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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]I[/dropcap]n Orion Township in Oakland County, a large business park devoted exclusively to cannabis businesses is expected to revitalize the area into a medical cannabis. It’s the latest cannabis business park to be erected in Michigan.

Earning the obligatory trust of neighbors is imperative towards receiving the needed approvals for any large cannabis-related project in Michigan. The absence of provisioning centers appears to be one of most important deciding factors in sealing the deal in certain cities.

On Oct. 2, groundbreaking began for the $40 million cannabis business park—which is touted as the first of its kind in Oakland County. The property will accommodate growers, processors, secure transporters and safety compliance operations. The facility will not include a provisioning center, because the township voted against having one. Non-retail cannabis operations aren’t considered a threat to the community’s image. Within the 25-acre property, a 288,000 square-foot complex with three buildings will be built on Premier Drive. The cannabis operations fall underneath the umbrella of the Oakland Business Park.

The park is the result of an alliance between multiple investors, attorney teams and cannabis industry insiders including Royal Oak-based GROW Cannabis Marketing. Beyond the initial specs, few details have been released about what to expect inside the business park or what other businesses will be involved.

CULTURE spoke to Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett, also a member of the Orion Township Board of Trustees, who voted in favor of the project. When asked whether or not the project could bring tangible economic benefits to the area, “Absolutely,” Barnett replied. “No question.”

Barnett believes that without a provisioning center, the neighboring residents won’t be bothered by cannabis-related activity that will soon take place. “The project has started,” Barnett told CULTURE. “There are three buildings. The first building’s foundation is already in. They will be erecting the facility very soon.” According to Barnett, the project’s business permit and state license must be approved each year, giving the community control over its future, but he doesn’t foresee any problems. The site will generate $250,000 to $300,000 in annual permit fees alone.

“The project has started. There are three buildings. The first building’s foundation is already in. They will be erecting the facility very soon.”

 

Rent on the property will not be cheap. The smallest rental space available at Oakland Business Park begins at 6,000 square-feet and for $14,000 per month. It is predicted that only medical cannabis businesses will be able to afford to rent spaces at that rate. As of mid-October, leases for three-quarters of the rental spaces were completed. The site will include a power substation to provide consistent electrical power for tenants in the park.

Cannabis business parks are a fairly new concept in Michigan, but are popping up in unexpected areas. In Windsor Township near Lansing, the Harvest Park medical cannabis development center boasted a large acreage and will provide the area with up to 1,000 jobs. Harvest Park is touted as “the largest medical marijuana development east of the Mississippi.” Green Peak Innovations  hosted a job fair on Oct. 11 to fill some of the jobs that Harvest Park will provide. Like Harvest Park, Oakland Business Park will provide hundreds of jobs to the area. Oakland Business Park’s first building will be completed by the end of the year.

 

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