TRAVERSE CITY -- A boardwalk for Leland's historic Fishtown. Improved Internet access for remote areas.
A new airstrip near Benzie County's Crystal Mountain Resort.
There's no shortage of ideas for business and tourism-related projects anxious for a share of Michigan's $18 billion portion of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Local would-be projects also include plans for a major broadband network upgrade, renewable energy development, sprucing up local tourist attractions and expanding recreational amenities. They're among $49 billion-plus in Michigan wish-list projects.
One of the local big-ticket items sought is more than $30 million for a broadband initiative to expand wireless Internet and other telecommunications services to communities in northern Michigan from Traverse City to Cheboygan. The Northern Michigan Broadband Cooperative wants to build a nearly 1,000-mile, high-speed fiber optic network to serve the region. Supporters said it would be a boon to businesses and residents.
"These regions are severely under-served," said Mike Weber, executive director of the 18-county broadband cooperative. "It really affects everyone."
Enhancing the region's broadband network would give remote companies more options for doing business on the Internet, Weber said. It also would provide Internet and cell phone options for residential areas that have little or no service.
Weber said it's unlikely the group will receive its full funding request, but would use any stimulus money to upgrade telecommunications in the most remote locations.
Leelanau wants broadband too
Leelanau County's Economic Development Corp. is angling for more than $2.7 million to expand rural broadband. The county has a plan to expand broadband to 65 percent of the county's residential base, but needs money to lease land and build up to nine new telecommunications towers as part of needed infrastructure.
Leelanau County lacks an industrial jobs base, and EDC members said improving the county's broadband service is key to developing business opportunities on the peninsula.
"We look at Leelanau County as a bedroom community with really no industry whatsoever," said EDC member Todd Stachnik, a local financial advisor. "The more (broadband) access, the more availability we can provide, the better off the residents of Leelanau County are going to be."
Some of the area's major tourism attractions also want federal stimulus help. The Michigan Historic Preservation Network wants about $2.3 million for preservation and infrastructure work at Leland's historic Fishtown, the unique fishing village on Lake Michigan that's been rated the county's second-most popular tourism spot.
The Fishtown Preservation Society raised almost $3 million to buy the property and related fishing equipment, but needs another $2.3 million to stabilize wooden shanties, boardwalks, piers and related structures.
"The purchase of Fishtown was just the start," said Craig Miller, president of the Fishtown Preservation board.
The group also wants to improve drainage around the site, install energy efficient lighting, renovate the wooden boardwalks and buildings with locally grown wood and upgrade refuse handling and recycling.
The Michigan Historic Preservation Network also wants $117,596 for work on historic Dougherty House on Old Mission Peninsula, one of the early white settlements in northern Michigan that dates to the 1840s. The money would be used for roof and porch repair, door replacement and to stabilize the replica house's foundation.
Funds sought for grid upgrades
And local utilities and energy companies have significant plans that could get a boost with a share of the stimulus pot.
Cherryland Electric Cooperative in Grawn is among several Michigan utilities to seek federal help to improve their electric grids' reliability. General Manager Tony Anderson said the utility's "smart grid" plans will take five to 10 years to implement and cost more than $5 million.
Cherryland's request for about $1.65 million in federal stimulus money would provide "a good foundation" to launch the project, he said, but acknowledged it will be a challenge to get approval.
"We don't hold real high hopes of getting that," Anderson said. "But as long as we're doing it anyway, we might as well give it a shot."
William Koucky, of Traverse City, hopes for $825,000 to expand his Northwest Michigan Biodiesel plant, an enterprise that creates fuel from locally grown canola. Koucky produces fuel on a small-scale basis, but is negotiating with new investors to expand capacity and create a new market for locally grown canola.
"We're looking to be completely sustainable using crops grown right here," he said. "We think we can put a lot of the farmers back to work growing (canola) on fallow land."
Communities also are vying for federal money to upgrade their smaller airports and landing strips. They include the village of Thomponsville, which wants $520,000 for a new taxiway and airplane hangars, and Charlevoix, where officials want $1.9 million for hangar expansion.
Emmet County wants $11.5 million to build a new aircraft rescue/firefighting facility and a snow removal equipment building at Pellston Regional Airport.
Friday: Villages, townships line up for help.
Stimulating projects
Some of the business- and tourism-related initiatives in northern Michigan that seek federal stimulus money:
-- Northern Michigan Broadband Cooperative -- seeking $30 million-plus to develop a fiber optic "backbone" across more than 20 counties in northern Michigan
-- Village of Thompsonville -- seeking $520,000 to build an additional runway, hangars and buy snow removal equipment for the village air strip near Crystal Mountain Resort
-- City of Frankfort -- asking for $504,315 to build a boat launch ramp and other enhancements at the city marina
-- Department of Natural Resources -- wants $2,557,600 to upgrade state campgrounds in Traverse City and Interlochen
-- Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance -- asking for $2.5 million to complete paving of the Boardman Lake Trail in Traverse City and Garfield Township
Source: State of Michigan
