CALUMET – One of the goals set by Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance Executive Director Jeff Ratcliffe in 2015 was to help change perceptions of the Calumet area “on the peninsula” a perception, he said, that changes.
“The people I work with down in Houghton and Hancock all realize now how important it is to bring Calumet back.” Ratcliffe said at the Meet the Developers presentation on April 20 at Calumet.
Ratcliffe told the audience that the area has a much larger grassroots economy than most realize.
“If You Don’t Notice” he said, “They have more than a third of the manufacturing technology jobs on the Keweenaw Peninsula, so that’s the three counties.”
Calumet, he continued, has a third or more of the population’s income “Near you, in your market area.”
Those stats are huge, Ratcliffe said. These, he said, are tangible parts of an economy, and they are here.
“So, you’re going to build on that” he said.
The visitor economy, tourism, is hugely important, he said, citing Mt. Bohemia, Mont Ripley and other forms of outdoor recreation, all of which make significant contributions to the economy.
“But what we have, they (other local communities) don’t have.” He pointed out, “We also have a grassroots economy. So we also have a more diverse economy. We don’t just rely on people coming seasonally.”
It’s a good place, it’s a nice place, he said. However, reviving Calumet requires a lot of work.
“It’s not easy, but it’s coming” He said, “Well, let’s stay tuned.
Pamela Que, President of the pro-tem Village Council, who also sits on the Village Planning Commission as well as the Historical Districts Committee, said that while developers and organizations are working on the restoration and renovation of the historical buildings in the village, “We’re working on the guts of administration” and bring together all the boards, committees and commissions.
For that reason, she said, the village council and Main Street Calumet were working to host the “Meet the Developers” town hall meeting to meet the developers while they meet the board members.
“It means a lot to us as your directors.” She said, “Communicate openly. It helps us grow and develop and hit things on the front like Jeff (Ratcliffe) says and not have to have problems on the back.”
Que said she wanted to speak at the presentation as a representative of the HDC, a governing body made up of five villagers.
“We’re just here to manage the review process for what’s happening in our historic district.”
Que said that while she understands the processes and paperwork can be time-consuming and cumbersome, it’s important for people to know that the process is not the responsibility of the National Park Service.
“This is your village” said Que. “This is your village. That’s what we want to have: restore and preserve our buildings and have the structure for what all these developers are looking for and also what the people coming into our community are looking for.”
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