CALUMET — One of the goals Executive Director of the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance, Jeff Ratcliffe set for himself in 2015, was to help change the perception of the Calumet area “down the peninsula,” a perception, he said that is changing.

“The folks that I work with down in Houghton and Hancock, they all now recognize the importance of bringing Calumet back,” said Ratcliffe at the April 20 Meet the Developers presentation, in Calumet.

Ratcliffe told the audience that the area has a base economy much larger than most realize.

“If you don’t realize it,” he said, “you have over a third of the manufacturing technology employment in the Keweenaw Peninsula, so that’s the three counties.”

Calumet, he went on to say, has one-third or more of the population income “right around you, in your market area.”

Those statistics are huge, said Ratcliffe. Those, he said, are tangible parts of an economy and they are here.

“So, that’s what you’re going to build on,” he said.

The visitor economy, tourism, is hugely important, he said, citing Mt. Bohemia, Mont Ripley, other forms of outdoor recreation, that all contribute significantly to the economy.

“But what we have that they (other local communities) don’t have,” he pointed out, “is we also have a base economy. So, we also have a more diverse economy. We’re not just depending on people coming in seasonally.”

It is a good place, it is a beautiful place, he said. Revitalizing Calumet, however, will require a lot of work.

“It’s not easy, but it’s coming,” he said, “so, let’s keep at it.

Village Council President pro-tem Pamela Que, who also sits on the Village Planning Commission as well as the Historic District Committe, said that while developers and organizations work on restoring and renovating the historic buildings in the village, “we’re working on the guts of the administration,” and bringing all the governing boards, committees and commissions together.

That is why, she said, the Village Council and Main Street Calumet worked to host the Meet the Developers town hall meeting, to meet the developers, while they meet the boards.

“It means a lot to us, as your governing boards,” she said, “to have open communication. It helps us grow and develop, and meet things on the front, like Jeff (Ratcliffe) says, and not have to have problems on the back side.”

Que said she wanted to speak as a representative of the HDC at the presentation, which is a governing body consisting of five village residents.

“We’re here just to administer the review process for what happens in our historic district.”

Que said that while she understands the processes and paperwork can be time-consuming and cumbersome, it is important for people to know that the process is not the responsibility of the National Park Service.

“This is your village,” said Que. “This is your village. This is what we want to have: to restore our buildings and to have them be and have the fabric for what all these developers are looking for, and what the people coming into our community are looking for, as well.”