Community: City of Ironwood, Michigan
Population: Under 6,000
The City of Ironwood Downtown City Square project has created a gravity point in the middle of the downtown. It offers residents and visitors a central gathering place that manifests the “Find Your North” spirit of Ironwood. With the help of the MEDC through the Community Development Block Grant program, the City developed a downtown square with amphitheater, splash pad, kids bike park, fire pit, ice skating oval, trailhead for the Miners Memorial Heritage Park Mountain Bike Trail System and much more! This project draws people to the center of the community to support local businesses, artists, and organizations. The project has stimulated the expansion of the City’s First Friday Summer Concert Series supported by the MCACA and the development of the Emberlight Festival, a multi day festival celebrating arts and culture of the region and beyond. Over 770 films from around the world have been submitted for this years Emberlight Film Festival. This has been a transformative project for the City and continues to draw people from all around the region.
Replicability:
This project can be replicated in other communities. The financial assistance from the MEDC was essential for the success of this project. The biggest obstacle is having adequate downtown space for a large public project.
Creativity and Originality:
The City worked with Coleman Engineering of Ironwood and HKGI out of Minneapolis to design the park. The intention was to create a public space that embraces the "Find Your North" brand. Creating activities that represent the natural environment around the City. A splash pad to represent Lake Superior and the many waterfalls of the region, kids bike park to represent the outdoor adventure trails in the area, fire pit for that camping experience, and amphitheater to experience the local arts and indigenous cultures of the area. The CIty Square serves as the "Finnish" Line of the annual SISU Ski Fest Cross Country Ski Race, where 800 racers finish in the downtown of Ironwood. The City Square brings the essence of the Ironwood life to a downtown venue.
Community Impact:
Public gathering places in the downtown creates an opportunity for residents and visitors of all income brackets to experience the arts without financial burden. It creates economic mobility within a community where everyone can interact and engage in the public space. It also brings recreation opportunities to families that can't afford participating at a private venue. Every First Friday, vendors come to the square to engage in a new local economy of artists, crafters, and local agriculture.
