HOUGHTON - The $1 million grant that funded the renovation of the Powerhouse building was closed out at the Houghton City Council meeting Monday.

The grant, obtained in 2007 from the Michigan Economic Development Corp., funded a tripling in the available square footage at the MTEC SmartZone incubator site, including the creation of two new floors.

The building houses GE Aviation's University Development Center, which performs services such as software development and hardware design.

There are now 35 full-time equivalent positions at the site, said Kim Stoker, executive director of the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region.

MTEC SmartZone CEO Carlton Crothers said the renovation was designed to accommodate 126 employees.

Crothers said GE might add lower-security offices on the first floor of the building to complement its existing facility.

"I can't even go in there without being escorted," he said.

For security reasons, he said, it was unlikely another company would be able to move into the Powerhouse building. That was part of the reason for the renovations to the former UPPCO building, now called the Michigan Tech Lakeshore Center, which will be opened as the fourth SmartZone incubator in October.

Crothers thanked the cities of Houghton and Hancock for their support.

"It's about two cities, one community," he said.

In other action, the council:

heard a report from Director of Public Works Mark Zenner on the streetscape project. The second block of Shelden Avenue should be opened to traffic later this week. Water and sewer work is starting in the Down Wind Sports area. There will be excavation done by Rhythm so sewer lines can be run backwards through the block, enabling the businesses to stay active.

heard a report from Zenner on public works projects in the city. The surfaces of Ravineside Drive and Spring House Lane were repaired. Because the existing blacktop was so thin, he said, it had to be peeled up rather than ground up. The new blacktop is two-and-a-half inches thick, an inch-and-a-half more.

Crews completed work at the Woodhaven Pond, the area around which was seeded and fertilized.

Zenner said 12 members of the Michigan Technological University football team had helped the city plant flowers.

"That was a big lifesaver for us," he said.

set a public hearing of the Rental License Board for 810 E. Montezuma for July 13.

set a free concert of jazz at the Ray Kestner Waterfront Park from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at June 28.

approved budget adjustments for the 2008-09 budget.

Garrett Neese can be reached at gneese@mininggazette.com.