DDA to seek bids for facade project, again

ESCANABA - The Escanaba Downtown Development Board (DDA) will go back to the drawing board and seek bids again for a major facade project downtown. The group made the decision at its meeting this morning.

The project was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) for new facades on six buildings. The owners also are seeking $50,000 in local DDA facade funding which the businesses will match with $50,000 of their own monies.

Two contractor bids to complete the six facades were recently received by the DDA. Each came in around $400,000 each, substantially over the $200,000 budget, said Roger Good, DDA director.

Good recommended the project - originally scheduled to begin this fall - be postponed and the bidding process be redone for work to begin in the spring.

"We can try to shove this through...but I think we're better off to wait till the spring to get more competitive bids," Good told the board.

After discussing the issue, the DDA agreed to postpone the project, ask for bids again, and have a bid approved and funds ready to release by Memorial Day weekend.

The six businesses involved in the facade project are Ferdinand's, The Ritz, Becca's Closet, Fashion Lane, Pine Tree Realty and Beck Plaza.

The DDA recently hired Winter-Troutwine Architect and Bittner Engineering to design facades for these businesses, located on the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Ludington.

In other business, the DDA agreed to apply for a $19,200 grant, offered through the Michigan Building Healthy Communities Program, to help promote the local farmer's market.

Escanaba's DDA would match 10 percent, or $1,920, of the project. Delta Menominee Public Health Department would match 15 percent, or $2,880. The remaining 75 percent, or $14,400, would be provided by Michigan Building Healthy Communities.

In addition to advertising the farmer's market, the funding would be used to pay for a credit/debit machine which also accepts Bridge cards. The grant would help establish a farmer's market coalition to promote awareness to the general public and increase access to the market for low-income families, Good explained.

"This is an opportunity to help promote the farmer's market...and for the vendors to reconnect with the MSU (Michigan State University) Extension," Good added.

While supporting the grant, the board also stipulated the farmer's market be designated as a smoke-free zone if it hasn't already.

Looking ahead to the holiday season, the DDA board authorized staff to solicit bids for the Christmas garland downtown, expected to be installed by Nov. 7.

DDA board members were briefly updated on the following projects: Lofts on Ludington progress; entrance signs to the city; pole street banners; the DDA's advertising campaign; the street mural on North 12th Street; the paving of the parking lot on North 14th Street; a project to remove a steam tunnel at the Ludington Center; and other facade projects underway.