LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday directed $23 million in state match money toward nine infrastructure and industry projects that officials say can unlock nearly $118 million in federal funding.
The awards flow through the state competitiveness match fund and target more than 1,000 jobs in defense, aerospace, space technology, advanced manufacturing, ports and workforce training.
The largest piece, $10.5 million, helps the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs build a new 57,000-square-foot Guard readiness hall at Detroit’s Olympia Armory. Planners count about 200 construction jobs plus 500 Guard positions once the building opens, backed by $34 million in federal appropriations.
Marquette’s KMI Space receives $3.5 million to finish the Laelaps craft meant to meet, grab and move satellites already in orbit. The company expects about 60 hires at its Marquette shop and pairs the state dollars with $34 million from a U.S. Space Force innovation program.
Other awards include $2 million for University of Michigan nuclear workforce training with regional partners, $1.1 million for Port of Monroe berth and shore-power upgrades, and $700,000 pending a federal award for quay work at L Anse Port linked to copper-tailings processing.
Counting Wednesday’s round, the competitiveness fund has placed more than $320 million that has helped unlock about $1.2 billion in federal dollars and $1.9 million in private investment — close to a tenfold return. Since the Michigan Infrastructure Office opened, the state has landed over $16 billion in federal infrastructure awards.
