Genesee County, MI – The Genesee County Board of Commissioners, the Genesee County Treasurer’s Office and the Genesee County Land Bank have formed a partnership to acquire property for the future site of a permanent recycling and education center for the county.
Ownership of the site, located at 609 Chavez Drive in Flint, just west of I-475, was recently transferred to the county by the Land Bank. It was formerly the home of the McDonald Dairy (later Country Fresh) until the facility was shuttered in 2009. It has since fallen into disrepair and is becoming a public safety hazard.
“We’re incredibly excited about the prospect of a proper recycling and education center to serve the residents of the county,” said James Avery, Chairman of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners.
Avery added: “A partnership like this one is proof positive that we are moving forward with Genesee County’s priority of creating safer, healthier and more livable communities.”
To prepare the site for the prospect of a permanent facility, the Board of Commissioners approved the recommendation of the Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission (GCMPC) to create a budget of $650,000 from the County Treasurer’s delinquent tax revolving fund. The funds, which also cover contingency and administrative costs, will be used for demolition at the site. After completing the bid process, Burnash Wrecking was selected to complete the work.
The vision for the recycling and education center is to create a state-of-the-art facility that will provide a centralized location for the drop-off of recyclable materials. The center will also serve as an educational resource for the entire community, providing information on the benefits of recycling and sustainability.
“This partnership is a major step toward achieving an ambitious goal for our residents,” said Derek Bradshaw, GCMPC Director.
Bradshaw added: “We want to ensure that we are doing our part to promote environmental stewardship while offering residents a service that is in high demand.”
