Welcome to Great Lakes Growth Report, a newslettter brought to you by the Great Lakes Economic Development Council. Growth Report brings you economic development news, announcements and issues from across the Great Lakes region. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Send story ideas, announcements or events to info@greatlakesedc.org
Cross-Border Capital Is Fueling Upstate New York’s Next Growth Wave |
Upstate New York is having a moment — and much of it is being driven by milk, manufacturing, and renewed cross-border momentum. Great Lakes EDC partner Site Selection Magazine recently took a candid look at current deal flow, and leaders across the state say Canadian companies are returning to Upstate New York in force, bringing fresh capital and confidence. According to Tom Kucharski of Invest Buffalo Niagara, long-standing relationships with Southern Ontario are once again translating into real projects and sustained investment. Western New York’s dairy sector is leading the charge. Global producer Lactalis announced a $75 million expansion in Buffalo, while Great Lakes Cheese and J.M. Smucker continue major investments that reinforce the region’s role as a national dairy powerhouse. At the same time, Canadian advanced manufacturers such as Electrovaya, Worksport, and Pride Pak are scaling operations across the region, drawn by workforce strength, water access, and competitive energy costs. The story extends well beyond Western New York. From semiconductor investments enabled by the CHIPS Act to billion-dollar data centers and the long-term Micron buildout in Central New York, the Empire State is firmly in its big-deal era. 👉 Read the full article for deal details, regional insights, and why leaders believe this momentum is just getting started. |
Ontario leaders pledge ‘Las Vegas of the north’ strategy for Niagara Falls
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he has big plans for the Niagara Region. At the heart of the proposal? Making Niagara Falls, Ontario, into the “Las Vegas of the north,” and more.
It’s a multi billion dollar plan that would include more casinos, a new theme park, an observation wheel and more arts and culture, and transforming the former Toronto Power Generating Station that overlooks the falls into a boutique hotel.
Premier Doug Ford said the Destination Niagara Strategy has the potential to attract 25 million visitors a year to Niagara Falls, and that would add $3 billion to Ontario’s annual GDP. Full article here.
Chicago’s ‘Quantum Prairie’ Promises New Era Of Great Lakes Technology And Water Use |
This story was originally published by Circle of Blue. SOUTH CHICAGO — Where the mouth of the Calumet River meets Lake Michigan on Chicago’s Southeast Side is an abandoned lakefront parcel where one of the world’s largest steel mills once operated. For over 100 years, U.S. Steel South Works provided jobs to over 20,000 Chicagoans at its peak and served as one of the Windy City’s largest employers. In 1992, South Works closed, leaving behind a legacy of heavy industry and pollution. Now, Chicago is making a leap forward into the next era of Great Lakes economic development and environmental safety. If plans proceed as anticipated, as early as 2027 this 440-acre property on Lake Shore Drive will be transformed into the first industrial park in the country to focus on developing quantum computing, a much more powerful technology than conventional computing. And true to its location on the shore of Lake Michigan, the $1 billion project also features advanced water use and wastewater treatment technologies that essentially yield no water waste. Full article here. |
How Great Lakes cities are preparing for climate migration
Stroll along Cleveland’s Edgewater Pier on a summer evening, and you’ll hear Arabic, Spanish, and other languages wafting through the lake air. For decades, international immigrants have found a home in the city of Lake Erie.
But now, there’s an increasing chance that future waves of migrants — from Florida, Arizona, California, and beyond — could move here as extreme weather events caused by climate change in those regions prompt people to rethink where they want to live.
Hurricanes in Florida are leading to insurance companies fleeing the Sunshine State. In California, wildfires are resulting in urban devastation on a major scale. Last year, Phoenix, Arizona, experienced 21 consecutive days of record-breaking high temperatures.
By contrast, the highest temperature ever recorded in Detroit was 105 F, back in 1934.
With this in mind, some Great Lakes cities have been working to position themselves as so-called “climate havens.”
The term is anything if not controversial, but some urban leaders and planners around the Lakes see opportunity.
