Er... for the people they are asking to invest, money is not the important issue...
LOCATION.
“Frozen winters” sounds good to a group of people looking to build a nation of their own surrounded by water? Bad plan.
There are 1000 acre+ islands in many, many locations with mild climates. There are lots of large-scale commercial real estate agents that know of them off-hand.
Someone said it’s close to infrastructure.... I can’t help, but wonder if they read that it’s near Detroit?
So Detroit’s going to just give that stuff away on the cheap so a bunch of right-wing, low tax settlers can move next door? Oh, man....
Putting it near Detroit just means that it’s near an invading army of looters and criminals that can walk across the ice in the winter. Bad plan.
You can't walk across the Detroit river on ice in the winter.........LOL!
Have you ever personally been on Belle Isle?
Are you familiar with the folks who live in the Grosse Pointes, Bloomfield Hills and other upscale areas around Detroit? Mega $$$$$ by folks who are already familiar with winter.
You only have to google the lake Michigan shoreline side of the state between Traverse City and Harbor Springs and look at the houses, especially between Charlevoix and Petoskey. Believe it or not, the majority of them are homes away from homes for the affluent who enjoy not only the summer sports but the winter recreation opportunities also.........
So winter is not a deterrent....