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CALUMET TOWNSHIP - Calumet Township has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Keweenaw Health Foundation (KHF) in support of the Swedetown Universal Accessibility Project. According to a press release, the project is designed to create a barrier-free recreation and adaptive sports facility that can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of physical ability.
Planned improvements include expanding and renovating the chalet, paving accessible parking and sidewalks, and enhancing connections to the universally accessible trail that was completed in 2025. The project builds upon previous accessibility improvements and will help ensure that the recreation area remains welcoming and inclusive for residents and visitors alike.
Calumet Township Supervisor Tim Gasperich said the township and the Calumet Trails Club are grateful for the grant as it will assist with funding the project.
"We applied for the grant with the help of the Swedetown Trails Club," Gasperich said. "KHF was able to come through with the money and we're very excited about it. It’s a huge project and this is just helping with the overall project."
Gasperich said the goal of the three-year project is to increase the recreation area's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The overall project includes creating ADA compliant spaces in the chalet parking lot, creating an ADA accessible trail, building an addition to the chalet that will bring it into ADA compliance.
The universal access trail (Two Hoots) was completed in the fall of 2025, according to the trails club, and also serves as a beginner mountain bike trail. The trail is at least 36″ wide with periodic passing zones, and grades of no more than 4 percent.
The initial project dates back to 2023, according to the Swedetown Trails Club, when a site survey was conducted, the chalet concept design was developed, along with the parking lot design.
Gasperich said the project began with a question. "We started out asking what we can do to make the chalet ADA accessible" he said. "We talking about an elevator, remodeling the driveway, or what we do?"
The decision came down to building an addition onto the chalet that would relocate the interior to the first level, said Gasperich.
The existing chalet was built in the early 1990s with DNR and Calumet Township funding. It features concessions/kitchen, restrooms, seating for 20-30, a changing room, a ski wax area, and a wood stove, the trails club website says. However, most of the common areas, including the gathering room and concession area, are on the second floor with no ramp or elevator. The bathrooms are on the ground floor, but that floor also does not meet accessibility standards.
"We stared with a DNR grant, which we finally received, and we got some other donations," he said.
According to the trail club, the $400,000 DNR was secured last year, and this year, the fundraising total reached $1 million, providing the funds to hire a contractor.
"We finally got a contractor," Gasperich said. "We had it out on bids, so I think everything's coming together. We're waiting for a bond to finish the financing."
Around the beginning of July, the trails club launched a crowdfunding campaign, according to a July 6 release from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The goal of the campaign is to raise $50,000 by August 20, to receive an MEDC matching grant.
KHF executive director, Jenn Jenich-Laplander, said in the KHF release, that the Swedetown Recreation Area serves as a year-round destination for outdoor activities including cross-country skiing, mountain biking, hiking, snow biking, snowshoeing, sledding, and running. Demand for the facility has increased significantly in recent years, while portions of the existing chalet remain inaccessible to individuals with mobility challenges. The renovation will improve access to gathering spaces, restrooms, concessions, and community events.
"The Swedetown Universal Accessibility Project reflects the Foundation's commitment to improving quality of life across the Copper Country by ensuring that people of all abilities can enjoy the physical, social, and mental health benefits that come from outdoor recreation," Jenich-Laplander said. "This investment will help create a space where everyone feels welcome and included. We are proud to support projects that remove barriers and create opportunities for healthier, more connected communities,"