Page 24 - LRCC April 2022 Focus
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ADVOCACY FOCUS MAGAZINE | APRIL 2022
Gary Shrewsbury Photography
CAPCOG Urges Lawmakers to Invest Federal Relief Dollars in
Key Regional Projects
he Capitol Regional Council “With the state of
of Governments (CAPCOG) is Michigan being the
Turging state lawmakers in the largest employer in our
Capitol Caucus to secure funding urban core and reducing
from federal relief funds provided to their footprint, we are
the state of Michigan for key regional advocating for the state
projects that focus on economic to provide federal funds
development, job creation and to create a statewide
infrastructure. In a letter to Capitol downtown multi-story conversion program,” said Bryan
Caucus members, CAPCOG board Crenshaw Crenshaw, CAPCOG Board member and chair of the
members cited 29 regional projects Ingham County Board of Commissioners.
that the group says are “critical
community projects for the Greater CAPCOG is also supporting a proposal to provide $5 million
Lansing region.” to Downtown Lansing, Inc. for a comprehensive market
analysis for purposes of developing a plan to rejuvenate
“As the State Legislature continues the downtown core. CAPCOG also urged lawmakers to
to look at ways to maximize the secure $15 million in funding for the Michigan Joint Training
state’s share of federal relief funds, Innovation Center which will be a shared public-private
we believe these projects are resource located at the former Sears Frandor location.
necessary and transformational The Michigan Joint Training Innovation Center will give
investments that will help the Whittum Michigan citizens and businesses access to state-of-the-art
region achieve long-term goals vital technologies that will drive the digital economy.
to our recovery and growth,” said
Kam Washburn, CAPCOG board CAPCOG also cited several county specific projects that
member and chair of the Clinton are critical needs in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton Counties,
County Board of Commissioners. including: Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements in
Ingham County; the Chandler Road extension project in
Among the key regional projects Clinton County and the Delta Township Water Resources
cited by CAPCOG is $325 million to Recovery Facility in Eaton County.
help downtown Lansing recover
from the Covid-19 pandemic. The “These projects are transformational investments that
group is advocating for a program Washburn will help our region achieve long-term goals in fostering
to convert office to residential to business competitiveness and growing well-paying jobs,”
help offset main street business losses as well as offset stated Jeremy Whittum, CAPCOG board member and chair
losses to the city. of the Eaton County Board of Commissioners. l
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