Bay Mills tribe's mass timber project receives $50K in state funding

The Bay Mills Indian Community's planned long-term care facility in Brimley received $50,000 from Michigan's Mass Timber Catalyst Program, one of 10 projects sharing $400,000. Project teams in the cohort will also receive technical assistance from Woodworks and MassTimber@MSU.

The Bay Mills Indian Community plans a long-term care facility in Brimley that will use mass timber construction techniques. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced the project will receive $50,000 through the Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program. That award is part of a first cohort intended to spur mass timber building across the state. The Brimley project is the only Upper Peninsula entry in the cohort and will receive technical assistance from organizations including Woodworks and MassTimber@MSU. Key details: - The Bay Mills project was awarded $50,000 from the Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program. - The program's first cohort includes 10 projects sharing $400,000 statewide. - The Brimley building is planned as a long-term care facility. - It is the only Upper Peninsula project included in the catalyst program's first cohort. - Cohort teams will receive technical support from Woodworks, MassTimber@MSU and other partners. - The program provides financial and technical support for projects that use mass timber as a primary structural or architectural material, and the DNR described mass timber as engineered wood that can be strong and fire-resistant. Summary: The funding and technical assistance are intended to help advance the Bay Mills Brimley project and support broader adoption of mass timber in Michigan, where officials noted more than 65 mass timber projects are in various stages. Undetermined at this time.