Board approves industrial district

As Orion’s GM plant faces an uncertain future, the township is trying to do what it can to lure viable businesses.
The Orion Township Board of Trustees recently approved the establishment of an Industrial Development District (IDD).
The area covered by the IDD is in the southern part of the township between Silverbell and Brown roads.
Properties on Baldwin Road, which the board took one more step toward widening at the same May 18 meeting, are also within the planned district.
‘In lieu of waiting for specific uses and in light of the economic climate, the board felt it would be appropriate to create a broader district to allow for opportunities,? Township Supervisor Matt Gibb said.
According to the board, the property could be more potentially marketable with the right kind of incentives, like allowing businesses to only pay 50 percent in taxes, while the rest are abated.
For qualifying applicants within the district, taxes would be half of what would ordinarily be paid for up to 1 to 12 years.
The zoning of properties in the district are not necessarily changed with the establishment of the IDD.
Two large companies in Orion currently benefiting from similar tax abatements are Cobasys and GM.
The township also recently granted an abatement to Advance Vehicle Defense Systems, located on Joslyn Road.
The company brought about 200 jobs to Orion, Gibb said. .