Ely MN’s New Look? Wintergreen’s hometown of Ely, Minnesota, is the entry point to America’s most beloved wilderness area and was nationally voted “America Coolest Small Town.” But what happens when a sudden real estate boom in downtown Ely coincides with a weekend workshop by volunteer architects, city planners and landscape designers on the Minnesota Design Team? We’re about to find out. Ely may be in for a major facelift with all the interesting developments that took shape here this past weekend! On Friday night, about 200 Elyites representing the whole spectrum of our 3-legged “mining, timber, tourism” economy attended a planning event at which the design team polled us on key questions, including what we valued most about our community. The resounding consensus answer: “Ely’s proximity to the BWCA.” Another key question about what our town’s next step should be to build positive momentum prompted a very practical answer: “Expand the city limits to encompass more area residents who consider Ely their home” (and who can then contribute to its tax base since they depend upon its services!). On Saturday, following a day of area site visits and brainstorming, the design team presented to an even larger Ely gathering a couple dozen storyboards illuminating ideas for enhancing Ely’s economy, it’s quality of life and its downtown viability. Some were ‘pie in the sky’ & fun but whimsical – like the proposal for a stunning pedestrian suspension bridge over the narrows on the east of our town’s nearest lake (one of 500 lakes within 20 miles of Ely!). Others were very practical & perhaps very likely since they are embraced by the developer who recently purchased 6 vacant buildings in the center hilltop downtown area (& right around the Wintergreen building which we recently repurchased to reboot our clothing business!) These innovations included bringing the old State Theater back to life and perhaps opening a rooftop restaurant on the adjoining “Salerno” building (the highest point in town -- what a view from there!). Another fun idea associated with these properties (and also embraced by the developer) called for small green space “pop-up” parks in the empty spaces behind the Vertins Restaurant building and next to the old Tanner Hospital “castle.” Ideas offered for other areas of town included a new youth rec center & greenhouse winter garden near Elys hospital complex, an expanded sports center near our school complex, a convention center next to Grand Ely Lodge, and a pass-through green space in the existing empty “Pamida” lot on Chapman Street. These would all be tied together with foot/ski/bike trails throughout town and connected with our very popular Trezona Trail around Miners Lake (as well as the proposed suspension bridge!) The design team’s key economic advice: brand the “Made In Ely” theme and focus on a homegrown economy that builds upon Ely’s unique reputation for top-quality & very unique locally-made products, like Steger Mukluks & our Wintergreen Northern Wear. How much of this might actually happen? Branding the “Made in Ely” theme is a no-brainer and needs to happen pronto. Regarding the redesign flourishes, who knows! But at least for one great weekend, it brought the community together, made us proud of our potential and got us all scheming & dreaming about the destiny of America’s “coolest smallest town” and the world’s “canoeing & dogsledding capitol.”
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 23:44:20 +0000
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