Ewens Athletic Complex was demolished earlier this month to prepare for construction of the new Miners Event & Convention Center (MECC). The demolition was supported by a Commercial Redevelopment grant to the city of Virginia from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation.

When completed in October 2021, the 117,000-square-foot facility will include a convention center and community gathering spaces for meetings and events of up to 1,500 people. There will be two hockey and figure skating arenas. One of them features year-round ice capability and a walking path around the perimeter.

“The MECC will meet a great community and economic need in our city and region for venues that can host a variety of public and private events,” said Brian Silber, Virginia’s Park & Recreation Director. “The facility’s versatility creates spaces for everything from concerts, wedding receptions and trade expositions to community education classes, craft fairs and family reunions. The facility may also serve our region in times of crisis. It will be equipped with infrastructure contingencies to handle communications and shelter for emergencies, neighborhood evacuations and natural disasters.”

The original Miners Memorial building was built in the 1950s. The complex included an ice arena and Virginia High School’s track, football and baseball fields. Failing and outdated infrastructure of the facility, coupled with growing demand for a variety of community events made new construction more viable than a renovation. In addition, the consolidation of Virginia and Eveleth-Gilbert school districts into one combined Rock Ridge Career Academy in 2023 will result in Virginia Schools no longer needing its own football field and track.

MacRostie Art Center (MAC) updated the flooring, lighting and fixtures of its Art Shop to elevate it as the focal point of the facility. The renovated gallery space, which features the work of local and regional artists, is now a prominent retail storefront that can attract tourists and other visitors.

“For years the Art Shop was much less visible within the MacRostie Art Center,” said Executive Director Katie Marshall. “Neighboring businesses in the Grand Rapids downtown district have been investing in renovations to their storefronts and shops. It was time for us to join the progress being made and become a more prominent part of the retail landscape.”

MAC is a 50-year-old nonprofit that presents monthly exhibitions, provides art classes for all ages, and supports artists through grant writing and technical assistance. The Art Shop is MAC’s retail division that supports local artists through a space to sell their work on consignment.

“We believe art is central to the quality of life and economy in northeastern Minnesota,” said Marshall. “Arts and culture organizations in our region generate about $12 million annually in economic impacts. Grand Rapids is growing as an active art hub in the region, and the transformation of the Art Shop adds to that growth.”

A study in 2018 by the Minnesota Citizens of the Arts confirmed the connection between art and economic development.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a Culture & Tourism grant through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry. Email Danae Beaudette for Culture & Tourism grant information or call her at 218-735-3022.

The city of Orr updated the roof on its Tourist Information Center replacing aging cedar shakes with an energy efficient and modern roof system. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a Culture & Tourism grant through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry.

“The new roof tremendously improved the building’s appearance and the Highway 53 roadside corridor that leads into and out of Orr,” said Cheri Carter, city clerk and treasurer. “The overall physical appearance of a town is extremely important to tourism because it is the first impression visitors have of a community.”

Orr is located along Pelican Lake, a 1,546-acre body of water with 54 miles of shoreline, 13 resorts and over 50 islands to explore. The small timber and tourism-based community is also the gateway entry point to Voyageurs National Park, a year-round destination of interconnected waterways and trails. The prime location results in thousands of visitors stopping in Orr for gas, groceries and information as they embark on their northern adventure.

Email Danae Beaudette for Culture & Tourism grant information or call her at 218-735-3022.

Utilizing the school district boundaries of the Virginia, Eveleth-Gilbert, Mesabi East and the northern portion of St. Louis County Schools, local leaders from the Iron Range communities located within those boundaries have come together to study ways to improve broadband and internet services.

Through a grassroots fundraising effort sponsored by the local townships, the East Range Joint Powers Board, Minnesota Power, PolyMet Mining, and a number of other local entities, with generous matching support from the Blandin Broadband Community (BBC), the committee hired NEO Connect, a broadband consulting firm, to assist with the planning activities.