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One of the IDDs was established for the property located at 500 US-31 South, which was also rezoned from B-3, Commercial Business, to I-1, Industrial, at the meeting.

The establishment of an IDD is the first step in the process of the village granting a business a tax abatement. Industrial Development Districts are used to determine where manufacturers are located and tax abatements can be used to encourage manufacturers to stay in an area and retain jobs in there. The village determines the duration of the tax abatement.

The requests for the rezone and establishment of the Industrial Development District on the property were both made by Mark Toteff, President of Traverse Bay Manufacturing, a family-owned textile business based in Elk Rapids.

Toteff said he hopes to expand his business onto the property, formerly Super Tool, which is currently owned by Johan Bech. Currently, Toteff said he plans on continuing operations in Traverse Bay Manufacturing's 8980 Cairn Highway location as well as moving into the property on US-31.

In addition to planning to purchase the property from Bech, Toteff said the expansion could create in excess of 100 new jobs, a financial impact of more than $1 million. This impact was the reason he requested the establishment of the IDD and the possiblity of a tax abatement.

The other Industrial Development District was established at 211 Industrial Park Drive at the request of Joe Short of Short's Brewery in Bellaire. The success of his business has encouraged him to expand, he said. Short hopes to use the property as a manufacturing and distribution facility employing 10 workers.

He estimated the cost of the project to be around $1.25 million, again hoping that an Industrial Development District and possible tax abatement in the future could offset those costs.

Short said he had no plans of selling beer out of the facility or having a tasting room on site.

"Our focus is on getting this operation up and running," he said. "Our sole goal is to manufacture beer there. A tasting room would be a separate business plan."

Brian Keilen can be reached for question or comment by e-mailing bkeilen@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-264-9711.