A $3 million donation from a private donor puts the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center ever closer to its $26 million goal for the new facility. Discovery Center officials said that the $3 million donor wished to remain anonymous, but they expect to release additional details at a later date.
The center had already received $15 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in Michigan’s fiscal year 2024 budget and $1.6 million in federal funds from a 2021 government spending package.
The center will be located on the existing Discovery Center & Pier property on South West Bay Shore Drive in Elmwood Township. The current facility will be demolished and replaced with a 35,000-square-foot building with research, lab, and business incubation space. According to a June press release, the project hopes to “establish Michigan’s role as a leader in the freshwater blue economy.”
