Smelter group seeks money from council
By GARRETT NEESE, DMG WriterHOUGHTON - The Houghton City Council's Finance Committee will review a proposed $5,000 donation to an effort to stabilize the Quincy Smelting Works.
Kim Hoagland, president of the Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission, Park Superintendent Jim Corless and Scott See, the Advisory Commission's fund development, gave a presentation on the project at Wednesday Houghton City Council meeting.
Copper Country Preservation, Inc., a non-profit company created by the Advisory Commission, is taking on fundraising for the smelter project, Hoagland said.
Funding for the project may be included in upcoming federal appropriations bills for either the 2009 or 2010 fiscal years. But for that to happen, Hoagland said, there needs to be roughly $500,000 in local matches.
The Hancock City Council approved a $5,000 donation earlier this month.
"I hope the knowledge that Hancock donated that amount will spur your competitive instincts," Hoagland said.
In September 2007, the Hancock and Houghton councils passed a joint resolution calling for the demolition of the Quincy Smelting Works if funding for stabilization could not be acquired by 2010. At the time, council members called the vote a way to convey the need for work.
The money raised by the non-profit would go to the property's owners, Franklin Township, Hoagland said.
The end use of the rehabilitated smelter property has not been decided upon on, Hoagland said, though it won't be a full restoration. The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public forum on the project within the year.
Corless said the work may allow the public to access some of the better-preserved buildings.
"It would pave the way to take these next additional steps to make these buildings weather-tight," he said.
Whatever preservation goes on must adhere to federal standards for rehabilitation, Hoagland said.
Since the donation was not budgeted, Mayor Eric Peterson said the matter should be referred to the council's Finance Committee.
Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com
