It’s about quality of life

Build communities where people want to live, and the jobs will follow. That was the message delivered by IRRRB Commissioner Mark Phillips this past Sunday at the dedication for the new Lake Vermilion Cultural Center in Tower, and it marks a change in direction for the economic development agency he heads.

Tower, of course, was the perfect place for Phillips to talk about his vision, because it’s one that’s shared by many in this community on the lake. City officials and Main Street business owners have, for years, seen their community’s future intimately tied to Lake Vermilion and tourism. And there’s widespread agreement that Tower’s long term prosperity comes from making Tower a more interesting and vibrant community. In other words, a place where people will want to live.

When a community can achieve that status, the jobs do follow, because people are creative and they’ll find their own way to make a living in a community they find desirable.

Of course, the road from struggling former mining town to a destination community isn’t traveled overnight. Small communities, like Tower, face enormous obstacles that stand in the way of such transformations. But Tower has some key assets, most notably Lake Vermilion, along with an abundance of persistent people who share a vision and who have overcome obstacles to make important strides forward. As the former St. Mary’s Episcopal Church slowly made its way down Hwy. 169 on Sunday on its way to its new home on Main Street, the hundreds who came to watch witnessed one more of those obstacles tumbling down.

The creation of the Lake Vermilion Cultural Center will be an exciting addition to the city, one that very persistent people, like Mary Batinich, and the cultural center’s board members whose talents she relentlessly marshals, made happen. The board’s vision is impressive and will provide the kind of cultural amenities that will help make Tower a place where people will want to live.

It’s just one piece of the puzzle, but there are many more pieces slowly falling into place. This week, Tower’s Harbor Committee approved an aggressive timeline for construction of condominiums along the harbor, another important step forward. While some were disappointed that the hotel project fell through, it was almost certainly a blessing in disguise. By pursuing harbor development through the city’s economic development authority, the community retains much greater control over the project and any profits will remain in the community, hopefully to fund future development.

At the same time, the city got word that the Legislative and Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources has approved $679,000 in funding for walkways around the harbor as well about 1,700 feet of additional paved trail and boardwalk that will connect the harbor to the Hoodoo Point and McKinley Park biking and hiking loop.

Recreational opportunities, which Tower now has in abundance, are key to building the destination community folks here envision.

It’s been a long time coming, and there’s still a long way to go. But Tower has made important strides in recent years, from the opening of the new Scenic Rivers medical and dental clinic to the success of the Vermilion Country School, now in its third year of operation. Each of these projects provides good-paying jobs that support families and meet critical community needs at the same time. They’re all part of creating a healthier and more diverse economy, and community, in Tower.

And success builds on success. Each step forward makes the next step that much easier. And pretty soon, with a little persistence, even a tiny town like Tower can get where it needs to go.