Standing Bear Marina on Lake Vermilion in Tower is undergoing a full renovation and expansion. When completed, the marina will feature 110 boat slips, three docks, a fishing pier, a dry storage building for watercraft, a fuel station and a boat rental and repair shop.

The marina’s owner and the city of Tower each have a significant interest in the marina’s success and are partnering to restore this key economic center on one of Minnesota’s most popular lake destinations. Standing Bear is situated at Tower’s entry point and is adjacent to the city’s main street and a new 20-unit townhome development that is under construction.

“The marina had fallen into disrepair over the years, so it is so exciting to see this improvement,” said Linda Keith, Tower’s city clerk/treasurer. “This project is a very important economic stimulus for our local businesses and residents.”

Standing Bear was originally built in 1955 and owned by the city of Tower until 1991 when it was sold to a private owner. It was recently resold to Twin Cities-based Your Boat Club, which specializes in boat fleet rentals to the public and boat club memberships and has ten additional locations at Minnesota lakes.

The renovation is a three-phased project that will be completed by the summer of 2019. Phase one, to be completed this spring and early summer, includes replacing the main dock structure, renovating 40 existing boat slips and adding 10 new slips. Phase two, also scheduled for completion this year, involves replacing 40 slips and the second dock structure. The last phase in 2019 will replace the third dock and 20 larger boat slips.

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

A new outdoor patio and way finding path lined with benches, tables and trees will soon be added to the city of Cook’s central downtown area on River Street. The path will connect to an existing gazebo (pictured) within the city park, and the entire area will have Wi-Fi capability provided through the town’s library.

The development of this public space creates connectivity throughout the downtown area as well as additional seating for numerous community events including a farmer’s market, music in the park series, festivals, and art and library programs. Signage will be added along the path directing people to downtown businesses such as the salon and spa, art gallery, coffee shop and movie theater.

“Public spaces in small towns help the downtown economy and main street businesses,” said Theresa Martinson, City of Cook administrator. “The newly enhanced space in Cook provides a place for locals and tourists to further experience and connect to our community.”

This project was supported by a Downtown and Business Corridor grant from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. Email Whitney Ridlon for information or call her at 218-735-3004.

The City of Grand Rapids will enlist local artists to create public art throughout the downtown area, including three large murals on building facades, concrete-stamped sidewalk poetry, three sculptures and numerous lamp post banners. The art will be installed in highly visible locations, and the overall theme will encompass the history, culture, traditions and diversity of the city’s past and present.

The Grand Rapids Arts and Culture Commission developed in 2015 a roadmap for the city to further advance its arts and culture offerings. The commission solicited public participation in the roadmap process, and one of the goals that emerged was to embed public art into the city’s streetscapes.

“The Grand Rapids community recognizes that public art is an important component in our economy,” said Sonja Merrild, Grand Rapids Arts and Culture Commission chair. “Not only is art an industry in and of itself, it also creates attractive downtowns and places to which local people and visitors are drawn.”

According to the roadmap findings, the use of public art can greatly benefit a city’s physical environment. Further, capital improvement projects such as sidewalks, street redesigns and roundabouts can easily integrate artistic components that enhance the aesthetic appeal of public areas and business districts.

This project was supported by a Downtown and Business Corridor grant from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. Email Whitney Ridlon for information or call her at 218-735-3004.

A yearlong series of art and history events will be hosted by Cook County Historical Society (CCHS) in an effort to grow heritage tourism by educating and entertaining Cook County visitors.

The events will be a mix of workshops, demonstrations, exhibit openings, slideshow presentations, panel discussions, live performances and social activities. Five CCHS-managed locations will be the host sites including Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery (JHP), Cook County History Museum, Bally Blacksmith Shop, Chippewa City Church (pictured), and Fish House with historic boat “tug Neegee.” 

JHP will host the majority of the events due to its prime location in downtown Grand Marais with a full kitchen and views of the harbor. The gallery features local, regional and national artists in revolving exhibits as well as a permanent collection of original art by early 1900’s artist Anna Johnson.

“Our goal is to more meaningfully engage visitors in our community through the art and history event series,” said Carrie Johnson, CCHS executive director. “If our visitors spend more time absorbing the local character, they are more likely to return to the area for future visits with a sense of belonging and place.”

Upcoming events include:

• June 23 - “Canoe Trip - 1917 Style” Presentation
• July 7 - "Researching the Past: A Personal History of Sawbill Lodge" Presentation
• July 13 - Planked Trout Dinner
• July 26 - "A Sad Day in ‘58: The Rescue Attempt of Carl Hammer" Presentation
• Aug. 1 - Old-Timer’s Gathering
• Aug. 3-4 - Bally Blacksmith Demonstrations
• Aug. 9 - "Stories of Work and Play in Chippewa City" Presentation
• Sept. 7-13 - Plein Air Grand Marias Outdoor Painting Festival Competition
• Sept. 14 - Oct. 7 - Plein Air Grand Marias Outdoor Painting Festival Exhibit

Visit the CCHS Facebook page for event details.

CCHS was established in 1924 and has for many decades worked to honor the remarkable history of Cook County. 

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

The Iron Range Tourism Bureau (IRTB) is partnering with communities it serves to help beautify downtowns across the region. The Art of Community project seeks original artwork from local artists to be reproduced on full-size adhesive-backed material and installed on storefront windows. The adhesive material is opaque from the street, but see-through from inside the building.  

Nine locations in Mesabi Iron Range communities have been selected by the IRTB. Artists will be provided specifications for the windows when their concepts have been selected. 

"We're very excited to see this project come to life," said Beth Pierce, IRTB director. "The Art of Community will highlight local talent and create an additional attraction in downtown districts across the Mesabi."

All selected art will embrace the positive energy and assets of a Mesabi Iron Range community or the region. Communities served by the IRTB and identified to host a window graphic are Hibbing, Chisholm, Mountain Iron, Virginia, Eveleth, Gilbert, Biwabik, Aurora and Hoyt Lakes. 

"We are looking for work that celebrates the heart and soul of our Mesabi communities and expresses the artists' hopes and dreams  for the future," said Mary McReynolds, director of the Lyric Center for the Arts and project partner. 

Through McReynolds, the Recharge the Range Cool and Creative Communities committee, a group dedicated to expanding artistic opportunities for and general awareness of regional artists, will assist the IRTB in selecting concepts for the window art. 

Selected artists will be compensated $750 for their work, which will be scanned for large-scale reproduction. The IRTB will retain all future rights to the art. The lifespan of the window graphics is two years. 

As part of the project, the IRTB will develop a web page identifying each Art of Community location and the artist involved with each site. Unveiling events will be held at each location. 

Artists wishing to submit a concept for consideration should email the following to beth@ironrange.org and firststagegallery@gmail.com: an artist statement, bio, up to five images representative of their style of work, a narrative and/or draft image of their concept that meets the intent of the project, and their preferred community for display, by July 10. Installations will begin in September. Contact Pierce at 218-749-8161 with questions. 

The IRTB is a destination marketing organization serving the communities of Hibbing, Chisholm, Buhl, Mountain Iron, Virginia, Eveleth, Gilbert, Biwabik, Aurora, Hoyt Lakes and Embarrass. 

Visit the IRTB website. 

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

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation promotes and invests in regional business, community and workforce development through a selection of grant programs. Several of the programs will accept applications for the fiscal year 2019 funding cycle beginning July 2:

• Commercial Redevelopment – Assists with demolishing dilapidated commercial or industrial buildings and cleaning up brownfields.
• Community Infrastructure – Assists with community infrastructure projects.
• Development Infrastructure – Assists with development-related infrastructure projects. 
• Development Partnerships – Assists with research, education and development-based initiatives that support long-term economic growth.
• Laurentian Vision Partnership – Assists with preserving lands that sustain current and future mining and promoting landscape options for post-mining uses. 
• Residential Redevelopment – Assist with the demolition of dilapidated residential structures and blight.

We encourage cities, townships, counties and tribal units of government in our service area to apply for one or more grants. Our 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 online beginning July 1 here.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation funds its grants programs through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry.