ELY- The Ely Economic Development Authority (EEDA) voted Oct. 31 to provide boiler and snowplow services to encourage the construction of a planned child care center inside the Ely Area Community Foundation (EACF) building on Miners Drive.
The EACF facility is the former Minnesota Department of Revenue Building, which the EACF acquired in Dec. 2022 with hopes of establishing a wellness facility along with a childcare center.
“Construction for the childcare will be in the near future, hopefully to finish over the summer,” said Mayor Heidi Omerza, who is also on the EACF board. Omerza said she hoped that the facility could open “by next fall,” though cautioned that the opening date “is not definite.”
Harold Langowski, Ely’s clerk-treasurer, remarked that providing these services will help to keep the building in a ready and accessible condition, without the EACF or the potential child care provider having to incur the expense. “By providing a licensed boiler operator and plowing the snow, we can help keep child care affordable. It would be a short-term thing, during construction, as a credit towards child care in Ely,” said Langowski.
Trails
The growing trail network in the Ely area, was another discussion item at EEDA’s meeting on Tuesday. Ely’s economic development consultant, John Fedo, reported on the disposition of Ely’s federal grant to build the trailhead facility. “We have our last federal sign-offs from the U.S. Economic Development Administration for the last piece of the $1.5 million grant,” Fedo said, “and we have let the contracts (for the construction).”
Max Gray, of Hibbing, will serve as the general contractor for the trailhead facility, with construction set to get underway in 2024.
The EEDA also voted to inform the Ride the Range coalition that Ely is interested in joining. The EEDA discussed Ride the Range at its Sept. 26 meeting as a “matter of information.”
Ride the Range is a marketing collaboration between Iron Range Tourism and several Iron Range cities with developed trails and trail programs.
In other business, the EEDA board:
• Approved the invoice and activities report for August submitted by Fedo.
• Heard the report of Joe Hiller, director of Ely’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority, on progress on finding a developer to work with on HRA’s proposed workforce housing project on the west end near the hospital.
• Approved the payment of EEDA’s August bills of $13,892.
• Heard a report by Fedo that the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board has approved a second round of funding for Ely of $50,000. This money will continue to fund Ely’s commercial corridor business loan and grant program. EEDA provided a $50,000 match to receive the funding, which EEDA approved at their Aug. 29 meeting.