In a move that will lead to the creation of more than 150 news jobs in Detroit, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has awarded a state transportation economic development grant to the city. The grant will be used for infrastructure improvements at the new E.W. Grobbel Sons, Inc. expanded production facilities in Detroit’s historic Eastern Market.
The move comes at a time when infrastructure development projects are occurring in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood and other locations throughout Detroit.
“This is good news for our families, our businesses, and our economy as a whole. Every Michigander deserves to drive on our roads safely, without blowing a tire or cracking a windshield, and this partnership with Grobbel’s will help us reach that goal while creating good jobs for Michigan workers,” shared Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “I am pleased that we were able to work with this long-standing company, Eastern Market, and the City of Detroit to support the road improvements necessary for Grobbel’s new facility, and I will continue working with everyone who wants to create Michigan jobs and improve our state’s infrastructure. Let’s get to work.”
E.W. Grobbel would like to thank MDOT and the City of Detroit for their support on our Dequindre expansion project within the Greater Eastern Market,” said Jason Grobbel, president of E.W. Grobbel Sons, Inc. “We want to acknowledge the time, dedication, and hard work from everyone involved in making this project a reality. We thank you for identifying the opportunity of this development, and what it will generate for our community as a whole. This project will establish careers for many Detroiters. It will also attract future food processors, food suppliers, and other agricultural businesses. We are very excited to break ground and begin construction on this project.
Expanding due to an increased demand for its meat products, E.W. Grobbel will invest $25 million in the new facility while hiring an additional 150 employees. This is the first phase of a planned two-phase project which will also be supported by a Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF) Category A grant of $303,127, at a private/public investment ratio of 82:1.
The TEDF grant will be used to repave and resurface St. Aubin Street from Mack Avenue to Superior Street, while rebuilding Superior Street from St. Aubin to the Dequindre Railway, a move that will provide a truck ingress to the proposed Grobbel’s facility. Lastly, the project will also rebuild Illinois Street from St. Aubin to the Dequindre Railway in order to provide a truck egress from the proposed Grobbel’s facility.
The announcement comes at an interesting time, in regard to matters of transportation, for both Detroit and the nation. As Joe Biden just announced his new Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, opening the opportunity for new transportation matters and development projects. As Buttigieg has little experience outside of his time as Mayor of South Bend Indiana, the coming months of his time occupying his office will be crucial to pay attention to.
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