MDOT awards grant to infrastructure project that will help add jobs in Auburn Hills

Fast facts:

• A TEDF grant totaling $1.6 million has been awarded to the City of Auburn Hills.
• The grant will help improve infrastructure that will support approximately 400 new jobs and $80 million in private investment in the automotive supply sector.
• TEDF grants help finance public highway, road and street projects for communities.

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced today the award of a $1.6 million Transportation Economic Development Fund (TEDF) grant that will support approximately 400 new jobs and $80 million in private investment in the automotive supply sector in Auburn Hills. TEDF grants help finance public highway, road and street projects that are critical to the movement of people and products, and get workers to their jobs, materials to growers and manufacturers, and finished goods to consumers.

Headquartered in Southfield, Lear Corp. is a leading automotive supplier of seating and E-Systems that operates 258 sites in 36 countries. The company is adding to its 15 Michigan sites with a facility in the city of Auburn Hills at the northeast corner of Taylor and Giddings roads. Lear selected this location for its proximity to the General Motors (GM) Orion Township plant, access to interstate highways, and site capacity and readiness.

"Auburn Hills admires and appreciates the cooperation from Lear Corp. in working toward a solution to traffic concerns in the area in which they will be locating, and funding from MDOT not only addresses these concerns but also supports job creation and invests in infrastructure that will continue to support these jobs for years to come," said Tom Tanghe, city manager of Auburn Hills. "Lear's strategic selection of an Auburn Hills location will serve them well in delivering their customer, GM in nearby Orion Township, and we welcome them as a new corporate citizen."

Lear will renovate the facility at 3600 Giddings Road, inside and out, to serve as a just-in-time vehicle seat manufacturer supporting GM's Orion Assembly Plant. This project represents the company's continued investment in Michigan manufacturing. Lear intends to complete site renovations this summer and begin operations in the fall. In addition to the site renovations, Lear has partnered with the City of Auburn Hills to address existing high-flow traffic at the intersection of Taylor and Giddings roads. With the support of a TEDF Category A grant from MDOT, the city will convert the existing two-way stop-controlled intersection into a four-way roundabout this summer. The project is expected to improve traffic flow at the intersection, reduce travel times and improve safety.

"Lear appreciates the collaboration of the State of Michigan, MDOT and the City of Auburn Hills in helping advance this important project," said Ray Scott, Lear president and CEO. "Our state-of-the-art Auburn Hills facility will support new manufacturing technologies for key GM vehicles assembled in Michigan. Lear is proud to support Michigan manufacturing through continued investment, innovation and technology. We are honored to work with customers like GM to help strengthen Michigan's economy and long-term competitiveness."

The total cost of the roundabout project is $2,002,127, including $1,661,127 in construction costs. The TEDF Category A program will provide up to $1.6 million, or 96 percent, of eligible construction costs. The City of Auburn Hills will provide the required match through a combination of $61,127 in construction costs and $341,000 in non-construction project-related costs, in addition to any cost overruns and nonparticipating work.

About Transportation Economic Development Fund Grants

Enacted in 1987 and reauthorized in 1993, TEDF "Category A," or "Targeted Industries Program," grants provide state funding for public roadway improvements that allow road agencies to respond quickly to the transportation needs of expanding companies and eliminate inadequate roadways as an obstacle to private investment and job creation. Eligible road agencies include MDOT, county road commissions, cities and villages. More information about the program is available online at https://www.Michigan.gov/TEDF.