MARSHALL, MI (WTVB) – Construction on Ford Motor Company’s multi-billion dollar BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall is about 60% complete, with the promise of more than 1,700 jobs.
However, the project remains controversial for some residents.
The Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee on Corporate Subsidies and State Investments heard testimony on the Battery Park Wednesday from residents who still oppose a large corporation moving into the town of 7,000 residents.
Marshall Township Treasurer Glenn Kowalske he says this project was never about what our community wanted, saying “We chose rural life deliberately, but our voices were not heard. The small town feel, low crime, friendly Marshall will never be the same.”
Marshall resident Julie Ann Bryant is Administrator of “Stop the CCP Ford Marshall Megasite” and says the project has stripped away her chosen small-town way of life.
Testimonies from both Bryant and Kowalske asked lawmakers and local leaders for more transparency and more accountability surrounding the project.
Executive Chair of Ford Motor Company Bill Ford says he’s “all in” on the Marshall plant, confident in the creation of 1,700 local jobs.
Bryant and Kowalske were the only two people who addressed the committee Wednesday, and both opposed the project. However, more than 100 Marshall-area business owners and area leaders recently signed a letter in support of keeping the battery park project on track.
The battery park is set to begin production in 2026.
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