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FCA Public Incentive Updates

This week the news reported on increased in public investments for the FCA expansion in our neighborhood and other FCA projects in Southeastern Michigan.

Crain’s: Tax incentives for FCA plants in Southeast Michigan may top $400 million


FCA’s tax incentives now total $384.5 million and could climb to as high as $422 million if the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy approves an additional $37.83 million in tax increment financing.

The automaker submitted a draft plan to EGLE on June 24 that was “missing a significant amount of environmental data for the properties that are included in the project,” EGLE spokeswoman Jill Greenberg said in an email to Crain’s.

FCA has since submitted additional information and the state agency is reviewing the application for the TIF incentive, Greenberg said.

Under the brownfield tax incentive program, the Detroit Brownfield Redevelopment Authority will be able to capture nearly $93 million in state, local and school property taxes over 30 years generated by FCA, beginning in 2022, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

FCA’s property has already been approved for an Industrial Facilities Exemption for the first 10 years of the 30-tax capture.

The tax incentives will help subsidize the DRBA’s cost of remediation of the existing brownfield, building surface parking lots, storage areas and new stormwater management infrastructure across 286 parcels encompassing 387 acres.

The brownfield tax capture is tied to nearly $83 million in direct costs, plus another $10 million in interest at a rate of 5 percent over the 30-year life of the tax capture.

The direct costs include nearly $61 million in land acquisition, $17.5 million for land preparation at the Mack Avenue site, a 15 percent contingency fund of $2.6 million and $197,500 in lead asbestos abatement, according to an MEDC memo to MSF board members.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/economic-development/tax-incentives-fca-plants-southeast-michigan-may-top-400-million

Free Press: Fiat Chrysler gets another $92.8M for Mack Avenue plant project

Of the $92.8 million in taxes to be captured, an estimated $34 million would otherwise have gone toward school funding, according to briefing documents. Local taxes will comprise 63% of the captured taxes; state taxes about 37%.

Without the brownfield redevelopment subsidy, Fiat Chrysler wouldn’t undertake the Mack project and, instead, would put that factory capacity in Illinois or even Mexico, according to briefing documents for the Michigan Strategic Fund’s Board of Directors.

“Without incentive assistance, the company would proceed forward with the project outside of Michigan,” the briefing documents say.

The brownfield program uses tax-increment financing to reimburse costs related to redeveloping contaminated, blighted, functionally obsolete or historic properties. 

Fiat Chrysler’s $92.8 million brownfield plan is not the project’s only development subsidy. In May, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved $140 million in various incentives for Fiat Chrysler to move ahead with the Mack plant project as well as upgrades at the adjacent Jefferson North Assembly Plant.

Fiat Chrysler is spending an additional $800 million to upgrade Jefferson North.

Separately, Fiat Chrysler could receive up to $37.8 million in additional local and state tax-capture subsidies for the Mack project through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. That potential subsidy also relates to the brownfield redevelopment program.

A department spokesperson said Tuesday that the department is still reviewing Fiat Chrysler’s plans and hasn’t approved the request.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2019/07/23/fiat-chrysler-mack-avenue-plant-detroit/1803696001/?fbclid=IwAR3ms8PdpqcRqhC4_xf9Ih24nkSKgEYRsgU1DAEAtDKBsKuLUQUYK2wYR40
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Make Detroit the Engine of the Green New Deal

The Democratic Presidential Debate is Next Week! 

We’ve been participating in a coalition of local groups working to bring issues that impact Detroiters and other frontline communities to the forefront of the discussion at the Presidential Candidate debate at the Fox Theater on July 30 and 31. There will be a rally and march Tuesday July 30th. 

More Media – Detroit Is the Engine of the Green New Deal Video

Sanaa is featured in a new video that is getting a great deal of attention.

“Many of the candidates are supporting a major environmental and jobs programs This could be a great thing, but only if it prioritizes the leadership, issues and needs of Detroiters. That’s why our message is MAKE DETROIT THE ENGINE OF THE GREEN NEW DEAL.”

“We’ll be raising up issues including water shutoffs, air pollution, environmental racism, emergency management and tax giveaways to corporations and billionaires, the need for good union jobs and worker power for Detroiters, and the work that’s beginning to establish a healthy and regenerative economy here in Detroit.” Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/459306721523008/ 

ART!

Detroit Frontline Coalition invites friends to join us at the Cass Commons, Sat, Sun and Mon 3-8pm making banners and signs for Tuesday’s big rally and march, “Make Detroit the Engine of the Green New Deal”, to welcome the Democratic presidential candidates to Detroit.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1188146101372762/?event_time_id=1188146104706095&ti=as

Copy of Copy of Impact Area Resident EnvironmentalUpdate

July 26 Update – More public money? Better Environmental Health Protections?

There are many things to share. Please make a note to join us, and if you live in the Impact Area, to bring a neighbor or 4, for the next gathering Wednesday August 7, 6 – 8 pm. We’ll meet again in the Cooper Room at WCCC East. 

Eastside Resident Environmental Health Working Group
Mapping and Strategy Session
Wednesday, August 7, 6-8 pm
Wayne County Community College – East Campus
5901 Conner St, Detroit, MI 48213
Cooper Room, Free and Secure Parking

Thank you!

  • First, we want to thank you for joining us at WCCC East on the 17th. We thought it was an informative meeting and we had a great matching of residents from the neighborhoods around FCA and community experts from 48217 and Southwest Detroit. 
  • We want to thank Kathryn Savoie from the Ecology Center https://www.ecocenter.org for leading a super informative discussion on Environmental Health, Air Quality and Environmental Racism. (All the notes and some resources are below) 
  • We want to thank Michelle Martinez of the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition https://michiganenvironmentaljusticecoalition.wordpress.com for her support of the discussion, for their printing of our flyers and setting us up with the amazing food from Mama Nezza’s Paradise Foods. https://paradisedetroit.com
  • We want to thank Theresa Landrum from 48217 and other resident activist from Southwest Detroit who shared some of their stories and history. Their decades of work directly influenced where we are at here on the Eastside with FCA. We’re also grateful that many of them have agreed to return and support the August 7th meeting. 
  • We want to thank EMEAC youth and EJAM fellows for helping us get the word out about the meeting on both sides of FCA through calls and canvassing.

FCA Resident Update

This week the news has been writing that public investment in the FCA expansion could now be up to $400 million. The NAC negotiated based on $160 million in public investment. Check the links. This will be an agenda item August 7th. 

“Of the $92.8 million in taxes to be captured, an estimated $34 million would otherwise have gone toward school funding, according to briefing documents. Local taxes will comprise 63% of the captured taxes; state taxes about 37%” 

Link: https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2019/07/23/fiat-chrysler-mack-avenue-plant-detroit/1803696001/?fbclid=IwAR3ms8PdpqcRqhC4_xf9Ih24nkSKgEYRsgU1DAEAtDKBsKuLUQUYK2wYR40

We’ve heard that the city and FCA have reconvened the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) in a meeting that included an update on the environmental planning to meet the EGLE permit requirements. We will include this development in the August 7th agenda as well.

FCA Environmental Media Coverage

On Monday, WDET broadcast a story about the FCA expansion and concerns over Air Quality. Michelle Martinez, Gregg Newsom and other FCA area residents are featured. Please consider sharing through social media to raise awareness. 

https://wdet.org/posts/2019/07/22/88427-detroits-east-side-is-already-polluted-will-fiat-chrysler-make-it-worse/?fbclid=IwAR2wZWNq1pYl2ZzHRl8hBTe9WG1wfbpVHK3tmvl67mAspwuj0W5t9V7bZM0

Environmental Health Learning Circle Notes

We’ve put up all the notes on the webpage so that we can all easily share with neighbors. https://www.eastsideenvironmental.org

The Democratic Presidential Debate is Next Week! 

We’ve been participating in a coalition of local groups working to bring issues that impact Detroiters and other frontline communities to the forefront of the discussion at the Presidential Candidate debate at the Fox Theater on July 30 and 31. There will be a rally and march Tuesday July 30th. 

More Media – Detroit Is the Engine of the Green New Deal Video

Sanaa is featured in a new video that is getting a great deal of attention.

“Many of the candidates are supporting a major environmental and jobs programs This could be a great thing, but only if it prioritizes the leadership, issues and needs of Detroiters. That’s why our message is MAKE DETROIT THE ENGINE OF THE GREEN NEW DEAL.”

“We’ll be raising up issues including water shutoffs, air pollution, environmental racism, emergency management and tax giveaways to corporations and billionaires, the need for good union jobs and worker power for Detroiters, and the work that’s beginning to establish a healthy and regenerative economy here in Detroit.” Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/459306721523008/ 

ART!

Detroit Frontline Coalition invites friends to join us at the Cass Commons, Sat, Sun and Mon 3-8pm making banners and signs for Tuesday’s big rally and march, “Make Detroit the Engine of the Green New Deal”, to welcome the Democratic presidential candidates to Detroit.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1188146101372762/?event_time_id=1188146104706095&ti=as

July17Kicker3

The Fiat Chrysler Expansion, Industrial Development and Environmental Health 

In March, thanks to the efforts of generations of activists in a long struggle, the closing of Detroit’s infamous incinerator was announced. Also in March, the city of Detroit revealed negotiations with Fiat Chrysler America (FCA) that paved the way for what will be the first new auto assembly plant in Detroit in decades. This project will bring more industrial development as suppliers move in to support FCA. 

During the process mandated by the Community Benefits Ordinance, residents in the impact area clearly stated concern over the plants impact on their health. With support from the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition and the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, residents began to learn and share more details about the impact of the expansion and the existing health issues many of us face. We learned that: 

In an unprecedented move, the State’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE, formerly MDEQ) permit approval requires FCA create a plan for additional monitoring and “community benefits” to address environmental health issues passionately raised by residents at the public hearing. FCA has been given 180 days (October  26, 2019) to create the plan. This is a major win for residents that certainly reflects the long-term struggle for environmental justice for black and brown communities in Detroit. 

Residents that attended the EGLE public hearing have been meeting since. We have been conducting Environmental Health Surveys to learn more about resident needs, and want residents to be included in FCA’s plans for our future.

Join us Wednesday, July 17th at Wayne County Community College, East for an Environmental Health Info and Strategy Session. We will serve dinner at 6 pm and our discussion will begin at 6:30 pm. We have invited by a few trusted experts who will help us to learn more about our environment. We’ll also hear from advocates and activist who have been part of the environmental justice movement in Detroit for years. While this gathering will have emphasis on new industrial development on the Eastside, we encourage Detroiters from across the city to join us.

Environmental Health Info and Strategy Session

Wednesday, July 17th 6 – 8 pm
Wayne County Community College, Eastern Campus
5901 Conner St, Detroit, MI 48213
Cooper Room, Free and Secure Parking

The event is FREE. Diner will be served at 6pm with the program beginning at 6:30pm

Eastside Resident Environmental Health Working Group