On August 15th, Westland City Council approved site plans for a new cannabis facility, an $8.5 million investment by LJA in the city's marijuana industry.
LJA's facility, along with two others, will be constructed on undeveloped land off Cherry Hill. The site plans include three collocated buildings, dedicated to growing, processing and dispensing marijuana.
"It's a piece of property that has never been developed before," said Westland Mayor Bill Wild, "and with this project, it's going to bring new taxable value, and it's going to help us grow economic development in that area."
Wild also spoke to the sheer scale of new investments in the local cannabis industry.
"This project was over $8 million," he said, "but all together... these projects have exceeded over $35 million in new investment."
Westland's Cannabis Ordinance was written to leverage the ever-popular marijuana industry to revitalize the city's economy, creating jobs and incentivizing investors to develop vacant land and fix up blighted properties.
According to Wild, the city saw this "as an opportunity to bring in some new investment in properties that had never been developed and possibly never would have been."
The city has also approved two retail dispensaries under the ordinance.
In a press release, Economic Development Director Aubrey Berman said, "We are happy to see that our existing ordinance has encouraged projects that elevate our existing real estate and increase the aesthetic of our commercial corridors."
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