Records show state, local and federal officials tried for years to compel repairs that could prevent a flood, but its private owners didn’t act. Once again, regulators are finger-pointing about who is to blame.
Paula Gardner
Paula directs the business reporting on Bridge, writing much of it and setting the strategy for how statewide business coverage fits into Bridge’s nonpartisan policy-driven editorial mix. Paula came to Bridge in 2020 after several years at MLive.com, where she covered the state on both business and environmental teams. Prior to that, she was editor of the Ann Arbor News and news director of online startup AnnArbor,com, and also focused on business news as an editor and reporter at Michigan Business Review. Born and raised in metro Detroit, Paula moved to Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan, and has lived in the city for 20 years with her husband, who grew up in their neighborhood. Paula also regularly visits East Lansing and Grand Rapids to visit her college-aged children. She can be reached at pgardner@bridgemi.com
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan betting that space is next frontier to create jobs
Satellites, rockets and more are fueling a new ‘space race.’ Michigan has a piece of it but officials say more is possible.
Posted inBusiness Watch
A first for Michigan’s $2.4B SOAR business incentive program: New jobs
Companies say they’ve created 1,846 of the 14,559 jobs they originally promised in exchange for Michigan SOAR subsidies. They still have several years to meet their targets.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Neighborhood demolition to begin at $261M Michigan megasite despite holdouts
Dozens of homes are slated for demolition this month in Mundy Township. Some residents have refused to sell and move out of a neighborhood that officials want to raze for a potential large-scale development.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Locals to U-M: Your $1.2B supercomputer not welcome here
The project would include nuclear weapons research, prompting Ypsilanti Township to say that could be a community danger.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Homeowners ‘hijacked’ by Michigan megasite: Sell or live next to factory
In the shadow of Flint Bishop Airport, residents say they feel burned by a $261 million to lure a megafactory. A state lawmaker says the state ‘bankrolled a lose-lose situation.’
Posted inBusiness Watch
Genesee County leaders still bullish on megasite’s potential, despite setbacks
Manufacturing has cratered in the county since the early 1980s, and a huge site near Flint Bishop Airport could help ‘reverse decades of job loss and sluggish population growth,’ boosters say.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Inside Michigan’s secret $261M plan to raze homes for megafactory that never came
Documents obtained by Bridge tell the story of one of the biggest gambles of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s tenure. The taxpayer-funded project to lure a major employer to mid-Michigan kept residents and some lawmakers in the dark, demolished neighborhoods and so far has come up empty.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan Gov. Whitmer pushes for subsidies, as $261M megasite awaits deal
In her final year in office, the Michigan governor seeks another $150 million for land development. Boosters say that’s necessary to lure jobs. Critics say Michigan’s efforts ignored residents’ wishes.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Report: Metro Detroit losing ground, faces ‘hard truths’ about economy
A Detroit Regional Chamber report claims that focusing on turning around the poor performance should be the top goal of statewide policymakers elected this fall, the Detroit Regional Chamber says.