The exterior of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Newberry Customer Service Center, a one-story modern building clad in wood and built using mass timber construction. (Photo provided by the Michigan DNR)

LANSING — A state program to aid mass timber projects in Michigan has been extended for the Upper Peninsula after the region submitted no applications for funding in 2026.

The Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program recently awarded $350,000, combined with a year of technical assistance, to boost the development of nine building projects around the state.

“Demand for mass timber is growing in Michigan, with more than 65 projects complete or in development statewide,” said Sandra Lupien, director, MassTimber@MSU at Michigan State University. “But this is still a new technology and early adopters need support to overcome commonly faced knowledge gaps.”

While nine projects were represented in the Lower Peninsula, the initial call for proposals, which closed Dec. 22, netted no applications from the Upper Peninsula, according to a news release from MassTimber@MSU and the DNR.

The supplemental call for proposals makes available $50,000 for projects in the U.P. submitted from today through March 2. Those awards will be announced March 16.

Mass timber enables construction of tall buildings – even skyscrapers – using wood in ways that were previously not possible, according to the news release. Beams and panels are made of layers of wood that are engineered to be both strong and fire-resistant.

Both MSU and the DNR have invested in mass timber buildings: MSU’s STEM Teaching and Learning Facility on its East Lansing campus and the DNR’s Newberry Customer Service Center in the eastern Upper Peninsula.

The catalyst program provides financial and technical support to project teams engaged in the early planning and design phases of new building construction projects that use mass timber as a primary structural or architectural material. Projects may include commercial, industrial, public/institutional, multifamily residential and other building types that demonstrate innovative and optimized use of mass timber.

Recent awardees are:

— Genesis, Highland Park: $60,000. City on the Rise Development LLC plans adaptive reuse of an existing two-story apartment building.

— CoHab House, Lansing: $60,000. Part of the larger Churchill Gardens project that includes housing and supportive services for older adults and veterans.

— Daniels and Zermack Architects, LLC, Harrison Township Town Hall and Library: $45,000. Renovation and addition to transform three buildings into a single, unified structure.

— Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute – Enrollment Growth Project, Adrian: $45,000. Educational facility dedicated to skilled trades.

— The Hive Building B, Detroit: $40,000. Mixed-use anchor of The Hive on Gratiot, combining residential, retail and community-serving space in a six-story structure.

— Bella Vita Condos, Traverse City: $25,000. Developer Endless Roads LLC plans a mixed-use, multistory development at 302 W. Front St.

— Kent County Administration Building, Grand Rapids: $25,000. The facility will house the county clerk and treasurer offices and core administration functions.

— MSU Research Foundation, East Lansing: $25,000. The foundation is developing a new institutional project on Crescent Road in East Lansing.

— Mixed-Use Building, Mount Pleasant: $25,000. This three-story building from N18 Cabaret Trail LLC, leverages hybrid construction types.

Awardees project teams will become part of a cohort that will receive technical assistance by Woodworks, MassTimber@MSU and other collaborators to help them successfully do mass timber in their projects. The program also includes public engagement and knowledge-sharing activities to promote best practices and accelerate adoption of mass timber construction in Michigan.