MARQUETTE, MI— The Marquette City Commission Monday night authorized the submission of a grant application to the U.S. Economic Development Administration to fund a couple of stalled city projects.
More than $1.1 million would create a Lake Superior Cultural Arts Trail along eight miles of Lake Superior shoreline and install green infrastructure to stabilize erosion sites along the trail. The City would match $235,000, but a $57,000 grant from the Michigan Native American Heritage Fund and $8,000 from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs would reduce the city’s portion to $170,000. Commissioner Evan Bonsall said it would be a good use of city funds.
“And I think that as we look at how can we best make use of the limited taxpayer dollars that we’ve been entrusted with, leveraging $170,000 to get nearly a million dollars in additional funding… I think that’s clearly a really great use of taxpayer dollars.”
If the city gets the grant, work will be performed in 2023 and would have to be completed by 2024.
Also at Monday’s night’s meeting, commissioners scheduled a February 14th public hearing on a Brownfield plan for the Ore Dock Brewing Company. The brewery has purchased a blighted building at 214 S. Front Street and has acquired the adjacent surplus City property for the development of a Beer Garden that will be a three-season outdoor food, beverage and entertainment center in downtown Marquette. In addition to the building demolition and outdoor venue, Ore Dock Brewing will be expanding the building footprint and brewing capacity. Anticipated private investment is approximately $1.5 million.
The Brownfield Plan also includes a non-motorized trail connection between the Rosewood Walkway and the Iron Ore Heritage Trail.
