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The village of Ontonagon is in the process of getting some major improvements.
They are one of four communities in Michigan selected for the sustainable small harbor management strategy project.
The project is part of a case study designed to help small harbor communities develop ways to attract businesses and tourists by making better use of waterfront areas.
Ontonagon Village Manager Joe Erickson says a project team full of experts will be providing an opportunity that wouldn’t likely come to the village otherwise.
“The chances of bringing this group of experts up from downstate to come to Ontonagon for this would be very expensive for our community,” said Ontonagon Village Manager Joe Erickson, “so to be part of this case study is a lot of good information and expertise that comes to town that we might not have access to.”
One of the most important reasons for sustainability planning has to do with the adversity the village has recently overcome.
“In the past few years, the mill has closed in town, the mines closed about a decade ago, so there’s been a lot of economic hardships that have taken place,” Erickson added, “but the river, the lakeshore, those have remained and we need to find ways that we can emphasize and make use of those resources.”
Some of the targeted areas include the island adjacent to downtown, the old Escanaba Lake Superior rail yard, the Ontonagon Marina and their surrounding areas.
The next set of meetings will be held November 5th through the 7th.
