Federal officials are watching mid-Michigan’s efforts to revitalize its former General Motors assembly sites. The Obama Administration is poised to offer its help.
At a Wednesday roundtable in Lansing, civic leaders met with White House, U.S. EPA and U.S. Housing and Urban Development officials to talk about their economic development challenges. One high priority is converting several former GM sites from vacant brownfields to viable use.
EPA assistant administrator Mathy Stanislaus says the sites contain a number of natural assets.
"The fact that you have large, contiguous properties offers some opportunities for eco-development; parks, things like that," notes Stanislaus. "The proximity to transportation infrastructure is really critical."
Stanislaus says the EPA will soon announce some direct assistance programs for Lansing and other communities to help them leverage funding to revitalize former auto manufacturing sites.
