There are some exciting new developments on the business side of downtown Houghton.
The Travelodge hotel on the west end will undergo a major renovation this Spring along with a rebranding.
At the regular meeting of the Houghton City Council, City Manager Eric Waara said the location will become a Quality Inn & Suites hotel.
Business Development Director Susie Landers also hinted that a major coffee shop chain, Biggby Coffee, could be opening up a shop in the near future.
In other business, the City Council passed a pair of procedural ordinances. One allows the city to use its own discretion when selling surplus property to another unit of government and would not require bids. A second allows the Council to pass Rules of Procedure with a Resolution rather than an Ordinance.
Immediately afterward, the council passed resolutions to adopt their Rules of Procedure and a Resolution of Intent regarding Transportation Services for 2017.
Public hearings were then set for February 24th to discuss applying for a DNR Passport Grant for improvements to the West Houghton Park, and to give notice of intent that city will be applying for a grant from the USDA for the upcoming street paving project.