LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Roger Victory on Wednesday applauded approval of a $60 million Strategic Site Readiness Program performance-based grant through the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR) Fund for a critical infrastructure project spanning Ottawa and Muskegon counties to help support West Michigan agricultural investment and jobs.
“I’m thrilled that the Michigan Strategic Fund board has recommended the Coopersville-Muskegon Pipeline for SOAR funding. This is a project that has been in development for many years and could not happen without the transparency and flexibility SOAR has provided for diverse economic investment,” said Victory, R-Hudsonville. “This pipeline will have a massive impact on Michigan’s often-overlooked agricultural industry. Beyond the immediate onsite investment and job creation, the pipeline will create opportunities for expansion throughout the state, while overall improving our food supply chain. The increased demand for milk will help our long-suffering dairy farms, while the added protein processing will support Michigan’s pork producers.
“This is exactly the type of large-scale, cross-municipality project that SOAR was created to address. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Legislature to secure the necessary legislative approval of the SOAR transfer for this transformative and much-needed investment.”
The Southeast Regional Force Main project will allow the city of Coopersville to redirect wastewater north to the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center (MCRRC), providing additional wastewater capacity necessary for continued growth of agricultural employers in the area, including fairlife, Continental Dairy, DeVries Meats, Applegate Dairy and Swanson Pickle.
The project will result in the creation of up to 145 new jobs and a capital investment of up to $187 million in Ottawa and Muskegon counties.
The new pipeline will serve rural areas and communities that do not currently have wastewater service provided by the MCRRC and drastically increase carrying capacity, removing a long-standing barrier to growth. It will also open the opportunity for much-needed housing development and attraction of new businesses and residential developments in Ottawa and Muskegon counties.
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