REGIONAL- Tower and Breitung Township received good news last week when the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Advisory Board awarded projects in those communities totaling $365,000.
The city of Tower will receive $290,000 for the ongoing historic Tower Fire Hall rehabilitation project being undertaken by the Tower-Soudan Historical Society. These funds will provide for a new HVAC system and electrical upgrades to the museum. The overall project is intended to improve the building’s appearance, quality, and functionality as a historic resource as it is readied for public use. The project is expected to create five construction jobs.
The IRRR also awarded $75,000 to Breitung Township for a project to improve the sanitary and storm sewer system on First Avenue and Church Street. The need for a new sewer line, storm sewer and road reconstruction was identified through cleaning and camera inspections and road surface runoff. The project, which is expected to create two construction jobs, will help reduce high inflow and infiltration issues.
Mining grants
Six regional mining companies will receive $8.6 million in rebates of their payments of the Taconite Production Tax for projects designed to improve working conditions and productivity in the mines.
This annual disbursement from the Taconite Economic Development Fund is based on the amount of tonnage plus chips and fines produced by each company and is mandated by law. Companies must match the rebates they receive dollar for dollar and may only use the funds for purposes specified in statute.
Minorca is eligible for a $695,929 rebate to apply toward a $3.2 million project to add wet cleanup systems to reduce the risk of dust exposure from airborne particles. The phased project will begin with improvements to the fine crusher grade floor, the coarse ore reclaim and the primary crusher buildings. Fine material generated during cleanup activities will be removed from the crushing circuit and delivered in a slurry directly to a concentrator. The project will also increase crushing efficiencies.
Northshore Mining Company will invest nearly $2 million to replace both its North Screen House Scrubber and Hearth Layer Baghouse located in the pellet plant, with $695,929 coming from the rebate award. The baghouse will be upgraded in both volume and cloth area to capture more fugitive dust. It will exhaust the clean air inside the building while keeping building pressure neutral. The new scrubber will have ductwork designed for better flow of material and less plugging.
Other rebates awarded include:
• Hibbing Taconite Mining Company, $1,549,876.
• U.S. Steel – Keetac, $1,076,262.
• U.S. Steel – Minntac, $3,173,541.
• United Taconite Mining Company, $1,226,395.
Aurora Eco Development
Meanwhile, the IRRR board placed a $15 million bet on the economic future of the city of Aurora, the poorest community in Minnesota according to the latest American Community Survey, by providing $9 million for the development of an industrial park and a $6 million loan for construction of a 30,000-square-foot spec building to be leased to a future manufacturing tenant.
The loss of LTV Steel Company in Hoyt Lakes in 2001 and the accompanying loss of 1,400 jobs hit the city hard, and other business development projects have not come to fruition. The typical household annual income in Aurora is $32,287, which is 58 percent less than the statewide median household income.
The Aurora industrial park will be located at the intersection of state Hwy. 135 and County Road 100. The $9 million grant will pay for development of infrastructure and utilities to serve about 80 acres. The $6 million spec building with a flexible design will be owned by a future Aurora Economic Development Authority and leased to a manufacturer, with the revenue going to pay off the zero-interest loan. The project is estimated to create 98 construction jobs.