REGIONAL- Last week’s meeting of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board yielded windfalls for infrastructure projects in local communities.
The city of Orr landed $243,411 toward the replacement of the outdated fueling system at the Orr Regional Airport. The current fueling system and supporting software was installed in 1998 and uses an obsolete dial-up connection to operate. The system does not meet current standards of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency or current electrical and fire codes. The airport has seven hangars that are currently full, and there is a waiting list for hangar space.
Factoring into the board’s decision was the fact that the airport is used extensively by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as a base for its smoke jumpers, helicopter and air support during spring and fall fire seasons. The DNR also utilizes the airport to conduct wildlife and other aerial surveys in remote areas that can only be accessed by air. The project is expected to cost $811,471 and will be paid for with a $568,060 MnDOT Aeronautics and Aviation grant and the IRRRB’s funding.
The Bois Forte Band received a $386,500 boost from the IRRRB for its planned $5.1 million Vermilion Public Works Facility. The new 13,800-square-foot facility will provide a larger space for the equipment and vehicles used by public works and the housing department, as well as provide space for food shelf services for band members residing on the Vermilion sector and surrounding communities. The project is supported by $700,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $1.5 million from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and $2.56 million from the Bois Forte Band.
The board also awarded $500,000 to the St. Louis and Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority to complete construction of a five-mile gap segment of Mesabi Trail from McKinley to Biwabik, connecting the Virginia area to the Giants Ridge and Embarrass area. A large wetland is present in the area and has made route planning and design difficult. A portion of the new segment includes a floating trail over the wetland. The new segment is one of the final sections to make Mesabi Trail a continuous 162-mile-long paved trail connecting Iron Range communities from the Mississippi River in Grand Rapids to Ely.