Houghton City Manager Eric Waara discusses downtown events during a joint meeting of the Houghton City Council, Planning Commission and Downtown Development Authority Wednesday evening. Seated from left are City Council members Craig Waddell, Joan Suits, Robert Megowen, Bob Backon and Planning Commission member Kristine Bradof. (Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Three Houghton governmental bodies met Wednesday to hear updates on the MTEC SmartZone and the city’s downtown.

The City Council, Planning Commission and Downtown Development Authority heard presentations from SmartZone CEO David Rowe and City Manager Eric Waara.

The nonprofit, supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corp., works with Houghton, Hancock and local universities to accelerate high-tech business growth in the area.

In the past decade, SmartZone has resulted in 97 new companies and 612 new jobs. It has also brought millions of dollars into the area, including $32 million in venture capital and $139 million in new sales, Rowe said.

“Ideally, we want to create an environment whereby career opportunities are developed and nurtured here, such as people looking for the opportunity to live and work and have a meaningful career opportunity here in the Houghton/Hancock area,” he said.

It provides incubator space at the Lakeshore Center, Powerhouse and Finlandia University’s Jutila Center. Orbion Space Technology, which manufactures propulsion systems for small satellites, has grown from an idea sketched on a napkin six years ago to becoming the sole tenant of the Powerhouse building. It has grown to about 50 jobs, and has resulted in $30 million in direct investment.

“These are high-paying jobs,” Rowe said. “These are people who are experts in their field worldwide.”

As of Wednesday, Waara was putting the finishing touches on the application for the Revitalization and Placemaking grant application, which was due Friday. He plans to leverage the investment the city is making in tearing down the Lakeshore Drive parking deck into making streetscape improvements.

“You’ve got that two-and-a-half block area, the Lakeshore Drive corridor, that’s going to need something,” he said. “That’s been a back alley for the last 44 years.”

Waara also provided an update on summer events. While the Viking Octantis had to cancel its Wednesday visit to Houghton, the cruise ship has six more visits planned this year. Those should continue, Waara said. Viking contacted him Wednesday about booking dates for summer 2024.

Also Wednesday, Waara heard from another cruise line that is hoping to stop in Houghton on Friday The 300-foot cruise ship, with 150 to 175 passengers, will dock by Roy’s Pasties & Bakery.

Construction is also progressing on the Mattila Square pier project. Waara anticipates the parking lot should be repaved in the next week.

The design of the project was reconfigured to work around nine AT&T cables crossing the Portage, the location of which also created delays.

“It’s going to be the same product that everybody expected on the surface, we just have to do a few different things under to work around those cables,” Waara said.

Waara said the plan is to eventually use the new square for the farmer’s market, summer concerts and as a docking place for all but the largest cruise ships. The square will see use year-round: Waara has already talked with Blue Key, Michigan Technological University’s honor society, about holding events there during Winter Carnival.