MARQUETTE, MI— The Marquette City Commission has unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the NMU Foundation to redevelop the old hospital site.
The Foundation will select a master developer to demolish the buildings and construct housing, green areas and retail spaces.
At Monday nights’ meeting, some commissioners said wording in the MOU regarding the amount of affordable housing to be constructed was too vague. City Manager Karen Kovacs noted the MOU is not a definitive development plan but a placeholder to facilitate future discussions.
Mayor Jenna Smith saw it as a promise to work with the Foundation and the Brownfield Authority, and as a way to tap into one-time state or federal dollars that could potentially be on the table.
“We have said it before in our last special meeting—[it’s a] critical project for the City of Marquette. One of the most important that I think we’ll see come across our desk here. So I just want to do everything in my power to get it through.”
Mayor pro-tem Cody Mayer proposed an amendment that would employ local apprentices through a licensed regional trades program. It also passed.
In other business, the commission approved a resolution in support of a millage renewal for the Iron Ore Recreation Trail Authority.
