Photo courtesy of Lynette Webber and Main Street Calumet
201 5th St., Calumet, Michigan, is the site of a building redevelopment project nearing completion.

Main Street Calumet and the Village of Calumet Downtown Development Authority will host Meet the Developers, a community event to take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 20, at the Keweenaw Heritage Center (the former St. Anne’s Catholic Church) at 25725 Scott Street, Calumet.

Main Street Calumet Executive Director Leah Polzien, who is also the chairwoman of the Calumet DDA, said that five developers working in downtown Calumet will be presenting information about who they are, their projects and providing feedback on the development process. The event brings together community members, developers and local officials. This is an opportunity to network, learn more about each other and celebrate the growth that the community is experiencing.

Representing a cross-section of downtown projects, developer processes are in various stages from ideation to nearing completion. Due to time constraints, not every project or developer will be represented at this meeting. Updates will be provided on developments in process for the 100 block of Fifth Street fire site.

Polzien said that in addition to the developers, Executive Director of Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance Jeff Ratcliffe will also be present.

Ratcliffe, she said, has been working closely with the Houghton County Land Bank and that organization’s acquisition of the fire site properties of the 100 block of Fifth Street.

The village of Calumet has a Michigan Enhancement Grant for $250,000, said Polzien, and there is a procedure in place for expending those funds to get the fire site as prepared for redevelopment as possible.

“Jeff will give some updates about that, and where we’re at in the process,” Polzien said.

The initial objective was to acquire the properties, she said. Now, the land bank owns the properties, which allows for moving ahead to the next phase.

That will include public input on the site, possibly getting some design concepts created, and that will be funded through the enhancement grant funds.

The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.