Displaying items tagged: economic development

Federal legislation that aims to protect certain metropolitan areas, including six in Michigan, from losing key federal funding has been signed into law.

GRAND RAPIDS — A new professional U.S. women’s volleyball league that’s set to launch in 2024 has tapped Grand Rapids as its first market, team owners and league executives announced today.

A roundup of mergers and acquisitions, expansions and other briefs across West Michigan.

WYOMING — City officials have secured $6 million from Kent County’s share of federal stimulus funds to help advance longtime plans for a downtown just south of 28th Street.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Kent County Board of Commissioners voted today to allocate $108 million in federal stimulus funds to 30 local projects as several commissioners described the process as highly politicized.

GRAND RAPIDS — More than 4,700 people once lived in the neighborhood immediately surrounding Trinity Health’s Saint Mary’s Hospital campus back in the early 1900s.

Ottawa County officials have signed off on plans to leverage $7.5 million in federal stimulus funds with nearly $25 million from the private sector to create 1,000 new child care slots in the next three years.

GRAND RAPIDS — Dozens of individuals and organizations in Grand Rapids have formed the Coalition for Community Owned Safety to educate residents on the city’s budget and explore new ways to direct city funding to address the root causes of crime. 

Falling off the “benefits cliff,” declining higher education enrollment, and a widespread skills gap have each contributed to Michigan’s labor force participation rate dropping by nearly twice the national average over the past two decades.

Ottawa County commissioners last week signed off on a $32.7 million spending plan that will direct federal stimulus funding to two dozen local projects.

The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners has approved allocating $32.7 million in federal stimulus funds for 24 community projects, over some objections that an incoming slate of commissioners should get to vote on project funding.

A survey of more than 300 West Michigan business leaders shows that talent availability and inflation are their biggest barriers to growth, while investing in automation and raising prices will be key measures to overcome risk.

Below is a snapshot of growth activity that was published in our Nov. 21, 2022 print edition. 

Ottawa County officials are considering a plan to redirect $12.5 million in reserves to fund the full number of projects prioritized for federal stimulus funding.

Democratic state Sen. Winnie Brinks from Grand Rapids continues to make history. She was the first woman to represent Grand Rapids in the state Senate since Eva McCall Hamilton was elected in 1920, and she will be Michigan’s first woman Senate Majority Leader when the Democrats take control of the legislative branch on Jan. 1 for the first time in 40 years.

GRAND RAPIDS — The three new members elected to the Grand Rapids City Commission on Nov. 8 each plan to make housing and public safety key priorities.

A trio of non-gaming tribal economic development entities has formed a rare real estate development, construction and property management joint venture that’s considered the first of its kind in the Midwest.

Kent County staff have narrowed down more than 300 requests for federal stimulus funding to 21 projects that involve housing, public amenities, support for underrepresented communities, and social programs.

Two smaller West Michigan regional airports have launched new flight offerings that officials hope will attract passengers as the facilities continue to rebound from the pandemic and launch capital projects.

Key metrics in a monthly report on West Michigan’s industrial economy trended downward last month into negative territory, reflecting a slowing economy.

Below is a snapshot of growth activity that was published in our Nov. 7, 2022 print edition. 

University of Virginia data scientist and criminologist Renée Cummings will visit Grand Rapids this month to share her insights — and warnings — on the growing use of artificial intelligence and algorithms in corporate decision making. The exponential growth in data availability has created the need for companies to make informed decisions when deploying such technology in hiring practices, DEI efforts or growing revenue, for example. That decision making should be done in a way that is justice-oriented, equitable, diverse and inclusive, Cummings says. The former journalist-turned-data scholar will make multiple appearances in Grand Rapids from Nov. 14-17 as part of a weeklong exploration of data ethics led by The Delta Project, Greater Grand Rapids NAACP, the West Michigan chapter of Public Relations Society of America, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Grand Valley State University and a consortium of tech businesses. Cummings spoke with MiBiz ahead of her visit to highlight key themes of her work and why businesses should be paying attention to ethics in data-based decision making.

The Wyoming Kentwood Chamber hopes a newly formed BIPOC Business Leader Advisory Council gives a voice to business owners and entrepreneurs from underrepresented yet demographically prominent communities.

PLAINFIELD TWP. — Eight years after opening the Meijer Sports Complex, the West Michigan Sports Commission is embarking on an $11 million capital campaign to expand the Rockford area facility with more fields and amenities.

West Michigan economic development agencies have spent the past eight months inventorying more than 100 sites across the region and selecting the top 10 that could be most suitable for large projects.

Cybercrime cost Michigan victims more than $181.6 million in 2021.

Below is a snapshot of growth activity that was published in our Oct. 24, 202 print edition. To subscribe (free to qualified business executives in West Michigan), visit mibiz.com/subscribe.

GRAND RAPIDS — The West Michigan Policy Forum hosted a conference today in Grand Rapids where speakers promoted sweeping K-12 education reforms and lamented the ongoing use of large incentive packages to lure automotive supplier jobs.

A public-private initiative formed to make child care affordable for working parents in Michigan has begun moving from the pilot stage to full implementation.

Affordable housing was a key theme among proposals submitted to county officials by organizations seeking a share of $127 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding.