HARRISON TOWNSHIP (WWJ) – Construction is underway at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County to transform two hangars into a new hangar equipped for fighter maintenance.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was among local, state and federal leaders on-hand Monday as ground broke on the new 41,900-square-foot facility in Harrison Township. The new facility is set to house maintenance on the main level and leadership/staff offices and classrooms on the second floor.
Calling Selfridge “an economic driver for Michigan’s defense industry,” Whitmer says the new hangar will create “hundreds of good-paying jobs” in Macomb County.
Sen. Gary Peters, part of the team that secured the funding for the project, said the upgrades are much needed.
“The aircraft that currently fly there are getting old. We have older tankers and A-10s that eventually will be replaced by new aircraft, but in order to get those new aircraft to be located at Selfridge, it’s important that we continue to make investments to make sure that it meets the needs of the modern Air Force,” Peters told WWJ’s Tony Ortiz.
The new facility is expected to be completed in early 2025.
Selfridge is a Joint Military Community housing 4,000 families from all branches. In 2021, Peters secured $28 million for a new development at Selfridge that would “equip Michigan with the tools to be the ideal location for the next future fighter mission.”
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers said the investment “clearly demonstrates Michigan’s commitment” to Selfridge and its support for developing the future of the base.
Selfridge, described as “an ideal training space,” provides access to the largest military airspace complex east of the Mississippi River, hosts units from every component of the U.S. military, is located on an international border, and is joint-integrated with the National All-Domain Warfighting Center.
Last year’s state budget included $6.1 million invested in infrastructure upgrades at Selfridge, while this year’s proposed budget includes an additional $11 million. The infrastructure investments into Selfridge would reduce costs for the U.S. Air Force by $100 million, according to the governor’s office.
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