A new 3,500 square foot crisis respite home will open in Ely this fall and provide services to people 21 years and older with intellectual and development disabilities. The home will serve up to four individuals at a time and employ a staff of 25 people who provide 24-hour care.

The facility is owned and will be operated by Rural Living Environments (RLE), an established private care provider headquartered in northeastern Minnesota. Established in 2002, RLE is owned by Don and Leanne Negley and provides in-home family support, transportation and employment services, teaching independent living skills, group home and crisis respite services. Prior to founding RLE Leanne was employed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services and specialized in helping people with intellectual and development disabilities and guiding them through a self-directed planning process for long-term housing and employment. RLE has six sites in the Arrowhead region and a combined staff of more than 70.

“Our clients need interim housing while they develop a life plan,” said Don. “They typically fill vacant service jobs within the community such as cleaning cabins and offices, wholesale delivery services, and clerks and cashiers in retail businesses. Two of our recent clients founded their own businesses, a dog walking and a cleaning service.

The utilities expansion for the new site was supported with a grant from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. According to Don, the project would not have been possible without the infrastructure grant, as well as support from Northland Foundation, Northern State Bank and Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

“The new facility has created private investment, tax revenues, and construction and permanent jobs in Ely,” said Harold Langowski, City of Ely clerk. “In addition, Rural Living Environments opened an office in our downtown which also strengthens our town’s economy.”

For more information on Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation infrastructure grants, email Chris Ismil or call him at 218-735-3010 for information. 

The Orr community recently updated its comprehensive plan to identify strategies for housing, transportation, natural resources, economic development, land use and community facilities. Like other small towns in Minnesota and the nation, Orr is embarking on a strategic revitalization of its economy and infrastructure.

Established in 1905 as a result of the booming logging industry in northeastern Minnesota, Orr was home to lumberjacks and their families who harvested the area’s abundant white pine timber. The logs were transported out of Orr on the region’s growing rail system and waterways, making their way to the remainder of Minnesota and other states to meet the era’s residential and commercial construction demands.

Orr’s timber industry still thrives today, and tourism has been added to the town’s economic landscape due to its location along Pelican Lake, a 1,546-acre body of water with 54 miles of shoreline, 13 resorts and over 50 islands to explore. Orr is also the gateway point to Voyageurs National Park, a year-round tourist destination of interconnected waterways and trails.

The updated plan identified top priorities for the next two decades including the reuse of the former Orr school building, downtown storefronts, and the city’s prime public space which is the boat launch, city park and fishing pier located together on Pelican Lake’s Orr Bay in the heart of downtown.

“The overall physical appearance of a town is extremely important,” said Cheri Carter, city clerk and treasurer. “Our plan calls for initial concentration on community aesthetics which will include improvements to the Highway 53 roadside corridor that leads into and out of Orr. It is our goal to provide a welcoming atmosphere to visitors.”

Orr is considered a “service” community because of its location along Highway 53, a heavily traveled thoroughfare for tourists heading to Voyageurs National Park and Canada. Many cars stop in Orr for gas and groceries, however with the transformation of the former Orr school into a recreation and resource center, improvements to the downtown area and added lake access amenities, the city is striving to shift from a “service” to a “destination” community.

“The plan update was a very important initial step in revitalizing Orr, and it will be used as a blueprint for the future,” said Carter. “We are ready to put the community’s plans into action.”

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation assisted Orr in its revitalization process with a Comprehensive Plan grant. Email Whitney Ridlon or call her at 218-735-3004 for more information.

The restoration of the State Theater on Ely’s main street will be completed this fall, 82 years after the iconic building was first constructed.  

The exterior and marquee renovation have been completed, and the interior work is in progress and scheduled for completion in August. The renovation work also encompasses the adjacent Salerno building which previously housed at different times a saloon, the VFW club and a five-and-dime store.

Building owner and developer Alley A Realty is seeking a theater and event business to operate the theater space for independent film viewings, musical events, weddings and small live theater performances. A food concessionaire is being sought to operate the former Salerno space for casual café-style dining.

The theater project is part of an ongoing downtown revitalization coalition among the city, its citizens and business owners, Ely Economic Development Authority and Alley A Realty, a family-owned business that specializes in historic preservation and redevelopment.

The National Park Service officially listed the State Theater in the National Register of Historic Places in July 2015, placing it in the company of sites across the nation that have been declared worthy of preservation in order to protect America’s historic and archaeological resources. The architecture firm Liebenberg & Kaplan designed the State Theater in 1936 as well as many other historically significant theatres, commercial buildings, and places of worship in Minnesota and the upper Midwest. The theater closed in 2008, and by 2014 fell into disrepair. Alley A purchased the buildings in 2014 and due to the historical status was able to enlist the help of the State of Minnesota and the United States Department of Interior in the restoration process.

“A once blighted, tax-forfeited property is now a privately owned tax-producing facility,” said Harold Langowski, City of Ely clerk. “The restoration of this building is good for the quality of life and the economy of Ely. The restoration will add a significant arts and culture asset to our downtown as well as create jobs, both for the construction and future operation of the facility.”

This project was supported by a grant to the Ely EDA from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. Email Chris Ismil or call him at 218-735-3010 for information. 

A new walk-through archery range with 3D targets will open this fall at the Babbitt Conservation Club (BCC) Shooting Sports Center, expanding the facility’s offerings for target archery enthusiasts. The trail will have life-size models of animal game with unmarked distances which accurately simulates a real and competitive hunting experience.

Some of the game models are in plain view, some are within the woods, and all have target markings on them in different spots depending on the particular animal. This enables experienced and new archers to assess and improve their skills.  

The BCC has provided quality shooting sports facilities to the public since 1955. The club features a trap shooting range, a rifle and pistol range, archery ranges, and a clubhouse with a kitchen and meeting area. Facility users include individual sportsmen and shooting groups and clubs. Local law enforcement, law enforcement college programs, and the Youth Firearms Safety program each conduct their training and certification there. The BCC sponsors the newly formed Northeast Range Nighthawks trapshooting team, which is sanctioned by the Minnesota State High School League and is comprised of 38 student athletes from Babbitt, Ely and Tower. BCC provides the high school team with volunteer coaches and safety officers, complimentary clay targets, and uniforms at a reduced rate.

“The walk-through archery path is an exciting infrastructure improvement and creates the potential for special events and programming for local residents and tourists,” said David Youngman, BCC grant coordinator. “Over the last decade 3D archery has added a new and very popular dimension of competition attracting both adults and youth.”

Part of the grant will also pay for a shelter for the archers, a storage shed for the 3d figures, and the construction of new shooting benches. In addition, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provided recent funding for a new clay target thrower, scoring tower and voice-activated clay target release system. The BCC is free and open to the public. Additional information about the BCC facilities can be obtained here on the DNR website.  

This project was supported by a Culture & Tourism grant. Email Danae Beaudette for grant information or call her at 218-735-3022.

Photo: Rinehart Facebook page

Biwabik Township completed its new town hall and community center, and residents enjoyed an annual Fourth of July celebration in the new facility, which has social and gathering space for up to 140 people, a kitchen, township offices and storage. The township put forth the bulk of the funds (levy-free) to replace its existing center which was built in the 1950s and was cost prohibitive to renovate.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation provided a development infrastructure grant for the new project. Email Chris Ismil or call him at 218-735-3010 for information. 

The Department of Administration’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and the Office of Equity in Procurement (OEP) are hitting the road to talk about resources that are offered to businesses wishing to work with state and federal government entities. Topics will include:

How Things Get Done
Get a vendor ID number, register to receive notices of state bids and contracting opportunities, understand why you should register in SAM and how to receive bid opportunities. Learn what should be included on capabilities statements and business cards, and what an appropriate business email address looks like.

Introduction to Government Contracting
General overview of all levels of government contracting, what to expect, where to look for opportunities, as well as available certifications.

Doing Business with the State/State Certifications 
Learn how Minnesota is working to improve opportunities for small businesses throughout the state, the new online certification portal, the benefits of certification and more!

Opportunities in Your Backyard
Representatives from state agencies around Minnesota will present information about procurement and contracting needs, and will be available for networking. Invited agencies include: Department of Transportation; Department of Natural Resources; Military Affairs; Pollution Control Agency; Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation; Duluth Transportation Authority.

Register for one of the following sessions:

DULUTH
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 12:30 to 4 p.m.
UMD Center for Economic Development
Register for the Duluth session.

IRON RANGE
Wednesday, Aug. 22, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Mountain Iron Community Center
Register for the Iron Range session.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation promotes and invests in regional business, community and workforce development through a selection of grant programs. Two of the programs will accept applications beginning Aug. 1 for the fiscal year 2019 funding cycle:

NEW! Regional Trails – Assists with planning, design and construction of various outdoor trails such as biking, hiking, walking, ATV, skiing and snowmobile.

Workforce Development – Assists with education and training initiatives that address regional workforce needs and gaps emerging in industries and schools.

Eligible applicants in the agency's service area are encouraged to apply for one or more grants. The agency's website has an automated grant management system, FLUXX, that applicants can access online. Grants can be tracked from start to finish, from the pre-application stage and the submission of reimbursement requests, to the final reporting on project completion. 

Register or access the portal. 

FY19 grant guidelines and application processes will be posted on the agency website online beginning July 31 here. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation funds its grant programs through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry.