ONE's new campus will be located in Van Buren Township. | Our Next Energy/Facebook
ONE's new campus will be located in Van Buren Township. | Our Next Energy/Facebook
Construction of Our Next Energy's (ONE) new gigafactory in Wayne County is spurring the renovation of Haggerty Road in Van Buren Township.
The move will ensure that products from the gigafactory can reliably be transported, according to a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's (D-MI) office. The state of Michigan supports the company's growth through this renovation and expansion.
"Wayne County is at the core of the country's automotive industry and the development of electric vehicles," Warren Evans, Wayne County executive, said in the press release. "This extraordinary investment in the new battery plant demonstrates why we're the preferred location for companies who wish to drive the automotive supply chain into the future. We appreciate the support from Gov. Whitmer and MDOT [Michigan Department of Transportation] in providing this grant to help us ensure the new plant will be ready in time for ONE to begin operation."
ONE is based in Novi, Michigan, and manufactures sustainable batteries for electric vehicles, the press release noted. The development of the gigafactory is expected to create 2,112 new jobs and a $1.6 billion investment in the economy.
"Investments in our roads and bridges help Michiganders go to work, drop their kids off at school, and run errands safely," Whitmer said in the press release. "Since I took office through the end of this year, Michigan will have fixed 16,000 lane miles of road and 1,200 bridges, bolstering our economy and connecting our hard-working communities. With today's grants, we are investing in Michigan communities and making Michigan more competitive. I will work with anyone to advance our economic development and build a Michigan where everyone can envision a bright future for themselves."
The rehabilitation of Haggerty Road was a major reason for ONE's choice of Wayne County for its factory location, according to the press release. The road improvements will be an asset for potential economic development efforts.
"ONE hopes to bring a transformative, clean manufacturing project with more than 2,000 new jobs to Van Buren Township, along with suppliers and visitors from around the world, but the success of this project hinges on safe and reliable access to and from Haggerty Road," Dan Power, director of planning and economic development for Van Buren Township, said in the press release. "Creating a new primary access point at Haggerty Road will be vital for the site. The road's current condition threatens delays, disruption, and uncertainty. The reconstruction and widening of Haggerty Road from Ecorse Road to Van Born Road is therefore critical, both for ONE's successful launch today and for the Haggerty Road corridor to continue to serve Van Buren Township and southeast Michigan as an economic growth engine in the future."
Alerts Sign-up