U.P. County receives grant money to fight blight

MARQUETTE — Representatives from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority headed back to Lansing Friday, but not before presenting Marquette County one more big check.

One day after giving the county more than five hundred thousand dollars to construct apartments at the Mather Inn in Ishpeming, MSHDA presented a $223,250 check to the Marquette County Land Bank Authority.

That money will go towards the fight against blight in the cities of Ishpeming and Negaunee.

“The whole concept of the Land Bank Authority’s Demolition Program and why we do blight removal is because by taking one blighted property down, you really do increase the values of every property when you remove a blighted property,” said Marquette County Treasurer Anne Giroux.

“It’s sad that a lot of these properties came into possession of the treasurer for various reasons. Some of it is irresponsible property owners,” said Negaunee City Manager Jeff Thornton. “Instead of letting the properties go into the hands of irresponsible opportunists, it’s actually making the property safer for the community.”

“MSHDA has been a big supporter of this community and it really makes a difference,” said State Rep. John Kivela. “Quite frankly they’ve been a tremendous asset to Marquette, Ishpeming, Negaunee, and all of the communities. They’ve really been a friend to the U.P.”