More than 1,000 new trees to be planted at Marshall manufacturing campus

The recent landscaping work underway at the Marshall Area Jobs Opportunities and Recreation (MAJOR) Campus includes planting 1,067 trees and hundreds of shrubs, said James Durian, CEO of MAEDA. Trees planted include White Spruce, White Pine, Dawn Redwood and six other varieties. In addition, over 400 acres of the MAJOR Campus is dedicated to green space, including parks, conservation easement, trails and environmental protection efforts.

“We are pleased to see the first phase of this beautification and greenspace effort take shape on the MAJOR Campus,” Durian said. “This ongoing work demonstrates our dedication to protecting the environment, preserving green space and creating new recreational and educational opportunities for the entire community to enjoy.”

The campus includes 36 acres for Bear Creek, which has a historic barn, three houses and several other structures, 218 acres of conservation easement, 181 acres dedicated to southern stormwater management and 19 acres for buffer and additional park area.

The MAJOR Campus covers nearly 2,000 acres west of the city of Marshall. It is bounded on the north by Michigan Avenue (M-96), the Kalamazoo River on the south, 12 Mile Road on the west, and Bear Creek on the east. The campus will be home to BlueOval Battery Park, a new advanced manufacturing facility occupying more than 500 acres east of 13 Mile Road. That project will create 1,700 local jobs when it begins producing batteries for electric vehicles in 2026. A map of the campus is on the Choose Marshall website.

The tree and shrub planting effort is in addition to the trees that will be planted in the city of Marshall with Ford’s recent donation of $25,000 to support the city’s efforts to plant new trees to earn Tree City USA recognition once again. That contribution will help the city reach its long-held goal of replacing and adding new trees along streets and in parks.

Over 400 acres of the MAJOR Campus is dedicated to environmental protection efforts, including establishing parks, setting aside greenspace and installing storm water management infrastructure and retention ponds. MAJOR Campus planners favored greenspace over additional development in the southernmost area of the campus between the rail lines and the Kalamazoo River. The land south of the rail and north of the river is developable land for outbuildings, infrastructure or other developments, but planners decided to protect that area as a green space.

“From planting trees to investing in new storm water infrastructure, we are committed to protecting our lakes, rivers and streams,” Durian said. “These new plantings will benefit and beautify our community now and long into the future.”