Inside Michigan’s secret $261M plan to raze homes for megafactory that never came

Key Points:

• A $261 million megasite project near Flint Bishop Airport in Genesee County was shrouded in secrecy for over two years, with officials signing numerous nondisclosure agreements and withholding key details from residents and lawmakers.
• The project, known as Project Grit, involved acquiring and demolishing around 155 homes, a school, and a church to create a 2 square-mile site intended to attract a semiconductor factory, but no company has yet committed.
• Despite extensive taxpayer funding and incentives reaching up to $27 billion offered to Western Digital's spinoff Sandisk, the semiconductor company ultimately withdrew, leaving the community divided and distrustful.
• Local residents and officials criticized the lack of transparency and public engagement, highlighting that many homeowners were unaware their properties were targeted for demolition and that public meetings provided minimal information.
• The economic development alliance continues efforts to attract a large-scale manufacturer, maintaining criteria of at least a $2 billion investment and 2,000 jobs, while some local officials defend the use of secrecy as necessary to protect taxpayer interests.