Western Land Services and Ludington City Officials Announce New Proposed Downtown Development

Local Energy Company plans new building and new jobs in downtown business district

Ludington, Michigan: Leaders from Western Land Services (“Western”) and the City of Ludington today announced proposed plans to relocate Western’s headquarters to downtown Ludington, a move that will create new jobs and further the economic renaissance of the central business district.

“Because of recent staff additions, we have outgrown our current office building. As a result, we have spent nearly a year evaluating other potential office locations, both inside and outside of Ludington. However, we are committed to Ludington and wish to locate our headquarters in the heart of the city. This is our home and this is where we intend to grow our business,” stated Western’s Executives.

The proposed location of this building will be on the corner of Robert and Loomis, the current location of the Ludington Fire Department Station. For the project to become a reality, governmental permits, zoning approvals, and State brownfield credits must be secured. The plan is to break ground in late fall or early winter.

The proposed building will be a multistory, mixed use building with Western occupying the top floors along with leased retail or professional space available on the ground floor. The building will be the first L.E.E.D. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building in Ludington and will make use of energy efficient materials, systems, and construction methods. This building will be a permanent fixture for the downtown area for generations to come. We hope this will act as a catalyst for future investment and development in downtown Ludington.

The City of Ludington stated it is excited that this project will bring a major employer with its corporate headquarters to downtown Ludington with approximately 80 existing jobs and plans to add approximately 40 additional jobs over the next several years.

Mayor John Henderson said “This project will provide one of the largest positive impacts to our downtown economy in years, and it coincides with our Comprehensive Plan to bring in more businesses to our downtown area.”

Along with this project, the public parking lot on the southeast side of the block will be reconstructed and remain open to the public while also adding additional green space and pedestrian-friendly access.

City Manager John Shay said that “the City will begin to formulate plans to design and construct a new fire station. The City will make arrangements to temporarily relocate its fire trucks and equipment while the new fire station is being constructed without jeopardizing public safety.”

As part of this project, the eligible costs associated with Western’s new building and the new fire station will be considered under a proposed Brownfield Plan. In addition, the City will be applying for grant funding through the State of Michigan to pay for the costs associated with the parking lot and to bury the overhead utilities in the alley.

Mayor Henderson indicated that “while much work remains to be done, the City is looking forward to working with Western Land Services, Mason County, and the State of Michigan to make this project a reality.”

About Western Land Services:

Western is an oil and gas service company who, along with their many clients is actively involved in domestic oil and natural gas exploration. Western has been operating in Ludington since 1974. What started as a small operation with only a handful of employees has grown into a corporation with 7 offices spread across the U.S. employing 380 people. The Ludington office, which is our corporate headquarters, currently employs 80 people with plans to increase that number in the near future.