News That matters - Ironwood's Daily News Source

The Best Laid Plans

IRONWOOD - Friday evening the City of Ironwood held an information meeting that focused on the Streetscape program. The program was produced by Coleman Engineering, the company that is working on the program with City Manager Scott Erickson.

It was hoped that downtown merchants and residents would attend the meeting and provide some positive feedback. The project is financed largely through a grant that the City Manager, pictured above, would like to see leveraged against the Huge Downtown Development Grant making up some of the City’s match for the $700,000 Grant.

Very few business owners showed up for the meeting and those that did, expressed their concerns about the plan that will cover Douglas and Aurora Streets. The additional lighting is too close to the street, making snow removal too difficult. The pavers will be also make walking and snow removal too difficult. The trees will also make snow removal too difficult. The benches seem to be ok, but who will take care of them or the flower planters?

There were some complaints about the current sidewalks and street lamps too. There has been nearly a million tax dollars invested in downtown Ironwood already with the many projects already completed. The Government has subsidized more than 70% of the effort up to now. Downtown Ironwood has already received grants for façade improvements, apartment rehabilitation, lighting, new sidewalks and street paving.

Jeff Ebsch, P.E. Coleman Project Manager from Iron Mountain, discusses a few of the drawings for the project.

The drawings below may be viewed in a larger format. Click on image.

above drawing shows the extent of the proposed Transportation Grant

above - phase 1 (burgandy) and phase 2 (blue) of the proposed downtown improvements

above trees, street lamps. flower boxes and benches line Aurora Street and yup, that is "Live Where Play" painted in the middle of the intersection framed in brick cross walks.

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