FLINT — “Unions Built the Middle Class,” is a saying often heard throughout Michigan – especially around union halls. The United Auto Workers sit-down strike in Flint that started in 1936 led to recognition of the union and subsequent contracts led to the Michigan and United State middle class.
Years later, GM would leave flint and close its world-famous Buick City Plant. Many historians point to that moment as a key to dismantling of America’s middle class. But, thanks to the work of the Biden/Harris administration and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, conditions are now in place to build on the Buick City footprint.
According to hagerty.com, “On June 5, 2023, state and GM officials broke ground on the Flint Commerce Center industrial park, a $300 million redevelopment project that will bring new life to the Buick City site, much like the $66 million warehouse development that is currently under construction at the former AMC headquarters property in Detroit. Upon completion, the Flint Commerce Center will include 10 buildings, with a total footprint of 3.5 million square feet, and could provide up to 3000 new jobs.”
This project will mean immediate construction jobs on the site and 3,000 permanent jobs. Combined with the Mundy Township project (see earlier Great Lakes Weekly article at link) anchored by Western Digital, these projects represent a revival of manufacturing in the Flint area.
Governor Whitmer spoke about this project during an announcement in 2022, “By investing in the Buick City site, one of the largest brownfields in the state, we are creating long-term economic opportunity in Flint, boosting the state’s inventory of industrial facilities, and securing future investments in Michigan for years to come,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “This project will transform an underutilized property into functional, available space that is vital for ongoing business attraction and expansion efforts in the region.”
Congressman Kildee Announces Another Buick City Project
From a press release from the office of Congressman Dan Kildee: The U.S. Department of Energy announced it will award $60 million to NanoGraf to construct a new manufacturing facility in Buick City:
“I’m thrilled to see the Biden-Harris administration invest in American manufacturing right here in Flint. This major investment, which I fought hard to bring to our district, will create hundreds of new construction jobs and permanent jobs in Flint and breathe new life into the once bustling Buick City plant.
“My hometown has gone through a lot in the past few decades, but Flint families are resilient. I was proud to support new laws, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to invest in new economic projects to bring good-paying jobs back to our communities. This investment will help to create jobs, strengthen U.S. supply chains, and ensure we manufacture things in Michigan and the United States.
“I will continue working in Congress to make sure that Flint workers are part of America’s manufacturing renaissance.”
