14 Oct 2020

Virtual event will celebrate FishPass project kick off

FishPass project construction in Traverse City, Michigan, will kick off with a virtual groundbreaking ceremony October 24. This final phase of the Boardman River Ecosystem Restoration Project is primarily funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and led by the Great Lakes Commission in partnership with the City of Traverse City, Fisheries and Oceans of Canada, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa/Chippewa Indians, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey. “The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided our agencies continued opportunities to implement sustainable projects throughout the Great Lakes Region,” said Carl Platz, Great Lakes Program Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “The knowledge we gain from FishPass will not only be utilized throughout the Great Lakes, but it will likely be applied across the nation as well."

20 Apr 2020

Alternate Care Facility construction complete in Michigan

DETROIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces that construction is complete at Michigan’s second Alternate Care Facility at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The facility is expected to begin accepting patients by the end of the week. The Suburban Collection Showplace Alternate Care Facility is one of the first in the Nation to be turned over to the state. Modeled after the TCF Regional Care Center in Detroit, construction included a triage area, patient support services such as showers and toilets, staff changing areas and administrative space, a command center and pharmacy. The 250,000 square foot conversion of the convention center into a medical facility with 250 bed spaces was originally designed to a capacity of up to 1,100 beds. “Engineering solutions to the Nation's toughest challenges is what we do,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Turner, commander, USACE, Detroit District. “We've worked closely with the State of Michigan to respond to the evolving situation in Michigan and to rapidly deliver projects to help our communities.”

10 Apr 2020

TCF Center Alternate Care Facility construction complete

DETROIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces that construction is complete at Michigan’s first Alternate Care Facility at TCF Center in Detroit. The facility will begin accepting patients April 10, 2020. The TCF Center Alternate Care Facility is one of the first in the Nation to be turned over to the state. Construction included triage area, patient support services such as showers and toilets, staff changing areas and administrative space, a command center and pharmacy. The 350,000 square foot conversion of the convention center into a medical facility with 970 bed spaces across two floors for COVID-19 patients took nine days. “I'm proud that the team was able to complete this mission and get help to the doctors and nurses on the front lines so quickly,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Turner, commander, USACE, Detroit District. “With this facility coming on line as supplies and staff pour into Michigan, I really expect that the TCF Center will be a beacon of hope for Detroit and the Nation.”

7 Apr 2020

Alternate care facility site construction to begin in Novi, Michigan

DETROIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE), Detroit District, announces it will begin construction on an alternate care facility in Novi, Michigan as efforts to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-led response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. The second conversion in Michigan will take place at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. USACE is coordinating design and construction efforts to adapt more than 250,000 square feet into medical care space. This conversion of the main floor will include approximately 1,100 bed spaces for COVID-19 patients and stations for medical personnel. “The situation in Michigan continues to evolve and the Corps of Engineers will surge resources to meet the anticipated need," said Lt. Col. Gregory Turner, district engineer, USACE, Detroit District. “This work that we are doing through FEMA to support the people of Michigan, especially enabling the local hospitals, is a mission that we are ready for.”

29 Mar 2020

Detroit District to begin construction on alternate care facility

DETROIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE,) Detroit District, announces it has received a verbal mission assignment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to construct a large alternate care facility in downtown Detroit. USACE continues to make significant progress across the nation in its efforts to support the FEMA-led response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. The first conversion in Michigan will take place at the TCF Center in Detroit, Michigan. USACE is well underway in its coordination and planning efforts to adapt more than 250,000 square feet of the convention facility into medical care space.

27 Mar 2020

Detroit District supporting national response to COVID-19 pandemic

DETROIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, has assembled and deployed field assessment teams tasked with evaluating existing facilities in Michigan for the possible conversion into alternate care facilities as part of the nationwide federal, state and local effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this planning mission assignment from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), personnel from FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and state and local emergency management and medical personnel are conducting initial and in-depth site assessments at multiple locations as determined by state leadership. The teams are providing assessments to the State of Michigan that deliver information on the possible conversion of existing buildings into alternate care facilities in southeast Michigan.

25 Mar 2020

The Soo Locks open as 2020 shipping season begins

DETROIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., opened today Wednesday, March 25, marking the beginning of the 2020 Great Lakes shipping season. The up-bound Motor Vessel H. Lee White, 704-foot long freighter, is the first ship to enter the Poe Lock. It is coming from Sturgeon Bay, Michigan and headed to Superior, Wisconsin to load cargo.

23 Mar 2020

Detroit District is protecting work force while working for the nation

DETROIT – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, is taking precautionary measures to protect its workforce, while also remaining committed to serving the nation during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

20 Mar 2020

Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center closes for public safety

DETROIT- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, announces the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center in Duluth, Minnesota will be closed until further notice. The visitor center can still be reached at 218-788-6430.