It seems that I always mention two things when I write this article, construction and the weather, and this time will be no different. I think that I can safely say in both cases that the news is positive. The good news regarding construction, other than we are pushing ahead with several of our planned projects, is that the City Commission recently made a significant decision about Lighthouse Park.
For those who are unfamiliar, Lighthouse Park is the old Coast Guard Station and Lighthouse that were traded to the City back in 2010 for the current location of the new Coast Guard Station. So this development has been a long time coming. The City Commission unanimously approved a plan to create a new entrance to the park from Arch Street, relocate the multi-use path, create new parking areas for visitors to the park and create additional parking for the Maritime Museum. This is a very significant first step in moving the long-awaited park towards more public access and use.
In regard to the weather, I’m hoping that, by the time you’re reading this, we’ve made the turn toward spring. We’ve had one of those winters that I remember from growing up in Marquette. To me, the 200 plus inches of snow that we have received so far is nothing new; however, it can still be a challenge and gets old really fast. The good news that I would like to mention here is the tremendous effort put forth by our City snow plowing crews. They have been working 12 hour shifts for several weeks now to, at the very least, keep pace with the snowfall. Granted, there are likely some citizens who are not happy with how we are handling it but, as the City Manager, I can’t think of a better method. So, if you see a snow plow driver thank them for their hard work, it will go a long way.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is looking forward to another good and productive new year. It’s hard to believe that it’s 2019 already. It seems like only yesterday that we were anticipating the turn of the new century and the awaiting the resolution of the possible Y2K effect. Which, as you are all aware, didn’t happen. It’s also the time of year where much of Marquette and the U.P. hits its stride with winter activities. Although there is often great anticipation for the summer season (what we at the City refer to as construction season) for some, winter is also a high point. And from what I can tell so far, the snow is not going to let us down. There is a lot to look forward to including: dog sled, ski and winter bike races, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and ice fishing, as well as many more activities that residents and visitors hold dear.
It is also time for City staff to take a breather, but usually not for long. This is the time of year when we get to work on everything that needs to be done once the snow melts. One of the biggest items on the horizon is the move of the old hospital to its brand-new building adjacent to the US 41-M28 bypass. It’s been a work in progress for several years now with many moving parts and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Many good people, including City staff, have worked hard to make it all happen.
To go along with the new hospital, we learned some good news in December that the old hospital was purchased by a local development group with some very impressive plans for the re-use of the property. From what I know at the time of this writing, I firmly believe that this development will be very good for the residents of Marquette and certainly the U.P. in general. All of us here look forward to seeing it all happen.
Things continue to look positive for Marquette for 2019 and we hope the same applies to all of our residents and visitors alike. There is a lot to be happy about and proud of, so go out and enjoy.