Michigan Tri-Cities / Great Lakes Bay Region development

[Rizzo]

Apparently all that work was contingent on a millage passing. This included the roof and parking garage rehab. The rink slab had failing glycol pipes original to its constriction. So good thing that was fixed or there might have been no hockey

[deja vu]

Saginaw -

Ascension planning $175 million worth of hospital projects in Mid-Michigan
$125 million worth of new projects added to $50 million project nearing completion at St. Mary’s in Saginaw
ABC 12 News Staff
September 17, 2021

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by Rizzo

Apparently all that work was contingent on a millage passing. This included the roof and parking garage rehab. The rink slab had failing glycol pipes original to its constriction. So good thing that was fixed or there might have been no hockey

Here's some more progress photos (from about 2 weeks ago now). Shows some of the roof and parking garage rehab that you mentioned -
















Source: LinkedIn | Spence Brothers (Drone photos courtesy of Duro-Last)

[deja vu]

Mt. Pleasant -

Broadway Lofts is set to open soon -

Broadway Lofts preparing its grand opening this December
Danielle Patrick | Second Wave Media
November 18, 2021

Source: Second Wave Media

[deja vu]

Mt. Pleasant -

A little late, but Broadway Lofts had a ribbon cutting a month ago -

Ribbon cutting celebrates Mt. Pleasant development
Roxanne Werly | Up North Live
February 8th 2022

Source: Up North Live | MCC

[deja vu]

Saginaw -

The new Jolt Credit Union HQ. All I can say is "oof!"






Source: LinkedIn | Snyder & Staley Engineering, PLC

Oi - what a clunker! This thing doesn't really have a flattering angle, does it? Just a jumbled confusion of massing & material.

Of slightly more interest, Great Lakes Bay Health Centers Old Town facility (on Court Street) is coming along. This project is being built on the site of the former John Moore Elementary school - closed in 2005. I say slightly, because the original school was quite interesting looking, and it would have been cool if it could have been repurposed. The replacement goes for a more historic mimicry approach.

The former school -

Source: LoopNet

The new health facility -



Source: LinkedIn | Snyder & Staley Engineering, PLC

[Rizzo]

The Jolt bank reminds me of that bank on Tittabawassee road in front of lowes. It was built in the early 90’s and that’s what this looks like. I think the general public will probably think it looks nice because it’s brand new, but I agree that the exterior architectural execution is jumbled

Shame on the loss of the mid century school but these new Health Centers need total flexibility. Looks like they did a great job on the brick work. Especially the corbeling at the crown which is a nod to the late 19th century buildings nearby.

[deja vu]

Saginaw -

If any developer could take this property and turn it into something - it's MCC. The former Huntington Bank building was built in 1925. It's supposedly modeled after the Buhl Building in Detroit and designed by the same firm - Smith, Hinchman & Grylls. It's the second-tallest tower in the tri-city region (second only to Bay City's City Hall Building) -

Saginaw council could sweeten deal to open tallest apartment complex in the city
Justin Engel | MLive
June 19, 2022

SAGINAW, MI — A Lansing-based nonprofit soon could inch one step closer to transforming one of downtown Saginaw’s landmark historic buildings into a 120-unit apartment complex. The Saginaw City Council will weigh establishing an obsolete property rehabilitation district for 12 years at the 12-story Huntington Bank building at the intersection of Genesee and North Washington. The planned vote during a Monday, June 20, meeting would create state tax benefits to curb redevelopment costs at Saginaw’s tallest building...

(the vote passed, by the way)


Source: MLive

[deja vu]

Midland -

Dow Gardens conservatory to reopen Oct. 4
Midland Daily News
Sep. 19, 2022

The Dow Gardens conservatory will reopen on Oct. 4 after extensive renovation. Construction crews have reached the conclusion of the project which aims to meet the Gardens ever-evolving needs, while preserving the history and integrity of the unique mid-century modern Alden B. Dow designed-structure. The reopening is perfectly timed to offer warm respite during cooler autumn days...

Source: Midland Daily News | Jacob Browning / Dow Gardens

[DetroitMan]

This project came out of nowhere, but a developer is proposing a $100 million medical development for Downtown Saginaw. This will certainly help put new life into Downtown Saginaw.

Here is what we know about a mysterious $100M downtown Saginaw project commissioners OK’d $5M for

A proposed investment of up to $100 million in Saginaw’s riverside medical corridor would bolster the city’s status as a healthcare hub and attract a variety of industries and jobs to the once-troubled district, officials said.

While the project isn’t a certainty yet, business leaders said a campaign to land the nine-figure investment in or near the South Washington Avenue downtown corridor is well into the development stage, with critical regional partners already aboard.

https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-b...kd-5m-for.html

[DetroitMan]

The Bavarian Inn Lodge announced an expansion today that will create one of the largest indoor water parks in Michigan.

Frankenmuth's Bavarian Inn Lodge getting $80M waterpark expansion

The Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth says it will break ground on an $80 million indoor waterpark expansion next month, with plans to add an additional 140,000 square feet to the German-style resort.

Once the project is completed in 2024, visitors will have access to a bigger waterpark and a new family entertainment center, according to an announcement from the resort Monday. Improvements include 20-plus new attractions, including water slides, a wave pool and adult swim up bar.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/bu...n/69666868007/

[Rizzo]

I hope that this will mean consolidation so they can restore the west elevation along the cass river. It was quite picturesque until they added a slide long ago. They could make that the ‘boring’ pool for adults and then have all the slides on the east elevation facing Weiss St.

Definitely a must since Frankenmuth is a year round destination with winter festivals, a large indoor water park makes sense.

[deja vu]

Some small projects around the region -

Mt. Pleasant -

Addition to Isabella Citizens for Health facility -




Source: LinkedIn | Snyder & Staley Engineering, PLC

Midland -

Recently-completed new office building for Stifel (financial consulting firm) -




Source: LinkedIn | Snyder & Staley Engineering, PLC

[robk1982]

^^Although it is not very pedestrian-friendly and there are still a few more empty lots, Midland has done a good job of filling in the blocks in the "median" of the US-10 Business Loop on the outskirts of downtown over the last 15 years. Those buildings easily could have gone on Eastman Ave. north of town, or on M-20 west of town.

Throw in the Fairfield Inn, Delta College building, and development next to Dow Diamond (which are 1-2 blocks away) and any other city of 40,000 in the country would be jealous to have those buildings constructed anywhere in their city limits, let alone right on the outskirts of downtown.

[Blocky858]

Went through Saginaw recently and saw a large steel structure being erected on the west side of the Saginaw River, across from downtown. Only was able to see it from far away but looked like it was being built across the street from the Arts and Sciences Academy on Niagara street. Looked to be almost as tall as the Huntington Bank building or the AT&T building. Was wondering if anyone here knew what it was. Given its proximity to the river and what it looked like at the time, I would figure some sort of industrial use but not sure. I should have taken a picture. Anyone know anything?

[deja vu]

Originally Posted by Blocky858

Went through Saginaw recently and saw a large steel structure being erected on the west side of the Saginaw River, across from downtown. Only was able to see it from far away but looked like it was being built across the street from the Arts and Sciences Academy on Niagara street. Looked to be almost as tall as the Huntington Bank building or the AT&T building. Was wondering if anyone here knew what it was. Given its proximity to the river and what it looked like at the time, I would figure some sort of industrial use but not sure. I should have taken a picture. Anyone know anything?

It must be the new high school, right? Last covered in this post. The new academic wing was supposedly going to be 5 stories tall, and link up with the parts of the old Science and Arts Academy that were going to be retained.

[Blocky858]

Originally Posted by deja vu

It must be the new high school, right? Last covered in this post. The new academic wing was supposedly going to be 5 stories tall, and link up with the parts of the old Science and Arts Academy that were going to be retained.

That is probably it. It looked strange to me as there were no individual floors or anything like that, it was quite literally just an outline of a steel rectangle on the river.

[Velvet_Highground]

SK Siltron CSS puts Bay County at the forefront of nation’s growing appetite for semiconductor chips

Thanks to the $300 million investment in semiconductor wafer manufacturing in Monitor Township, there’s now a little bit of Bay County powering electric vehicles and other high-tech devices across the nation.

To meet the unprecedented global demand for silicon carbide wafers used to make semiconductor chips, SK Siltron CSS in the last year doubled its Bay County workforce to 240 employees and constructed a second manufacturing facility in Valley Center Technology Park.

And this may just be the beginning.

SK Siltron CSS CEO Jianwei Dong said the company plans to increase production capacity sixteenfold by 2025 and expand its employee base to support the proliferation of electric vehicles — and the semiconductor chips that power them.

“We are transforming the world through sustainable compound semiconductor solutions made right here in the Great Lakes Bay Region,” Dong said.

SK Siltron CSS is a U.S. subsidiary of SK Siltron, one of the world’s largest silicon wafer suppliers, based in South Korea.

The Monitor Township site, formerly home of F.P. Horak, is the company’s second location in Bay County. In 2019, SK Siltron acquired DuPont’s silicon carbide wafer unit in Williams Township for $450 million. That site is now used for SK Siltron CSS research and development, along with wafer manufacturing.

The company selected Michigan for its new facility over competing states because of its skilled regional workforce and proximity to leading automakers, Dong said.

[DetroitMan]

Vantage Plastics to invest $31 Million, create 93 jobs in Bay County

Standish-based Vantage Plastics is investing nearly $31 million and creating 93 jobs in Bay County’s Bangor Township.

Vantage Plastics is a custom thermoformer with full in-house design, prototyping, and tool build capabilities serving customers in the automotive and consumer goods industries, according to a Michigan Economic Development Corp. news release announcing the investment. The company, which currently employs 318 in Michigan, is experiencing significant growth, especially in the automotive supply chain, and plans to expand into an existing vacant facility in Bangor Township, where it will add manufacturing and warehousing space.

The project is expected to result in a total capital investment of $30.9 million and create 93 jobs with the support of a $1.2 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant, the release states. The project supports the state’s efforts to be the global leader in the future of mobility and vehicle electrification. The company chose Michigan for the project over a competing site in Nevada due to existing relationships and customers it has in Michigan.

https://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw-b...ay-county.html

[DetroitMan]

A push to make Saginaw into a health care hub gets $30M boost from lawmakers

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is poised to sign a $62.8 billion budget bill that includes a $30.3 million allocation to the city of Saginaw toward a $100 million plan to develop its riverfront into a medical hub only rivaled in the state by metro Detroit and Grand Rapids.

The funds would go toward infrastructure improvements, which include moving overhead power lines into the Saginaw River, so the region can develop the dilapidated properties surrounding Ascension St. Mary's Hospital, Covenant Healthcare's 643-bed acute care hospital, on both sides of the river downtown.

"Poverty is real here — urban and rural," said Veronica Horn, chair of the region's economic development agency Saginaw Future and president of the Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce. "We've long known we need to improve health care access and services. When the autos started to decline here, we felt the pain 10 years before Detroit. We have been fighting for years to not just get economic development here, but for services in our community and to our rural and urban populations."

Details of the plan are scant as the city looks to partner to develop the properties and expand the area, designated the "Medical Diamond," which extends from Court Street to the south, Ascension St. Mary's to the east, I-675 to the north and Covenant Medical Center to the west. But the allocated funds are earmarked to incentivize Central Michigan University College of Medicine, which already operates in the area, to expand along the city's riverfront. Officials believe the public funds will help move the logjam and spur not only CMU, but others to move forward on the plan more than two decades in the making. It's hoped new investment will transform the area and attract more medical education, services and investment that holds the potential to give Saginaw a much-needed economic boost.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/health...mond-30m-boost