The Community Hub Project continues!

The future home of the Community Hub

Most recent rendering of the completed Hub project

As a refresher, in an effort to support our Strategic Priorities and create a stronger brand identity, HCCF is creating the Community Hub in downtown Bad Axe. The Community Hub Project is a strategic development that will provide additional resources to the community and region, add life to vacant properties, and create a permanent home for HCCF.

In addition to HCCF office space, the design includes:

  • a community board room

  • co-working office space

  • residential units

  • outdoor greenspace

In February of 2023, following more than 18 months of environmental testing, contractors were in and around the buildings removing contaminated materials in an effort to ready the properties for future development (photos below of the work completed). The project, through a partnership with the Huron County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (HCBRA) and Michigan Environmental Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), received a $600,000 grant to cover the cost of removing environmental contaminants from the site. The grant prioritizes removal of petroleum contamination from the soil, due to the site’s former use as a gas station, but will also aid in the removal of other materials. HCCF worked with HCBRA and EGLE for nearly two years to identify and plan for the remediation of this site so that construction can proceed. Asbestos abatement was the first step of the remediation process for the site. The abatement took approximately three weeks to complete.

Another source of great pride for HCCF in 2023 was the community support of the Hub Project. We raised nearly $700,000 from the local community which is an incredible testament to the visionaries we have in Huron County! This type of financial commitment from local businesses and donors demonstrates how excited the community is for development on that corner. During 2023, we leveraged our strong local support to receive federal and state grants. We received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture and from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. These two commitments helped us close the funding gap for demolition, remediation, and construction.  Additional dollars will need to be raised for furniture, fixtures, and staffing needs of the Hub, but we were elated to receive such strong community support and grant dollars for the Hub. 

Conversely, grant commitments are also why there wasn’t more visible progress on the site in 2023. We are diligently working through the paperwork and compliance that comes with grant dollars and have hopes for movement in 2024! As construction begins, we will keep our website up to date on the action.