Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Two new decorative light poles at the Aurora Street and Soo Place intersection in Ironwood are among 18 such streetlights being installed with banners from the downtown core area to Hurley.
By TOM LAVENTURE
Ironwood - A project to extend decorative lighting poles on the U.S. business route from downtown Ironwood to Hurley in the west and to Douglas Boulevard in the north is nearly complete.
There are around 18 new lights in all, said Tim Erickson, community development specialist for the city of Ironwood. Nine new lights are installed along the stretch of Silver Street on the Michigan side that now meet up with existing lighting that extends from downtown along Aurora Street and West McLeod Avenue, while two lights connect downtown lighting to Douglas Boulevard at the "S" curve on Suffolk and Frederick streets.
"That's always been a goal, to get it all the way to U.S. 2 when additional funding is available," Erickson said.
Seven more lights are being installed at the Downtown City Square that is currently under construction in an area bordered by Aurora and Lowell streets and McLeod Avenue. The park project is expected to be completed by the end of September.
The city's $191,000 cost for the decorative lighting poles was part of a matching fund agreement with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation that approved $1.47 million in Community Development Block Grant funds that are now being used to construct the Downtown City Square. Another $9,250 of the city's match was to purchase the park property.
The new lighting poles are also being fitted with city banners that were purchased with funds from Ironwood Tourism. There are also new banners to replace worn out ones downtown in addition to new lighting.
