Communities within the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation service area are getting creative.

Some are opening pocket parks. Some are beautifying their downtowns. And others are creating bike-friendly communities. 

But there’s opportunities for even more creativity ahead. 

“Creative Placemaking for the Iron Range,” an event designed to help ignite conversation about livelier, livable and thriving communities, on Wednesday, Sept. 20, helps kick off the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation’s Downtown and Business Corridor fiscal year 2018 grant program.

The noon to 3 p.m. event is at the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Mineland Reclamation Building at Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm.

In its second year, the Downtown and Business Corridor Grant Program offers grants to nonprofits, cities and informal grassroots groups for highly visible and creative downtown and business corridor projects.

Applications to the program are being accepted Nov. 1 through Nov. 30.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation grant program coordinators will be at the Sept. 20 event to outline agency grant programs.

“Creative Placemaking for the Iron Range” is organized by the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (ARAC).

Discussion will center on the physical and social character of a neighborhood or town and how art and creativity can make a community more inviting.

Business owners, residents, nonprofits, arts group representatives, and local government officials are invited to attend.

The event begins at noon with an informal "bring your own" brown bag lunch, followed by a 1 p.m. presentation on Creative Placemaking and a discussion on how ARAC or Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation grants could help. 

A 2 p.m. carpool tour of downtown Chisholm revitalization projects and a 3:30 p.m. Recharge the Range Creative Communities subcommittee meeting cap the day.

The event is free and open to the public.

Pictured above: The Chisholm Pocket Park was developed in part by support from an Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Downtown and Business Corridor grant. Photo by Antone Leustek.