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Nearly 150 professionals, academics, and students engaged in mass timber projects, research, and initiatives gathered in Muskegon Tuesday for the 2024 Michigan Mass Timber Update.
Now in its third year, the event hosted by MassTimber@MSU, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and Renewable Resource Solutions, celebrated Michigan’s growing mass timber momentum in the ideal venue: the mass timber event center and restaurant at Adelaide Pointe, a waterfront redevelopment in Muskegon.
Mass timber is an umbrella term for a variety of huge, engineered wood building construction materials that can be used like steel or concrete in big buildings – even skyscrapers. After emerging in Europe about 40 years ago, mass timber materials are now gaining market share across the United States and in Michigan because they offer benefits including efficient construction and a lower carbon footprint.
“People want to live, work, study, and play in beautiful mass timber buildings,” said Sandra Lupien, director of MassTimber@MSU, a program at Michigan State University that conducts research, teaching, and stakeholder engagement to advance mass timber construction in Michigan, the Great Lakes region, and beyond. “That’s why mass timber demand has more than quintupled in the U.S. since 2018, why Michigan now has more than 50 mass timber buildings in the pipeline, and why people are looking to Michigan as a mass timber leader in the Great Lakes Region and Eastern United States.” Among recent advancements:
“The State of Michigan sees mass timber production as a key economic development opportunity, particularly in rural forested communities, and as an important tool in the State’s strategy to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050 as outlined in the MI Healthy Climate Plan,” said Patrick Mohney, managing director of DNR’s Office of Public Lands. “Mass timber presents a unique opportunity to benefit Michiganders in cities, suburbs, and rural communities in both peninsulas.”
As an example of Michigan's commitment to advancing mass timber, Mohney cited a $500,000 commitment made by his office in support of MassTimber@MSU earlier this year. With the $1 million from the 2025 budget, the Office of Public Lands will launch the Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Fund, which will include grants to support early mass timber adopters. The program takes a cue from mass timber accelerators launched in several major U.S. cities.
The first Michigan Mass Timber Update took place in December 2022. Meant to provide a growing Michigan mass timber community of practice with a high-level overview of the breadth of new mass timber building projects, research, developments in manufacturing, workforce training opportunities, policies, and more, the event features five-minute “lightning talks.” This year the agenda featured presentations by 26 people sharing how they are actively engaged in Michigan’s expanding mass timber ecosystem.
Speakers highlighted new mass timber buildings in development and under construction in Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Newberry, Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Laingsburg, and Monroe. Others discussed mass timber workforce training programs and expanded availability of mass timber materials in the Great Lakes region, including some made from tree species that grow in Michigan.
Researchers and educators from Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, and Lawrence Technological University presented on a broad range of mass timber initiatives, from MSU’s supply and demand analysis and construction management education, to MTU’s grading and strength-testing of Michigan hardwoods for mass timber, to LTU’s mass timber design studio. And, East Lansing’s principal planner, Landon Bartley, spoke about a development incentive recently adopted to make it easier for early adopters to choose mass timber.
Adelaide Pointe founders and owners Ryan and Emily Leestma welcomed attendees to their new mass timber event space, which opened in the summer.
“Lumber and innovation is the history of Muskegon,” said Ryan Leestma. “We are proud to partner with the mass timber industry to lead the way on what sustainable development can be in beautiful spaces.”
Mass timber condominiums are also under construction at Adelaide Pointe, and event attendees toured the near-complete six-story waterfront structure before heading back to the mixed-use building to Muskegon Brewing Company – the restaurant downstairs from the event space – to enjoy a networking happy hour hosted by the team that designed and built Adelaide Pointe. That includes Catalyst Construction, Korb Architects, Kinsol, Britt, Peters and Associates, Thornton Tomasetti, Architektura, and Progressive Companies.
In 2022 the Mass Timbe Update theme was Momentum & Inspiration; in 2023 was Breaking New Ground.
“This year’s theme was Opening Doors,” said Kari Divine, owner of Renewable Resource Solutions, a consulting firm based in the Upper Peninsula. “Growing mass timber production in the state could open doors to a new market for Michigan timber, providing important incentives for sustainable forest management and supporting the forest products industry, from the landowners that manage the land to the loggers that harvest the wood to the mills that produce the lumber. I look forward to seeing what 2025 brings.”
The co-hosts plan to hold the fourth annual event in December 2025 with a date and location to be determined. The Michigan Mass Timber Update is produced in part with funding from a USDA Forest Service Wood Innovation Grant.
Contacts: Sandra Lupien, director, MassTimber@MSU, 510-681-3171, lupiensa@msu.edu; Aubrey Glick, general manager, 231-720-6107, aglick@leestmamanagement.com