×

Calumet Village and Theatre Co. partner on boiler

The Calumet Village Council meeting is shown. The council voted unanimously to award the theater a $50,000 grant to replace the boiler in the building. (Daily Mining Gazette photo)

By: GRAHAM JAEHNIG

Daily Mining Gazette

CALUMET — The Village Council adopted unanimously Tuesday a resolution to pursue a Certified Local Government grant for the replacement of the failed boiler in the Calumet Theatre.

The motion was to authorize the pursuit of this grant with Calumet Theatre Co. President Dan Jamison as project manager, village manager Megan Haselden as administrator and the theater company as fiduciary, with the village as the grant applicant.

The grant request is $50,000, Theatre Co. President Dan Jamison told the council, the CLG match, through the Calumet Theatre is $20,700. That brings the total dollar amount up to what UP Engineers and Architects came up with for a proposal of $70,700, said Jamison.

“We’ll go with the big number right now,” he added.

The CLG program is a preservation partnership between local, state and national governments focused on promoting strong local historic preservation programs, states the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The CLG program is jointly administered by the National Park Service and the State Historic Preservation Office.

The goal of the program is to facilitate State and local government cooperation with Federal partners to promote nationwide preservation initiatives. Through the certification process, local communities make a commitment to national historic preservation standards. This commitment is key to America’s ability to preserve, protect and increase awareness of the unique cultural heritage found across the country.

The Village of Calumet is the owner of the theater building, which also houses the village offices. The theater side of the building is leased to the Calumet Theatre Co., which is a 501(c)(3).

The grant is a reimbursement. While the village must submit the grant application, the theater company must submit with it bank statement proving that it can pay for the boiler project in advance of being reimbursed through the program.

Jamison said that as the theater has come back to the community the community has come back to the theater, providing funding in bequeath, paying their membership dues and providing donations.

Jamison said the project list is simple: Steam boiler replacement. The notification of grant approval will come in July, and by the end of September, The theatre will submit the report stating the boiler is installed and operating and certified.

There has not been a CLG grant in the area, Jamison told the council, and the theater is the only CLG in the U.P., with the possible exception of one in Menominee.

“And they were asking specifically how come we haven’t,” he commented. “We’ve got people on our side that are trying to make sure that monies come to this building.”

Jamison continued, saying: “The CLG grant ties the village and the theater company together in a common interest.”

The Theatre Co. Board’s goal, he said, is that the village should not have to pay for anything in this building.

“We will restore it,” he said. “We will get heritage funds, park funds, we will get donors and contributors.”

The grant application must be submitted by midnight Tuesday.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today