Ren Zone time and boundary changes to benefit Onaway

October 28, 2002 Editor

by Gail Maggi, PIN Reporter

It pays to be persistent when it comes to state funding, as Community and Economic Development Agent Mary Ann Heidemann and Onaway City manager Joseph Hefele found out recently. The state of Michigan’s Strategic Fund, a public body that has final decision making on funding, several months ago decided that the time and boundary changes would be approved as requested for Onaway’s Renaissance Zone, but denied for Rogers City’s Industrial Renaissance Zone.

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At the time, Heidemann found out the Onaway request has been associated with a developer and the Rogers City request did not have a developer and that was the reason for the denial. Both Hefele and Heidemann attended a meeting in Lansing, made a presentation, and got results.

“To make a long story short, based on our presentation and how important those 15 new jobs were (to be created by LodgeStone Inc.) to Onaway, the Michigan Strategic Fund board reversed the staff recommendation and approved everything for Rogers City and Onaway,” Heidemann said.