OTTAWA COUNTY, MI – Residents of a rural Ottawa County community are up in arms against a proposed solar farm that could take up 1,100 acres, but that was just one of several major developments during the holiday season.
Below is a roundup of five developments in December in Ottawa County.
Projects are in various stages of planning, and construction timelines are contingent on final approval from the local municipality.
RWE Solar Farm
Zeeland Township planners in recent months have been crafting a solar energy ordinance in anticipation of a permit application from RWE for a 200-megawatt solar farm in Ottawa County.
The Germany-based company is proposing a solar array that could span up to 1,100 acres in Zeeland and Jamestown townships, with an estimated cost of $300 million and a target construction start in 2026.
Some Zeeland Township residents are concerned about the loss of prime farmland, potential environmental impacts on groundwater and wildlife and the unappealing look of solar panels. Signs that read “Save Family Farms” have cropped up along roadsides.
Township planners on Dec. 9 advised the attorney and township staff to work on a new ordinance that could give the township a degree of regulatory oversight over a solar farm — setbacks, drainage and removal caveats at end of lifespan — but without causing RWE to bypass the township and seek approval from the MPSC instead.
Hyperion Automation
Hyperion Automation on Dec. 4 announced it added 2,750 square feet of new office space to its 15,000 square-foot facility at 72 W 64th St., Suite 140, giving the company capacity to nearly double its number of employees.
The added space also increases Hyperion’s capacity to take on custom integrations in robotics, autonomous vehicles, vision systems and other applications. It includes workstations, a breakroom with a kitchen and space for collaboration.
This expansion comes on the heels of Hyperion’s 2022 move into the current facility, which doubled the company’s previous footprint.
In 2025, Hyperion welcomed seven new employees and continues hiring for engineering and technical roles, planning for 20% growth in 2026.
Tru Hotel by Hilton
The Holland Planning Commission on Dec. 9 reviewed an application for a new hotel on the corner of M-40 and East 48th Street that would complement existing hotels in that area.
The applicant, an entity tied to Visser Brothers Construction of Grand Rapids, is seeking approval to build a new, 115-room Tru Hotel by Hilton at 621 South Point Ridge Drive in Holland.
The property is part of a larger planned unit development on the corner of M-40 and East 48th Street in Holland. The company has owned the land since 2002 and has already built a Residence Inn and a Homewood Suites there.
“When we applied for the Homewood, we believed the longstanding industrial base in the south end of the city of Holland, bolstered by the recent, strong, increase in industrial activity, provides a healthy environment for hotels to operate. Little did we know how healthy,” the company stated in its application.
The proposed Tru Hotel by Hilton would complement the Homewood Suites and the Residence Inn and target the non-extended-stay guest base, the application states.
Holland Hospital Advanced Wound Care
Holland Hospital on Dec. 2 announced an expansion of its wound healing and hyperbaric medicine program.
The expansion includes a state-of-the-art Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) chamber in a newly remodeled suite in the hospital at 602 Michigan Ave. in Holland.
HBOT involves breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurized environment, dramatically increasing the amount of oxygen carried by the blood to promote healing, fight infection and support tissue repair for certain chronic wounds.
Previously, patients had to travel to Grand Rapids or further to receive such treatment.
The Holland Hospital expansion was made possible by a philanthropic donation from Priscilla Becker. Her late husband, Raymond, received hyperbaric treatment for a fall-related injury in 2015.
Holland Hospital doctors recommended Raymond Becker for hyperbaric treatment at a partner hospital in Grand Rapids, as the treatment was not yet available in Holland.
Hand2Hand
Hand2Hand, an Ottawa County nonprofit that distributes supplemental food to students, on Dec. 3 announced a new, $84,000 project to expand its warehouse, a former Aldi located at 306 Chicago Dr. in Jenison.
Construction began earlier this month with several concrete support pillars already poured. The project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2026.
Jodi Joseph, Hand2Hand executive director, said the idea began as a simple roof over the warehouse’s overhead door that would allow volunteers to get out of the elements, but quickly expanded to something bigger.
The expansion will allow volunteers and distributors to pull in and out of the warehouse and more easily load and unload food deliveries.
The timing of the project coincides with pilot program to continue food deliveries into the summer months. Hand2Hand started with 13 schools last year.
Ehren Wynder is a business and development reporter at MLive.com covering Ottawa and Muskegon counties.
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