A vacant lot on East Division Street in Ishpeming will soon be home to the Hematite Art Park. The project, was recently awarded a $5,000 Prosperous Places Placemaking mini-grant from Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development. The park will include panels featuring student art that highlight the region’s history and culture. (Journal photo by Lisa Bowers)

ISHPEMING — A joint Upper Peninsula effort will soon help foster works of art in Ishpeming as well as help tourists find the downtown area.

Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development announced Prosperous Places mini-grants from the Regional Prosperity Council totaling $7,500 for two projects. A $5,000 grant will help create the Hematite Art Park on Division Street, and $2,500 will fund two custom-made directional signs at the corner of Third Street and Hematite Drive as well as Lakeshore Drive and Hematite.

The art park, which is situated across the street from Ishpeming High School, will feature art panels with work from local students and community members, showcasing the history of the area. There will also be a pathway, benches, memorial trees and landscaping features, according to a CUPPAD press release.

The CUPPAD grant proceeds will be matched by $5,000 from the property owner, the Marquette County Land Bank Authority.

The Hematite Art Park was CUPPAD’s top-scoring project among 18 grant recipients, CUPPAD Community Planner Ryan Soucy said. The project marks a milestone for the Marquette County Land Bank Authority, the property owner.

“The Hematite Art Park will be a great way to show how a community can turn blight into a vibrant space,” land bank authority officials said in a statement Friday. “This is the first time the Marquette County Land Bank Authority has worked on green space development on one of its vacant lots and we thank CUPPAD and partners for the opportunity to create something beautiful for the community to enjoy.”

The other project, which partners with the Ishpeming Downtown Development Authority, creates distinctive welcome signs with raised-bed gardens, the release states, welcoming people into Ishpeming’s downtown, with a design that echoes the “Welcome to Ishpeming” sign.

“The signs will celebrate the city’s mining and skiing heritage, creating an unforgettable first impression for visitors,” the release states.

City Manager Mark Slown said he is pleased that CUPPAD chose to fund Ishpeming projects with the Prosperous Places grant funding.

“The art park is a terrific project which will complete the transformation of a blighted property into a distinctive and unique mini-park,” Slown said.

As for the signs, he said the DDA needs to give final approval to the design before the project can move forward.

“Now that CUPPAD has partly funded the project, I hope it will move forward swiftly,” Slown said. “The signage will help to create a positive image and way-finding feature for our historic downtown.”

Soucy said the projects stood out from the 28 grant applications CUPPAD received for several reasons. One aspect in particular, he said, was the city’s progress toward building upon the historic character of its downtown, he said. That sets Ishpeming apart from other communities.

“It’s a quality that is authentic and has been built over generations by the people that call it home,” Soucy said. “We recognize the creative energies that are being put into this effort as well as the momentum they’re building in trying to stand out, and that’s something we like to support. Plus, these types of activities are more likely to be sustained long term with partnerships, and we see stakeholders like the Marquette County Land Bank Authority, Ishpeming DDA and residents all coming to the table to support this work. It’s really inspiring.”

The collective placemaking efforts, he said, could change the game, and CUPPAD’s goal is to continue the momentum of the existing endeavors in downtown Ishpeming.

“For Yoopers, I think it comes pretty naturally with the culture, and I think we’ve always employed the concept, although not necessarily using that term, with the abundant outdoor recreation opportunities we have and continue to build on,” Soucy said. “One place where we’re a little challenged, though, is in our downtowns, where we need to re-invest and re-invent as community gathering places where people want to live, hang out and do their shopping. Downtowns are the lifeblood of our communities and we have so many great opportunities, but not enough developers investing in them yet.”

The Prosperous Places Mini-grant Program, which started in 2016, awarded $54,000 to 18 projects out of the 28 applications received this year.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242.