Michigan's Largest Utility Company 

Relocates to Brownfields 

JACKSON COUNTY, MI 

S ix adjacent brownfields in the City of Jackson, within 

Jackson County, Michigan, will soon be home to Michigan's 

largest utility company. Consumers Energy is relocating its 

headquarters to these brownfields in a $113 million brownfields 

redevelopment project. The Jackson County Brownfield 

Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Brownfields Assessment 

Demonstration Pilot spent $60,000 of its $200,000 EPA grant 

for environmental assessments on the six properties, which 

include a former gas station and auto repair shop, a machine 

shop, and an iron scrap yard. The City of Jackson is contributing $43 million in infrastructure improvements, and Consumers Energy is investing $70 million in the construction of 

its new headquarters. In addition, more than $11 million in 

other funding has been leveraged for this project, which is 

working in partnership with the City of Jackson's "Grand New 

Vision" community revitalization efforts. 

Jackson County (population 155,000) is located in south-central Michigan about 80 miles west of Detroit. The City of 

Jackson began as an agricultural town and quickly developed 

into an industrial and manufacturing community focusing on 

the automotive industry. When the nation's economy changed 

during the late 1970s and early 1980s, the city's and county's 

industrial base fell apart as plants closed, resulting in job loss, 

population decline, and hundreds of vacant and abandoned 

industrial and commercial properties. The Jackson County 

BRA estimates that there are more than 2,000 brownfields 

countywide. The Jackson County Pilot targets 20 of these 

properties, including several commercial or industrial sites in 

the City of Jackson's industrial corridor, for assessment and 

redevelopment. The Grand River bisects the targeted area 

in the city and offers opportunities for riverfront redevelopment. 

The $113 million Consumers Energy headquarters is relocating along the Grand River. Consumers Energy has been headquartered in Jackson since its founding in 1886, and when the 

JUST THE FACTS: • The Jackson County Pilot targets 20 commercial and industrial sites, including several 

within the City of Jackson's industrial corridor for assessment and redevelopment. 

• Relocation of Consumers Energy's headquarters onto six adjacent brownfields will retain 

1,400 jobs in the City of Jackson. 

• The Brownfields Pilot also played a role in 

the redevelopment of a 100-acre, former tire 

manufacturing plant, now being redeveloped 

as a $300 million power plant. 

The Jackson County Brownfield 

Redevelopment Authority spent $60,000 of its 

$200,000 EPA grant for environmental 

assessments on six brownfields. 

Jackson is contributing $43 million in 

infrastructure improvements, and Consumers 

Energy is investing $70 million in the 

construction of a new headquarters. 

The City of 

continued 8
JACKSONCOUNTY 

CONTACTS:

Jackson County Brownfields 

Redevelopment Authority 

(517) 788-4455 

U.S. EPA-Region 5 

(312) 886-7257 

Visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: 

http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

lease on its current headquarters location was ending, the company decided to 

look for a new location. 

move its headquarters to the six adjacent brownfields that make up a 

three-block area downtown. 

locate there rather than on an undeveloped greenfield, the city is investing $43 million in infrastructure improvements–including roads, a sewer, 

and a parking garage that will serve the new headquarters. 

pany agreed to this proposal, and part of Consumers Energy's $70 million investment includes renovating and restoring an old U.S. post office occupying one of the brownfields. 

historic site and will serve as the formal entryway into the new headquarters building. 

10, 2001, and this project is on the fast-track, with construction to be completed in 18 months. 

the City of Jackson. 

In addition to the funds provided by the city for infrastructure improvements and the investment by 

Consumers Energy, the project has leveraged financial support totaling more than $11 million, 

including a $465,000 Senate appropriation for Jackson to purchase the post office building; a 10-

year, zero-interest $1 million Urban Land Assembly Loan from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to the city to finance the project; an $8.6 million Single Business Tax credit from 

the state to Consumers Energy; and a $1 million Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund grant 

and a $150,000 Brownfields Supplemental Assistance grant from EPA. 

Construction of the new Consumers Energy headquarters is part of Jackson County's Grand New 

Vision. fice, an 

outdoor theater located on the grounds along the Grand River, and additional parking on the site, 

which will allow the city to schedule a variety of community events downtown–the parking lots 

being built by the city will be used by Consumers Energy during the work day and will be available 

to visitors in the evenings and on weekends. 

New Vision includes community initiatives in education, recreation, and beautification. 

Konieczki of the City of Jackson reports that there has been a "resurgence in interest in the 

downtown area" with new businesses relocating downtown and current businesses renovating the 

facades of their downtown locations. 

The Jackson County BRA is involved with other Pilot activities in the county, including leveraging 

assessment and cleanup at the Michigan Industrial Holdings, Inc., site. 

facility was abandoned in 1994 along with several 55-gallon drums and 27 pits containing various 

unknown substances. A, 

which estimates the approximate cost of assessment and removal to be between $600,000 and 

$900,000. 

Michigan to demolish and remove the building. , Edscha North 

America, plans to build a 100,000-square-foot expansion on this site, a $10 million investment that 

will create 125 new jobs. 

that was once the home of a Goodyear tire manufacturing plant. 

redeveloped as a $300 million power plant that is scheduled to be completed in June 2003. 

The City of Jackson invited Consumers Energy to 

As an incentive for Consumers Energy to 

The comThe post office is a national 

Ground was broken for the new headquarters on April 

Relocation to the downtown area will retain 1,400 jobs in 

The headquarters campus will include a grand plaza in front of the old post of

In addition to this redevelopment project, the Grand 

Carol 

This 106,000-square-foot 

The Pilot leveraged assessment and cleanup of the property from EP

Once the cleanup is completed, the BRA will use a $721,000 grant from the State of 

The adjacent property owner

The Pilot has also played a role in the redevelopment of a brownfield 

This 100-acre site is being 

Brownfields Success Story Solid Waste EPA-500-F-02-033 

Jackson County, Michigan and Emergency April 2002 

Response (5105) www.epa.gov/brownfields/