The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced it had awarded a grant to the city of Lansing that will support new and retained jobs, as a $50 million of private investment.
The city received a $2.1 million Transportation Economic Development (TEDF) grant that will support a total of 243 combined new and retained jobs, officials said. The TEDF grants help finance public highway, road and street projects critical to the movement of people and products, and get workers to their jobs, as well as get materials to growers and manufacturers, and get finished goods to consumers.
The grant will give Niowave Inc., a supplier of medical radioisotopes that advances cancer treatment through accelerator technology and advanced radiochemistry, the confidence to invest $50 million to expand their Lansing facility, creating new jobs while retaining 170 existing jobs. Niowave had considered moving out of the state due to outgrowing its Lansing location, and the work with the Capital Region Airport Authority (CRAA) exploring its options to improve the roads that could support the company’s expansion helped keep them in Michigan.
“The CRAA is pleased and excited that we were able to work with MDOT and Niowave Inc. to secure a Category A grant that will allow for an upgrade to Capital City Boulevard at the Capital Region International Airport, delivering mutual benefits to both the airport and Niowave,” Nicole Noll-Williams, CRAA president and CEO, said. “This grant will allow for a roadway upgrade to a modern, long-lasting concrete roadway system to a section of Capital City Boulevard, which serves as one of the primary access routes for Niowave’s business facility and future headquarters expansion on airport property. This project will improve the roadway’s durability, safety and capacity, and represents a strategic infrastructure investment that is essential to supporting continued economic development and growth in the region.”
With the grant, the city of Lansing can rebuild the existing roadway as well as rebuild Capital City Boulevard to concrete to coincide with the planned upgrades to all roads at the Capital Region International Airport. The total cost of the project is $2.7 million, with the TEDF Category A grant accounting for $2.1 million, or 80 percent of the total.
“We would like to recognize MDOT for its leadership and investment in strengthening Michigan’s transportation infrastructure,” Dino Muzzin, vice president of engineering at Niowave, said. “The improvements to our roads and supporting infrastructure are critical to the success of Niowave’s manufacturing expansion project, ensuring safe access, efficient logistics and long-term growth. MDOT’s partnership plays an important role in supporting innovation, job creation and continued economic development in our community.”