While the Upper Peninsula is widely known for its unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities, it also features dynamic communities which are home to vibrant cities and villages that attract business and recreation, as well as workers, students, tourists, and residents, like Houghton and Hancock. Communities across the Upper Peninsula are proactively investing in themselves by addressing local needs while becoming a place that attracts business and visitors alike with support and technical assistance from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Beyond its traditional incentive assistance, two MEDC programs are providing technical assistance to revitalization efforts across the U.P.—Michigan Main Street and Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC). While Sault Ste. Marie is the only Michigan Main Street Community in the U.P., three communities are RRC Certified Communities—Bessemer, Houghton, and Marquette—and 24 communities are RRC engaged, including Calumet, Chassell Township, Clark Township, Escanaba, Gladstone, Hancock, Iron Mountain, Iron River, Ironwood, Ishpeming, Lake Linden, L’Anse, Laurium, Manistique, Menominee, Michigamme Township, Munising, Negaunee, Newberry, Norway, Ontonagon, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace, and Wakefield. Read more here.