EGLE grant will help a new business, new jobs bloom in west Michigan

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is awarding a $200,000 Brownfield Redevelopment Grant to a project that will turn a contaminated site into a new floral shop in Holland. The property at 148 East 32^nd Street was originally developed as the Maplewood Dry Cleaners in 1948. The business closed in 2021, and the site has been vacant since then.

An environmental site assessment done in 2023 found drycleaning solvents in soil. Much of the contamination is beneath the existing building, which the developer plans to re-use. The EGLE grant will be used for further environmental assessments and for the design, installation, and commissioning of a vapor mitigation system to prevent harmful vapors from getting into the new floral shop or into nearby buildings.

The $375,000 project is expected to create two new jobs and increase the city of Holland’s tax revenue. It meets the city’s goals of reusing and reinvesting in contaminated commercial sites as well as incorporating sustainable and energy-efficient development. Renovations are expected to be finished in the summer of 2027.

More than half of EGLE’s annual budget supports local projects, protects public health and the environment, and helps create economic growth and jobs for Michigan workers. Redevelopment increases the value of brownfield sites and other nearby properties. In 2025, the EGLE Brownfield program provided over $23 million in Brownfield incentives to 76 projects in 52 Michigan communities. These projects are projected to create over 440 housing units, 600 jobs, and result in a capital investment of over $675 million.