SMART Park under development across from Diamond Lake
As we mentioned in our January note, the Diamond Lake Association board met with Dave Allen, Vice President Regulatory and Gas Operations for MEC, and others from MEC to better understand any potential impact on Diamond Lake Residents.
We forwarded questions in advance to focus the conversation. The Powerpoint deck they walked us through addressed concerns raised by the board. If you would like to review the detail, the deck can be accessed HERE.
Below is a follow up note from Dave Allen to our members summarizing their efforts to develop the Smart Park...
Edward Lowe, inventor of Kitty Litter, was an entrepreneurial icon and visionary who called Cassopolis home. In 1985, he started the Edward Lowe Foundation, which sits on over 2,000 acres off of Decatur Road. The foundation helps second-stage companies with growth strategies and works as a passionate land steward.
In 2016, Midwest Energy & Communications purchased a parcel of the Foundation’s land to build its headquarters. It was an all-or-nothing deal: buy 500 acres or buy none. MEC only needed about 90, which left just over 400 acres of opportunity and a perfect place to continue Ed Lowe’s dream of attracting investment and opportunity to our small rural community in southwest Michigan.
Today 250 acres of remaining land west of Decatur Road have been earmarked for the future MEC Southwest Michigan Advanced Research & Technology (SMART) Park. Road and infrastructure are underway and will be complete in the third quarter of 2023. The park’s first industry resident, Norsk Hydro, is currently building a $150 aluminum recycling facility that will bring 70 well-paying jobs to the area. Aiming to be fully carbon-neutral by 2050, the Cassopolis plant will produce 120,000 tons of proprietary recycled aluminum extrusion ingot per year.
Additionally, 150 acres east of Decatur Road is a longer-term opportunity that will see its own development over time.
Beyond your typical industrial park, SMART Park offers an opportunity for retail, food, and lodging, and MEC continues to aggressively seek partners. This park is a symbol of progress but is intended to keep the rural aesthetic that we have come to love. All occupants and street lighting must be dark sky compliant and mitigation measures will facilitate traffic flow. MEC is adamant the SMART Park be designed and built out to attract employers that will protect the significant investment it has made in our community while, more importantly, fueling all the positives that make our community a great place to live.
Learn more at www.imaginesmartpark.com
About MEC
MEC is an electric cooperative, fiber internet provider, and propane provider serving over 35,000 businesses and residents in rural southwest and southeast Michigan and portions of northern Indiana and northwest Ohio.