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Four properties in northern Houghton County will be the subject for development proposals. The documents need to be in by March 31st, delivered via email to treasurer@houghtoncounty.net or in person at the courthouse building on Houghton Avenue in the City of Houghton.
All parcels are owned by the county’s Land Bank. Treasurer Lisa Mattila lists the sites involved:
- 511 Fifth Street, Calumet
- 308 Eighth Street, Calumet
- 806 Pine Street, Calumet
- 206 Hecla Street, Laurium
The properties are a mix of commercial and residential. The Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance and the Land Bank were hard at work in the fall to stabilize structures within the county’s portfolio. More information about what is expected from the proposals can be obtained from KEDA Executive Director Jeff Ratcliffe.
The Land Bank’s purpose is to accept properties taken over by the county through the tax foreclosure process, maintain or rehabilitate them to a minimum standard to attract investment interest, and then help facilitate the purchase by developers. The goal is to return the sites to being active contributors to the tax rolls, while also adding to economic activity and a revitalization of an area that saw population declines for decades following the end of the copper mining boom.
