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Wixom accepts Oakland County grant to fund Alpha Drive pre-engineering tied to possible employer site
Summary
Council accepted a $155,500 subgrant from Oakland County to fund pre-engineering for an Alpha Drive extension to support a tentative major employer site; the city approved up to $167,680 in engineering work from Hubble, Roth & Clark with the LDFA covering any remainder (estimated up to about $12,000).
The Wixom City Council voted Dec. 16 to accept a proposed subgrant allocation from Oakland County's Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve to fund pre-engineering for an extension of Alpha Drive. The work supports site readiness for a tentatively located employer project and would also position the city to pursue additional state grants such as a Michigan Department of Transportation TEDF award.
Assistant City Manager Drew Benson said the subgrant would provide $155,500 toward Hubble, Roth & Clark's proposed not-to-exceed engineering scope of $167,680; the city's Local Development Finance Authority (LDFA) would cover any remaining balance, which staff estimated could be about $12,000 if the full engineering cap is reached. The scope includes topographic surveys, right-of-way descriptions, coordination with an adjacent property owner, and preliminary design work needed for state grant applications.
Benson said Oakland County and regional partners (Detroit Regional Partnership and state partners) were supporting the effort given the potential for several hundred jobs at the prospective site. Council members asked whether the city's contribution was fixed; staff said the $167,680 figure is an upper authorization and the city would only pay the remainder if work reached that limit. Council approved the acceptance of the grant, the HRC proposal authorization and the associated budget amendment so the LDFA could manage the local share.
Staff noted that even if the specific employer opportunity does not proceed, engineering deliverables will improve site readiness for future economic attraction efforts. The council voted to accept the subgrant and authorize the work; the DDA/LDFA structure will be used for project accounting and grant compliance.
