Appropriations Requests for : Discovery Center Great Lakes

1. Cosponsoring legislators:

No Cosponsors

Recipient Information

2. Intended legislatively directed spending item recipient:

Discovery Center Great Lakes

3. Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity:

13170 S. West Bay Shore Drive Traverse City, MI 49684

4. The recipient's employer identification number:

770660051

Funding Details

5. Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item:

$3,000,000.00

6. What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?

Outfitting Laboratory and Makerspace at the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center. Outfitting the specialized wet labs, technical makerspace, and wet bay space at the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center is a strategic investment in workforce development and new business creation for Michigan’s growing BlueTech economy and requires significant upfront capital for specialized, high-cost equipment. Each of the Center’s seven laboratories requires $345,000 to build out and furnish, with an additional $375,000 needed to equip the technical makerspace and $210,000 to outfit the wet bay tank space. These environments must include essential infrastructure such as fume hoods, core lab equipment, 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC equipment, welding and fabrication resources, and large-scale water test tanks—tools critical for hands-on training, applied research, and real-world technology development but often beyond the reach of schools and startups on their own. Embedded within the Center, these spaces function as immersive learning environments and business accelerators, connecting students to real-world projects and career pathways while lowering barriers for entrepreneurs to prototype, validate, and commercialize freshwater innovations. Fully outfitted, they will strengthen Michigan’s talent pipeline, accelerate startup growth, and translate freshwater challenges into jobs, investment, and long-term economic prosperity.

7. Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?

✓ Yes: Federal Funding

✓ Yes: State Funding

Amount received: Amount: $16,627,000.00

8. Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project:

December 31, 2027

Additional Information For Nonprofit Corporations

9. Is the recipient a nonprofit corporation?

No

Certification By Sponsoring Legislator

• "I certify that my immediate family members, legislative staff members, and I have no direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the requested legislatively directed spending item."
• "I certify that the intended recipient of this legislatively directed spending item is not a for-profit entity."
• "I certify that the information in this form is true to the best of my knowledge."

Senator John N. Damoose