The Cass County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority is planning an informational session for businesses and community leaders to learn about opportunities for development around the county this month.
Cass County Communications Manager Ambrosia Neldon tells us the county has secured a $300,000 grant to support site assessments and planning at qualifying sites, and now they’re seeking partners.
“Although there are some brownfield authorities at the local level at townships and cities, the county itself has never done a brownfield project,” Neldon said. “So this grant helped us to identify some prime opportunities in the city of Dowagiac and the village of Cassopolis.”
Neldon says with brownfield support, new uses could be developed for those sites.
“The Front Street Corridor in Dowagiac is one of our sites, and then there are a couple of sites that are in the Disbrow neighborhood in Cassopolis, and then there’s a site right across from Stone Lake. Currently it houses a barbecue restaurant.”
Neldon says the state grant could enable the county to better identify redevelopment opportunities and reduce barriers for projects that may otherwise be difficult to advance.
The informational session for developers and municipal leaders to learn about the possibilities will be on Wednesday, May 13, from 7 to 9 a.m. in the Cass County Administration Building.
