A new project in Sault Ste Marie will bring fourteen new jobs and nine apartments to the downtown district within six months.
The Sault Ste. Marie Brownfield Redevelopment Authority received a one-million-dollar state grant to turn what’s known locally as “The Mac Building” into businesses and housing.
It will also reactivate a prominent historic building that contributes to the Sault Ste. Marie Commercial Historic District, recognized by the National Park Service and the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office.
Sault Ste. Marie’s Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Jeff Holt said the building has sat vacant for years and has a lot of history.
“It was built in late 1895 to 1898 and a lot of the materials that built it came out of one of the projects on the Soo Locks. So, what was dug out to build a lock actually helped build buildings in our community, and this was one of them,” Holt explained.
Holt said the building was a former dry-cleaning facility. So, the project is designed now for retail spaces on the main floor. And the second floor is going to have nine, one-bedroom apartments or lofts. Although changes are being made, he added they are trying to keep the historical significance intact as best they can.
Holt also added that bringing new housing to the city is high priority especially with workers coming into town to work on the Locks this summer.
“We have literally hundreds, if not close to a thousand people coming into our community, and we have to have some place for them to stay and the largest section of the renovation project will be taking place this summer too. So, we’ve got to have some place to put them,” said Boyd.
The City of Sault Ste. Marie Brownfield Redevelopment Authority received a $1 million brownfield grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and the city previously approved the local portion of the brownfield work plan, valued at $51,931 over seven years. The city of Sault Ste. Marie is engaged with MEDC’s RRC program.
Officials hope everything is complete by September.
