Two St. Ignace Museum Projects Receive Support
Hotel Owners Among Those To Back Plans at Hearing
By Karen Gould

A proposed Transportation Museum and funding to renovate the Museum of Ojibwa Culture on State Street received unanimous support of the St. Ignace City Council to move forward following public hearings Monday, April 7.

The Museum of Ojibwa Culture sought public comment as the city pursues a $225,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture loan to pay for major renovations that are needed on the 1837 building. An historic landmark, the building is deteriorating, and the work is needed to preserve the structure. Some of the work includes reglazing the State Street building's 17 windows, which also have rotting frames. Estimated costs to refurbish the windows is $13,500, said the museum's director, Shirley Sorrels. Interior painting already has begun and some electrical work is completed. The structure's wood siding needs special care before it is painted and some boards need to be replaced. An addition needs to be added to the building for storage, bathrooms need to brought up to code, and foundation work is needed to help direct moisture away from the building.

The work will be done according to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects.

"We want to do it right way," said Mrs. Sorrels.

The Downtown Development Authority (DDA), which manages the museum, is working with historic preservationist Frank Pompa of Mackinac Island and the Macomb County community of Washington.

"It's such a wonderful little building," said Mrs. Sorrels, "and it is such an important part of our history and our community culture that it's really important that we get this work done as quickly as we can."

Adding to council's support of the project was Visitors Bureau Director Lynne Piippo.

"On behalf of my 36 hotel members," said Mrs. Piippo, "we would like to put our wholehearted support behind Shirley and her group's efforts. The museum is considered a big draw for historical tourism here in St. Ignace. As we are not currently part of the Mackinac State Historic Parks group, it is our one showcase feature at this time."

The public hearing on the proposed transportation museum is the first of several to be held, said City Manager Eric Dodson, and Council encouraged the Transportation Committee to continue its work on the project.

Mr. Dodson said the curator of Clark Historical Library at Central Michigan University has offered a 1,200-square-foot exhibit based on Larry Rubin's book, "Bridging the Straits."

People are offering to help with the project by donating items or contributing money, he said.

"There is a history here in St. Ignace of being a crossroads way back into the eons of time," said Mrs. Piippo, again speaking for the membership of the Visitor's Bureau, which supports the transportation museum. "Although you can go in Michigan to other transportation museums, like the Henry Ford, and I was there last year, they don't tell the whole story. There's a lot more little stories to be told and we have our own unique story to be told here."

Deb Evashevski, DDA director, who is on the Transportation Committee, said she had heard concerns that the proposed museum was not listed in the city's master plan. Mrs. Evashevski, who was a member of the Planning Commission when the Master Plan was updated in 2000, said the document allows for change, such as the establishment of a museum.

"The Master Plan may sound very intimidating and final," read Mrs. Evashevski, "but while this Master Plan is a very important document for the future of St. Ignace, it is not the final word, it is a dynamic document. One that can and it should, change as needed. Further, it does not dictate the details of development, which is the role of zoning and other ordinances. This document will provide a direction for future zoning and ordinance changes..."

Mrs. Evashevski also explained she had promised Transportation Committee member Ollie Boynton she would speak on his behalf, since he was unable to attend the meeting.

Mr. Boynton, she said, wanted to speak to a concern about taking the Mulcrone building off the tax rolls. The McCann Street building is being considered to house the museum. Speaking for him, Mrs. Evashevski said, he compared the potential for increased revenue and tourism in St. Ignace to the State Park, she said, which draws campers and visitors to the community each summer, but which is not on the tax rolls.

St. Ignace resident Dean Baker said opposes taking property off the tax rolls, although he favors the museum. He said he doubted the museum would have the impact of the State Park and asked why the Father Marquette Museum site is not being considered.

"The dwindling economy of the town, inflation, everything should dictate that we should be trying to bring private investment into the city to enhance our tax base rather than try to decrease it," he said.

Noting that about 20 people attended the hearing, Mr. Baker suggested the city should consider placing the museum issue on a ballot, to get more residents to participate. He also suggested the city survey visitors to see if they would be interested in a transportation museum.

City Treasurer Eugene Elmer said the Mulcrone building brings in between $4,000 and $5,000 a year in taxes.

Mrs. Evashevski said the St. Ignace Welcome Center at the Mackinac Bridge saw 373,221 visitors from May through October last year.

"They need a reason to send people to our downtown district," she said. "The more reasons they have, the more people they are going to be able to send to our downtown district. We're trying to keep our businesses open. It's a tough economic time right now."

"We need to tell our history," she said. "The two things we have to offer are our waterfront and our history."

The Transportation Museum Committee has met once and is seeking federal transportation funds administered by Michigan Department of Transportation. The grant administrators, said Mrs. Evashevski, favor refurbishing historic buildings that have a connection to transportation. When visiting St. Ignace about a year ago, they toured four sites and preferred the Mulcrone structure, which was constructed in 1923 to house a Packard automobile dealership and was used by the state when the car ferries were operating.