Our Vision, Mission, and Purpose

The City of Iron Mountain Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was formed by the City Council in September 1978 in accordance with Public Act 197 of 1975. Since then, the Downtown District boundary has been amended, and DDA planning and operations are now enabled by Public Act 57 of 2018.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the DDA was primarily engaged in planning studies and infrastructure improvements to make downtown Iron Mountain more attractive for businesses, events, and public gatherings. During the mid and late 1990s, the DDA partnered with various local organizations to start a series of events and festivals downtown. The events and festivals were very well-received and have grown in size and attendance over the years. In 2009, a local grant program for renovation of historic building facades was created, and since then about 20 Downtown Iron Mountain buildings have benefited from the program.

The DDA Board of Directors and staff are currently engaged in advancing the organization’s vision, mission, and purpose. That gets done by planning and conducting roughly 20 festivals and events each year; beautification with flowers, street banners, and public art; and promoting downtown businesses via the internet, print media, radio, and television. All DDA activities would not happen without the participation of about 130 volunteers and many sponsors. The DDA and the community are grateful for the tireless efforts of volunteers and the financial support of sponsors.

In addition, the DDA Board and staff are actively engaged in planning for the future of Downtown Iron Mountain. That planning work begins with research on what other communities in MIchigan and Wisconsin are doing to enable downtown revitalization. It also involves gathering and tabulating information on land uses, buildings, demographics, local & regional economies, housing, and real estate economics to aid in understanding community needs and the range of possibilities for growth / change. With all of that in mind, and with input from interested citizens and elected officials, we can all work together to develop both general and specific proposals to move Downtown and the community forward.