Lake County Economic Development Alliance director Jodi Nichols presented the 2022 annual report to the board of commissioners recently, highlighting work the organization is doing to fill the gap left by the closing of GEO Group North Lake Corrections Facility.
Pioneer file photoLAKE COUNTY — Lake County Economic Development Alliance director Jodi Nichols presented the 2022 annual report to the board of commissioners during its meeting earlier this month.
Nichols told the board that with the county’s largest employer and taxpayer, Geo Group’s North Lake Correctional Facility, ceasing operations in 2022, new critical economic needs arose for businesses and communities in Lake County.
The Lake County Economic Development Alliance has worked with state agencies and representatives to ensure the county's needs were understood and will continue to seek solutions through economic diversification, she said.
“The annual report highlights some of the events from this last year,” Nichols said. “We were excited that we were able to do some really good things last year, very much due to the support of the commission and the county.”
In 2022, the LCEDA submitted an application to the federal Economic Development Administration for a $200,000 grant to commission a study for new business potential and reuse of vacant assets such as the facilities owned by GEO and Lake County, she said.
“With the economic diversification study that we are doing through the federal EDA that you have committed some match to, that is really going to help us understand how we diversify our economy with our largest employer and taxpayer closing,” Nichols said. “How do we beef up the assets that we have here to strengthen our economy? We should have approval by April to get started on that work.”
With support from Lake County Community Foundation, LCEDA is working to ensure Lake County’s internet needs are known and met as providers such as Charter, Point and TrueStream prepare to expand services in the area.
New efforts also are underway to enhance tourism promotion through the utilization of statewide resources such as Pure Michigan. A tourism industry stakeholder meeting was held in June with Michigan State University Extension’s Tourism Department to perform a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat) analysis of current tourism assets and challenges and determine greatest needs of local businesses. Those findings will be used to secure resources for the establishment of collaborative marketing resources and development of assets, Nichols said.
The historic community of Idlewild is also strengthening economic opportunities through a historic planning grant for Idlewild and Woodland Park from Fremont Area Community Foundation, and LCEDA is leading the Idlewild portion of that project.
Special Projects 2022 brought opportunities for learning and growth to Lake County residents through two programs, she said.
Discover Manufacturing allowed 37 Baldwin High School students to explore career opportunities in fields like robotics, maintenance technology and clean manufacturing with a visit to Reed City Group, in Reed City. Funding for the program was provided by LCEDA through a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Additionally, the fourth annual regional Pitch North competition gave Lake County entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch for cash to use to start or grow a local business. Local small business owner, Susan Matous, won $500 toward her clothing boutique start up in Idlewild.
American Rescue Plan Act funded projects management through the LCEDA was an integral part of Lake County’s ARPA community grant funding process, leading the committee through the creation of application, scoring, selection and reporting processes and providing oversight to the eight projects that were granted funds for county wide impact projects.
“We look forward to 2023 completion of the projects approved for funding,” Nichols said.
Those projects approved for funding include the following:
- Baldwin DDA Downtown Visioning: $20,000
- Baldwin Rotary student backpack food program: $12,700
- Chase Library playground: $25,679
- Ellsworth Newkirk Fire Department Jaws of Life: $11,500
- Five CAP-housing needs analysis: $135,000
- Five CAP market analysis: $50,000
- County reserve for housing plan implementation: $85,000
- Habitat for Humanity home repairs, blight remediation: $47,275
- Luther Lions Community Center renovations: $15,185
- Village of Luther park and recreation upgrades: $35,000.
This year, there is a lot of grant work, as well as several programs planned to assist small businesses and students with employment opportunities, Nichols said.
For more information about the LCEDA, visit therightplace.org/regions/lake-county or contact Jodi Nichols at 231-742-3328.
