LANSING -- State Representative Steve Lindberg (D-Marquette) and State Senator Mike Prusi (D-Ishpeming) today announced that $120,000 has been allocated in this year's budget to determine how the former Camp Manistique facility, and other closed Upper Peninsula prison facilities, can best be used to bring jobs to the Upper Peninsula and rejuvenate the region's economy.
"My Upper Peninsula colleagues and I fought tooth and nail to save Camp Manistique from closure," Lindberg said. "While its loss is a blow to the hardworking residents of the Upper Peninsula, sometimes you have to make lemonade from lemons. This funding will allow us to maximize the ways we can reuse this facility."
The closure of Camp Manistique will save $4.6 million, which the state will use to fund vital services such as education, health care and police and fire protection. Lindberg and Prusi worked to secure the $120,000 that will be used to conduct a feasibility study on the reuse of these facilities.
Camp Manistique, which had housed 216 prisoners and had a 49-employee roster, is only 14 years old. Lindberg and Prusi added that they are working to expedite the land appraisal of the property to assist in its redevelopment. The appraisal should be completed by the end of year.
"While we did everything in our power to save Camp Manistique, our fight is not yet over," Prusi said. "This is a relatively new and well-maintained facility that can potentially serve as a base of operations for different businesses or organizations, and I appreciate my House and Senate colleagues' bi-partisan commitment to helping the Manistique community move forward through this transition."