Seven U.P. Projects Awarded State Development Grants

Seven of those 19 projects are here in the Upper Peninsula.

This announcement marks the first joint recommendations following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2025-9, which transferred the Rural Development Fund Board from MDARD to LEO. The executive order also reinforces continued collaboration between the two departments to advance shared strategies that support rural prosperity across the state.

These Rural Development Fund grant awards total more than $1.6 million in support of 19 projects across Michigan. The recommended projects include investments in critical infrastructure, agricultural processing, and community development initiatives that strengthen local economies and improve the quality of life in rural communities.

Here’s a complete list of U.P. grant recipients, totals and what the funding will be used for:

• Black Pearl Estate LLC (Paradise, MI), $97,413: Support rural economic development in Paradise by activating an underutilized facility into a flexible community and business hub that expands market access for local producers, supports entrepreneurship and lays the foundation for long-term job creation and private investment.

• Forsyth Forward, (Gwinn, MI) $100,000.00: Enhance outdoor recreation and tourism in Forsyth Township by developing a regional non-motorized trail network that connects communities, improves quality of life and drives local economic activity.

• Kinross Charter Township (Kincheloe, MI), $56,000: Modernize critical community infrastructure in Chippewa County by replacing the unsafe fairgrounds grandstand and upgrading water, sewer and facility amenities to improve safety, expand event capacity and support regional tourism and agriculture.

• Pickford Utility Authority (Pickford, MI), $48,058: Maintain critical wastewater infrastructure in Pickford by replacing aging sewer equipment to ensure reliable service, protect public health and support community and economic stability.

• Soo Locks Children’s Museum (Sault Ste. Marie, MI), $92,830: Complete interior construction of the Soo Locks Children’s Museum in Sault Ste. Marie by installing drywall, flooring, and essential building systems to enable occupancy, support year-round educational use and strengthen local tourism infrastructure.

• The Negaunee Holdings LLC (Negaunee, MI), $40,000: Complete building system upgrades including HVAC and fire suppression improvements to support the construction of a new cafe.

• Watersmeet Township (Watersmeet, MI), $100,000: Install modern residential water meters across all eligible connections, integrate them into the Township’s water system and replace the existing unmetered system with accurate, digital metering infrastructure.