LEELANAU COUNTY — The Traverse City Area is about to become an epicenter for research and innovation on the great lakes.
That idea is now one huge step closer to becoming a reality, which stakeholders and generous community donors hope will put our area on the map as a core for the new ‘blue economy.’
Ground was broken Friday on the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center on West Grand Traverse Bay.
The site for the project is on the grounds of where the Great Lakes Children’s Museum used to be in Leelanau County’s Elmwood Township.
It’s a partnership between Discovery Pier, Northwestern Michigan College, Michigan Tech, 20Fathoms and Traverse Connect.
The concept is for it to become a center for education and an incubator for new products and jobs in the field of blue tech.
“I really hope that this center becomes, not only just a regional, but a national and international, beacon and an example of what can happen with, public and private collaboration, an example of, you know, protection and stewardship of the Great Lakes, and freshwater around the world,” said Grey Luyt, Freshwater Research and Innovation Board Chair.
The Freshwater Innovation and Research Center is expected to house wet labs, a technical maker space, a water test tank, classrooms and meeting space and blue tech exhibit space that will be open to the public.
The $28.9 million dollar project is expected be completed by March of 2027.