the late 80s and featured popular outlets for the time, but by the early 2000's was in decline, and by 2015 was effectively dead.