The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is awarding a $1 million grant to the redevelopment of two unregulated dumps in Romulus. The nearly 290 acre site at 36411 Ecorse Road contains dumps historically known as the Dump Near Wicks and the Mendrek Dump. Both were used from 1957 through 1972. The Dump Near Wicks has been vacant since then. The Mendrek Dump property was used for pallet reconditioning from 1972 through 2020 and has been vacant since.
Site assessments found PCBs, methane, metals, volatile and PFAS compounds at the site. The $1 million EGLE Brownfield Redevelopment Grant will pay for further site assessments, field monitoring, limited transportation and disposal of contaminated soil and waste, and a vapor mitigation system for the new buildings. The city of Romulus, EGLE, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have also approved a little more than $25 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to pay for other work including a barrier to prevent contact with any remaining contamination, utility upgrades, and site preparation. TIF allows the increase in property tax revenue on the finished project to reimburse the developer for eligible brownfield costs.
Redevelopment plans call for the construction of two multi-tenant industrial buildings, approximately 470,000 and 547,000 square feet in size. The project will draw $75 million in capital investment and create an estimated 675 full-time equivalent jobs. Construction is scheduled to be finished in winter of 2027.
More than half of EGLE’s annual budget supports local projects, protects public health and the environment, and helps create economic growth and jobs for Michigan workers. Redevelopment increases the value of brownfield sites and other nearby properties.
Published February 2025