Telecommunications provider AcenTek is seeking state grants to expand broadband services in underserved areas of Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee and Wexford counties.
If the grant applications are approved, the expansion work will focus on the South Boardman area of Grand Traverse County and Kalkaska counties, as well as the Buckley area in Grand Traverse and Wexford counties.
Additional broadband service could be added in the areas around Copemish, Mesick and Hoxeyville.
Rollout would take about three years once grant funding is received, said Corey Compagner, operations manager for AcenTek.
“We typically pay for 60% of the work with grants covering 40%,” he said. “Fiber-optic infrastructure is very expensive to install and we need that help to reach rural areas.”
Transmission speeds for new customers will average about 500 megabits per second (Mbps) in the company’s most popular plan, which currently costs about $49.95 per month.
According to industry analyst BroadBandNow, “500 Mbps is considered a very fast internet speed, suitable for most households, supporting multiple devices, streaming 4K content, online gaming, and work-from-home activities.”
Also on Wednesday, commissioners approved tax incentives for a workforce housing project in Acme Township.
The vote was 8-1 with Commissioner T.J. Andrews voting “no” because of her concerns about missing or inadequate project documentation.
The tax increment financing (TIF) deal, worth up to $14.4 million over 25 years, will help Strathmore Real Estate Group build 135 new units of below-market-rate apartments on the site of the former Tom’s Food Market / Kmart complex in Acme Township.
The “Oak Shore Commons Phases II and III” project, which already has approval from township officials and the county’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, will feature 135 reduced-rent apartments out of the total 207 units to be built.
Short-term rentals in those units will not be allowed, the developer said.
In other action, commissioners unanimously approved a $400,000 grant application to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund from the county’s Parks and Recreation Department.
The money would help pay for major improvements at the VASA Trailhead Park at 4444 Bartlett Road.
If the grant is awarded, the county will pledge an additional $300,000 in capital funding during 2025-2026. TART Trails, Inc., also will commit $100,000 to the project.
© 2025 The Record-Eagle (Traverse City, Mich.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
