MARQUETTE — The city of Marquette is one of two Upper Peninsula communities to receive statewide placemaking grants through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the MEDC announced the approval of more than $99 million in grant funding across 10 Michigan communities through the Revitalization and Placemaking Program, which aims to encourage tax revenue growth through rehabilitation projects of vacant and blighted buildings, as well as historic structures.

This is the second round of RAP grants, with the first representing $83.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding made in September 2022.

The city of Marquette received $583,000 for the rehabilitation of the Marquette Chamber of Commerce building, which will be transformed into a center for arts in the downtown Marquette area. The project will see the Office of Arts and Culture team up with the Community Services Department to renovate this south Marquette area.

“The project will rehabilitate a vacant, blighted, public and historic building in south Marquette and will serve as a local cultural resource hub and economic pipeline that funnels visitors to the business district in downtown Marquette,” said a city press release. “This project will provide the community with a new centrally located public venue for a wide range of events that will significantly grow the tax base, contribute to the vitality of the downtown district and reactivate a public space in the heart of the city.”

The Superior Watershed Partnership helped the city with the successful grant proposal.

The city of Escanaba was the other Upper Peninsula community to receive funding, with $330,000 of grant awards being distributed to the city for its East Ludington streetscape project.

“Escanaba is making a huge effort to update our infrastructure, to revitalize our downtown, and to work together between local departments and state agencies. This is a really exciting opportunity to coordinate efforts and springboard further developments throughout downtown,” said Craig Woerpel, Escanaba Downtown Development Authority director.