The neighborhood of Milwaukee Junction is about to get a lot busier. Fortescue, an Australian green energy company, has chosen Michigan and Detroit to build their U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Center.
The location will have 600 jobs - mainly manufacturing and engineering - with a focus on EV battery production. The building, which will be rehabbed, is located on Piquette just east of the Ford Piquette Plant museum and the residential adaptive reuse underway by the Platform. It's also close to the Fisher Body 21 project, which will have more than 400 residential units.
For the $35 million project, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved:
- A $9 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant;
- A 15-year, 100 percent State Essential Services Assessment exemption valued at $1,300,950;
- State tax capture valued at $2,374,413 for the reimbursement of brownfield activities at the site.
Over $5 million is being requested for environmental remediation.
The work in Detroit will start for North American suppliers, with the intent to go global.
“Detroit is an extremely attractive place to manufacture, given the skilled workforce, existing EV and clean energy supply chains, and strong support from state and local government,” said Fortescue WAE CEO Judith Judson. “Fortescue is committed to being a valued government and community partner and working alongside the people of Detroit.”
The company expects that their first battery line will be installed in the first half of 2025.
