For years, Ford has been working to open its BlueOval battery production plant in Marshall with significant pushback from a local opposition group called the Committee for Marshall—Not the Megasite.
A long-running lawsuit regarding the zoning of the land the plant sits on was dismissed on Feb. 25 by an appellate court, and the path appears clear for Ford to begin production. But the opposition committee said it's seeking another appeal.
A years-long legal journey
The plant broke ground in 2023 and had support from Marshall city officials and a group called the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance — or MAEDA.
In 2022, the city of Marshall and the township of Marshall had created a joint planning commission through an agreement called the Master 425 Development Agreement. In early 2023, the Marshall Township Joint Planning Commission voted 4-2 against rezoning a large 741 acre parcel in Marshall for industrial use that would allow Ford to begin construction on the BlueOval megasite.
But one week later, the Marshall City Council approved the industrial rezoning request, which was submitted by MAEDA, and construction began on the plant shortly after.
In June of 2023, the opposition committee filed a lawsuit against the city and MAEDA claiming a petition with signatures collected against the rezoning was rejected illegally. The lawsuit also claimed that the city illegally handed over its authority over zoning activities as part of the Master 425 agreement, and claimed MAEDA had influenced a public body.
That lawsuit made its way through the legal system for years — facing many dismissals. In January 2024, a circuit court dismissed the lawsuit again, and that decision was affirmed in June 2024 by the Michigan Court of Appeals.
But in September of 2025, the Michigan Supreme Court vacated the appellate court's decision and ordered the court of appeals to review the case once again through the lens of a similar case.
On Feb. 25, the appellate court panel issued a final judgement dismissing the case and officially cleared the docket of legal challenges against the megasite.
The road ahead
Ford has maintained its plans to begin production at the site in summer of 2026, and Marshall city leaders told MLive things are on track they're pleased with the judgement.
“Our elected officials and local leaders in Marshall have always been committed to following the letter of the law to set up a site for Ford’s project, which will create 1,700 new jobs here,” MAEDA CEO Jim Durian told MLive.
But in a statement sent via email on March 2, the committee said it plans to use its remaining appeal and ask the Michigan Supreme Court to reconsider.
"The Committee for Marshall—Not the Megasite, a group of Marshall residents who filed signatures for a referendum on the zoning on the Ford Megasite project, will file an 'Application
for Leave to Appeal' with the Michigan Supreme Court to consider the latest Court of Appeals ruling. The Committee finds that the Court of Appeals’ decision denying the Joint Planning Commission’s sole authority over the 425-transferred land is inconsistent with the Michigan Supreme Court’s remand," said CMNM member Regis Klingler in an email to WMUK.
Meanwhile, Ford Authority reports construction at the BlueOval site is nearly complete and workers have already been hired to staff the plant ahead of its expected 2026 opening.
