MARSHALL, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MAEDA) is working with the local Amish community in Albion and the Calhoun County Fairgrounds to repurpose and preserve barns currently located at the future site of Ford’s BlueOval Battery Park, which officials say will create 2,500 jobs when it opens in 2026.
MAEDA set up a committee of community members in June to determine cost-effective plans to relocate and revitalize said barns and structures. Members of the committee then determined that the largest barn and associated structures located at 13024 C Drive North in Marshall must be relocated in order for site preparation and construction to proceed on schedule.
MAEDA officials have awarded the Amish community in Albion a large barn and the attached structure on the site for $1. In return, officials expect that the Amish will disassemble, revitalize and move the structures at no cost to the community, as the cost for a private contractor to move and bring the large barn up to code for public use came in what they say would be millions of dollars.
“We are excited to announce that the local Amish have agreed to repurpose the barn for active agricultural use,” said Jim Durian, CEO of MAEDA. “The large barn will live on to support active farming operations that will provide life-sustaining food to families in our community.”
All of the other structures on C Drive North have also been awarded to the Calhoun County Fairgrounds for $1.
According to a news release on Thursday, July 13, MAEDA has recently closed on the property and will have possession of it in early 2024.
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