In smaller communities, it is often difficult to come by required funding for upgrades to roads, buildings and other features. In many cases, without partnerships, much of the work that does get accomplished would never happen.

Fortunately, for Michigamme Township -and other small communities like it- some grant funding is available to help the towns make upgrades that can help revitalize a town.

Michigamme Township has applied for roughly $260,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to make several improvements along a couple of streets in downtown Michigamme.

The township has submitted its application to the Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional Commission in Escanaba.

“The project consists of pedestrian scale lighting, rain garden planters, new sidewalks, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant corner ramps, community gateway signing, landscaping and storm sewer and ditching along Main and Max streets,” Peter Van Steen, CUPPAD transportation planner said in a recent news release.

Max Street is situated between U.S. 41 and Lake Street and Main Street is between Gaylord and Mill streets. The grant requires a local match from Michigamme Township of $65,000. The project will total $323,581.

The city of Ishpeming has an improvement project of its own ongoing and Marquette County has applied for funding on Ishpeming’s behalf for a facade improvement project to improve the outside of seven buildings in downtown Ishpeming.

We think this is a great grant program and would go far to help our local communities. We hope these grant funding requests will be successful.