LEELANAU COUNTY — The Traverse City Area is about to become an epicenter for research and innovation on the great lakes.

That idea is now one huge step closer to becoming a reality, which stakeholders and generous community donors hope will put our area on the map as a core for the new ‘blue economy.’

Ground was broken Friday on the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center on West Grand Traverse Bay.

The site for the project is on the grounds of where the Great Lakes Children’s Museum used to be in Leelanau County’s Elmwood Township.

It’s a partnership between Discovery Pier, Northwestern Michigan College, Michigan Tech, 20Fathoms and Traverse Connect.

The concept is for it to become a center for education and an incubator for new products and jobs in the field of blue tech.

“I real

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