Tag Archives: Kent County Sustainable Business Park

Two businesses approved to be ‘anchor tenants’ at Kent County Sustainable Business Park

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Kent County Land for planned Sustainable Business Park, aerial shot that includes the property adjacent to the landfill, with the landfill in the background. (Kent County)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org


Kent County has announced that a Project Development Agreement has been approved for an “anchor tenant” at the county’s planned Sustainable Business Park in Kent County’s Byron Township, southeast of Byron Center, with the Department of Public Works set to “work with” Continuus Materials and Anaergia on “developing landfill alternative” businesses.

According to a Monday, March 7, statement, late last week the Kent County Board of Public Works approved a Project Development Agreement (PDA) with Kent County Bioenergy Facility, a joint venture between Continuus Materials and Anaergia, and the agreement is now fully executed.

The two companies partnered on a response to a Request for Proposals from Kent County for an “anchor tenant” at the Sustainable Business Park which is planned for 250 acres adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Township.

For a previous WKTV story on the planned Sustainable Business Park, visit here.

Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, (center in yellow vest) discusses the proposed Kent County Sustainable Business Park in Byron Center with Liesl Eichler Clark, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, (Center in orange vest) on a tour in October 2021. (Kent County)

According to the announcement, the PDA is the next step in developing a “multi-faceted mixed waste processing facility capable of handling 430,000 tons of municipal solid waste and recyclables each year to produce renewable natural gas, fertilizer, and recyclable commodities.”

Anaergia has a “proven track record” on four continents of turning organic waste into renewable natural gas and fertilizer using high efficiency anaerobic digestion, according to the announcement. Continuus Materials will produce a roof coverboard material, called Everboard, on site from low value plastics and paper. The plan calls for other recycling and waste processing companies to locate around the anchor tenant at the future Sustainable Business Park.

“We are excited to take the next step in a public-private partnership to help us achieve our goal of diverting 90 percent of trash from the South Kent Landfill by 2030,” Emily Brieve, chair of the Kent County Board of Public Works, said in supplied material/ “Approving the PDA is the culmination of several years of evaluation and due- diligence to find the right company that was a good fit for our community with proven technology. Now the real work begins to nail down costs, schedules and site plans.”

The PDA will guide the DPW and Kent County Bioenergy Facility over the next 18 to 36 months until the project can be fully contracted and financed. If all goes as planned, the facility could be up and running in about three years. The PDA process will also include “continued stakeholder involvement” in the project and to develop supporting policy.

The plan currently calls for Kent County to make a $70 million investment through a bond that would be repaid by tipping fees and shared revenue from materials produced at the park.

Kent County Bioenergy Facility would invest an estimated $280 million and operate the facility. The State of Michigan recently allocated $4 million in the 2021-22 budget toward an estimate $19 million of necessary site preparation and infrastructure.

After $4 million appropriation, state official tours site of Kent County Sustainable Business Park

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Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, (center in yellow vest) discusses the proposed Kent County Sustainable Business Park in Byron Center with Liesl Eichler Clark, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, (Center in orange vest) on a tour Oct. 15. (Kent County)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Following the announcement of a $4 million appropriation from the State of Michigan, the director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy last week toured the South Kent Landfill and future site of the proposed Kent County Sustainable Business Park.

Also on the Friday, Oct. 15, tour were representatives from Kent County Department of Public Works, Allegan County and Dorr Township. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) recently included a $4 million appropriation in the 2022 state budget to support necessary infrastructure improvements at the site.

Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, (in yellow vest) discusses the proposed Kent County Sustainable Business Park in Byron Center with Liesl Eichler Clark, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, (Center in orange vest) on a tour Oct. 15. (Kent County)

Approved in 2018, the Sustainable Business Park Master Plan lays out “a vision for transitioning away from landfilling waste in favor of placing value on components of the waste as feedstock for new products or fuel sources,” according to the county. The Master Plan calls for an anchor tenant that will receive the mixed waste currently going to the landfill and separate it for other future tenants to utilize.

“Kent County’s Sustainable Business Park is an important investment in sustainable materials management and growing a vibrant circular economy. This initiative puts Michiganders to work making new products from the materials residents take to their curb each week,” Liesl Eichler Clark, director of EGLE, said in supplied material. “This site visit is a chance to get a first-hand look at what’s planned with State of Michigan support for the project, and learn about the park’s potential to increase recycling, conserve natural resources, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Sustainable Business Park, planned for 250 acres adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center, will be built on land that was initially purchased by Kent County to create a new landfill. The state funding will go to infrastructure improvements on the site such as utilities, roads and stormwater to prepare it for initial tenants. The first phase of infrastructure development is estimated to cost $19 million.

“The site visit by EGLE allowed us the opportunity to show how this project is moving us closer to our landfill diversion goals in Kent County,” Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, said in supplied material. “The state funding will lay the foundation for additional private investment in the entire park.”

For more on the Sustainable Business Park, visit previous WKTV stories here.

Kent County Land for planned Sustainable Business Park, aerial shot that includes the property adjacent to the landfill, with the landfill in the background. (Kent County)

County’s Sustainable Business Park, designed to avoid landfill use, gets $4 million in state funding

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Kent County Land for planned Sustainable Business Park, aerial shot that includes the property adjacent to the landfill, with the landfill in the background. (Supplied/Kent County)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Kent County’s efforts to reduce use of landfills has gained a big vote of support — in the form of a $4 million state allocation — as the county’s Department of Public Works announced this week that its Sustainable Business Park plans will now have initial funding for infrastructure improvements.

The Sustainable Business Park, planned for 250 acres adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center, will be built on land that was initially purchased by Kent County to create a new landfill for Kent and Allegan counties. The goal of the park plan is to attract businesses which will lessen landfill use by diverting waste streams.

Trash being dumped at the Kent County landfill. (Supplied/Kent County)

For a WKTV story when the Sustainable Business Park was initially announced visit here. For a WKTV Journal In Focus video interview with Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works, discussing the Sustainable Business Park visit here.

The state funding will go toward infrastructure improvements on the site such as utilities, roads and stormwater to prepare it for initial tenants. The first phase of infrastructure development is estimated to cost $19 million, according to the county.

“The state investment in this important project will vastly reduce Kent County’s landfill usage and contribute to a circular economy, ,” Baas said in supplied material. “Landfills are not the legacy anyone wants to leave for future generations and this investment is an acknowledgement that we’re on the right path toward a more sustainable future.”

The $4 million coming to Kent County is an appropriation in the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) budget. The Michigan Legislature approved a $69.9 billion fiscal year 2022 state budget last week.
 

“We want to thank our elected leaders,” Baas said, “including state Reps. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, and Bryan Posthumus, R-Cannon Township, and state Sens. Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, and Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton, for their support of this project and moving us closer to our landfill diversion goals.”

Approved in 2018, the Sustainable Business Park Master Plan lays out a vision for transitioning away from landfilling waste in favor of placing value on components of the waste as feedstock for new products or fuel sources, according to the county announcement.

The Master Plan calls for an anchor tenant that will receive the mixed waste currently going to the landfill and separate it for secondary and tertiary tenants to utilize. The state funding will lay the foundation for additional private investment in the entire park.

Kent County DPW receives MEDC grant for Sustainable Business Park site planning

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Kent County Land for planned Sustainable Business Park, aerial shot that includes the property adjacent to the landfill, with the landfill in the background. (Supplied/Kent County)

By WKTV Staff

ken@wktv.org

Kent County’s plan to create a Sustainable Business Park adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center took another step forward early this month when the Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) received a $95,000 site readiness grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The grant was announced by Kent County DPW and The Right Place.

The planned 250-acre Sustainable Business Park is aimed at creating a industrial center with the prime goal to convert waste into marketable goods and services.

“Kent County is committed to becoming a regional, state and national leader in reducing landfill waste by attracting companies that can convert that waste into new products, consumer goods and energy,” Dar Baas, director of the Kent County DPW. said in supplied material. “The Sustainable Business Park will have a positive economic and environmental impact for both Allegan and Kent Counties and we are thankful for support from the MEDC to begin the site planning phase of this innovative, first-of-its kind project.”

The grant is part of the MEDC’s new competitive Michigan Build Ready Sites program, the targeted grant program of the Site Readiness Improvement program, according to supplied material.

The MEDC program, according to its website, is intended to allow “Michigan to gain a competitive advantage when it comes to business attraction and expansion projects, it must assist communities or other public entities … with the development/enhancement of industrial sites to make them vetted sites and ready to compete for site selection projects. Vetted sites may be defined as a site that has appropriate planning, zoning, surveys, title work, environmental conditions, soil conditions, infrastructure is in place or preliminary engineering is completed, the property is available for sale and development and site information is ready, and up-to-date.”

The grant was secured as part of the Kent County DPW’s and The Right Place’s 3-year partnership to help support the planning and development of the Sustainable Business Park, as well as identify sources of funding for the project and building community partnerships.

Last year, the Kent County DPW board approved a master plan for the Sustainable Business Park on 250 acres of land currently used for agriculture and previously designated for landfill expansion. The grant, with a 1:1 match from Kent County, will be used to survey and develop topographic profiles for the Sustainable Business Park, as well as develop engineering and environmental reports.

“The Sustainable Business Park is a collaborative economic development project that will attract investment and create jobs while making a positive environmental impact,” Birgit M. Klohs, President and CEO, The Right Place, Inc., said in supplied material. “The site readiness grant from the MEDC will provide critical support in developing shovel-ready land, which will give the Sustainable Business Park a competitive edge in attracting businesses.”

The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) provides solid waste management services to Kent County. The DPW manages facilities and programs that include the Recycling & Education Center, Waste-to-Energy Facility, North Kent Recycling & Waste Center and South Kent Recycling & Waste Center.

According to the DPW, building a Sustainable Business Park is part of the Kent County DPW’s solution to decreasing the growing amount of solid waste buried in landfills. Kent County DPW processes over 1 billion pounds of waste each year and estimates 75 percent of that waste could be reused, recycled or converted. For more information, visit reimaginetrash.org.

Kent County public works partners with The Right Place on Sustainable Business Park plan

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Kent County Land for planned Sustainable Business Park, aerial shot that includes the property adjacent to the landfill, with the landfill in the background. (Supplied/Kent County)

By Kent County

The Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) and The Right Place, Inc. have announced a multi-year strategic partnership for the planning and development of the Kent County Sustainable Business Park.

Under the terms of the three-year agreement, The Right Place will support the planning and development of the Kent County Sustainable Business Park through business development and infrastructure planning efforts. The Right Place will also assist the county with managing community partnerships and identifying new sources of funding for the Sustainable Business Park.

In October 2018, the Kent County Board of Public Works (BPW) approved the Sustainable Business Park Master Plan for 250 acres adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center. This plan was created by local and national experts and includes recommendations on how Kent County can transition from a reliance upon disposal of trash in landfills toward a sustainable materials management system where waste materials are either reused in new production processes or products, recovered, or converted into renewable energy.
 

Kent County DPW processes over 1 billion pounds of waste each year and estimates 75 percent of that waste could be reused, recycled, or converted. The Sustainable Business Park could generate $500 million in direct private sector capital investment and 150 jobs could be created by processing and waste sorting alone. As part of the master plan approval, BPW authorized DPW to form a business development team to implement the plan, which includes The Right Place.

“The Sustainable Business Park will significantly reduce the amount of trash going into landfills and attract investment from companies that can convert waste into usable products,” said Dar Baas, director of the Kent County DPW. “The Sustainable Business Park is part of our community’s vision for a Circular Economy and our partnership with The Right Place will help attract businesses, technology developers, startups and non-profits from across the country that align with the Sustainable Business Park’s goals.”

As part of DPW’s Reimagine Trash strategic vision, there is a goal to reduce Kent County-generated municipal, commercial, and industrial solid waste going to landfills by 90 percent by 2030. The development of the Kent County Sustainable Business Park is critical to reaching that goal.
 

“The Sustainable Business Park has the potential to generate investment and create jobs in West Michigan, while serving as a national model of what communities can achieve with a practical, innovative approach towards recycling and upcycling,” said Birgit M. Klohs, President and CEO, The Right Place, Inc. “We look forward to partnering with Kent County Department of Public Works to bring the Sustainable Business Park to life.”

Absentee student problem, ambitious county landfill plan on WKTV Journal In Focus

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K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

 

On the latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, countywide issues that impact public school students educational success rates and also the quality of the environment they will inherit.

 

We talk with two education experts on the Strive for Less than 5 effort to combat high rates of student absenteeism, and then we talk with the director of the county’s public works department about Kent County’s Sustainable Business Park Master Plan for 250 acres adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center.

 

Explaining the importance of the “Strive for Less than 5” countywide campaign is Mel Atkins II, Executive Director of Community & Student Affairs for Grand Rapids Public Schools, and Kent ISD data researcher Sunil Joy, who has studied the importance of the reducing absenteeism.

 

Also on the show is Darwin J. Baas, Director of the Kent County Department of Public Works. Baas will discuss the details of the Sustainable Business Park Master Plan, which is intended to provide opportunity for partnerships and innovative approaches to managing waste in the county, with the goal of diverting 90 percent of trash from the South Kent Land ll by 2030.

 

 

 

“WKTV Journal In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.

 

Byron Center site will be Kent County Sustainable Business Park

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Kent County Land for planned Sustainable Business Park, aerial shot that includes the property adjacent to the landfill, with the landfill in the background. (Supplied/Kent County)

 

By Kent County

 

In an effort to provide opportunity for partnerships and innovative approaches to managing waste, the Kent County Board of Public Works last week approved the Sustainable Business Park Master Plan for 250 acres adjacent to the South Kent Land ll in Byron Center.

 

The Sustainable Business Park Master Plan was created by local and national experts over the course of 12 months and includes details on the necessary improvements, costs, funding sources and implementation schedule for the project.

 

“We set a bold goal of diverting 90 percent of trash from the South Kent Land ll by 2030, and building a Sustainable Business Park is essential to reaching that goal,” said Dar Baas, Director of the Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW). “With the approval of the Master Plan we have a roadmap for how organizations, businesses, technology developers, startups and non-profits can help us make progress toward our economic and environmental goals and advance our vision for a Circular Economy.”

 

The Master Plan includes recommendations for how Kent County can transition from a reliance upon disposal of trash in landfills towards a sustainable materials management system where waste materials are either reused in new processes or products or used in the production of energy.

 

Building a Sustainable Business Park is part of the Kent County DPW’s solution to decreasing the growing amount of solid waste buried in Kent County’s South Kent Land ll. Kent County DPW processes over 1 billion pounds of waste each year at its facilities and estimates 75 percent of that waste could be reused, recycled or converted. Currently, only 6 to 8 percent of waste is recycled.

 

“The Sustainable Business Park is a step in the right direction to finding alternatives to landfilling waste,” said Ted Vonk, chair of the Board of Public Works. “By approving this Master Plan we are proving Kent County to be a national leader in implementing a practical, innovative approach to managing our waste while creating jobs in our region.”

 

For more information about the Sustainable Business Park and to download the completed plan, visit www.reimaginetrash.org.